please help with screening plants...

hi, im new to the garden thing,but im really in need of some good advice ,please.
ive got a blank canvas of a garden, and its mainly to be lawn and decking ,but i have an ugly 6 ft fence to cover at the end of my garden and another 6ft fence that i need to screen out my incredibly grumpy old neighbour (silly me i cut down the leiland trees before i realised how horrible he is !..

what about russian vine at the end of the garden,as this is away from any houses.
and i havnt a clue about the grumpy side ! (i have an east facing garden)thanks

 

Hi Applesjack

If your fence is made of panels, remember that these will need regular maintenance and even then, they won't last for ever. It's not easy to maintain fences if they're totally covered with creepers and the weight of foliage can be destructive if they start to rock in high winds.

Russian vine is also known as the "Mile-a-minute" vine and is far too big and frisky for my liking. Be prepared to cut it back frequently if you use it.

If you want to break up the appearance of a fence, I suggest planting a variety of shrubs of different heights, colours and textures in front of it, using a double staggered row of shrubs. This still gives you access to the fence for maintenance purposes. The only disadvantage is that the bed has to be quite deep, back to front, for the double row.

 

Hi applesjack and welcome to you.

Russian vine certainly grows fast - and potentially huge - and could prove a probem in a small garden. I would go for honeysuckle and clematis instead, the clematis montana grows fast and big with pink flowers in spring. Ivy is also good as an evergreen option with a few clematis or honeysuckle in with it.

The leylandii trees could have eventually been a problem for you as well unless kept under strict control, so it is probably just as well you got rid of them anyway. But, you will need to improve the soil where they were growing as they will have taken all of the nutrients out of it. If you can get hold of some well rotted manure and dig lots of that in it should help.

 

Flinty has a point about climbers and fences, so how about some of the bamboos, preferably the not too invasive varieties such as Phyllostachys Nigra or Phyllostachys Aurea

 

Hi and welcome.

You did right to get rid of Leylandii. It is no good for the garden and needs regulary haircuts to keep it under control.

Re Russian Vine. Avoid it like the plague. It is nasty. Once established (which it does in secret when you're back is turned) it is off. It it so invasive you will quickly lose control of it unless you check it and chop it very regularly. It goes everywhere, and when the flowers die you are left with an ugly tangled mess of deadwood.

Why not go for a fast growing but far less invasive climber. Honeysuckle, Clematis or Jasmin are all good. There are evergreen vareities of all of those, and in the case of Jasmin, there is one that flowers in winter which is a bonus.