help me hide a fence, please

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Suchmo, Sep 9, 2012.

  1. Grannie Annie

    Grannie Annie Total Gardener

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    Passion flower will look lovely combined with an early flowering clematis. Another thought is the clematis 'Montana' which is a very vigorous grower and ideal for covering fences etc. Ivy is such a strong plant and can choke other plants. The Ivy I have on my fence has come over from next door and has taken the fence over. Keep us posted on what you decide - Happy gardening.
     
  2. Freddy

    Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

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    Just to add...Passion Flowers aren't fully hardy, so if we get a bad winter, you'll probably need to consider some sort of protection. Just be a little careful which one you buy, as some aren't hardy at all:blue thumb:
     
  3. miraflores

    miraflores Total Gardener

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    other suggestions:
    Hydrangea petiolaris
    [​IMG]
    geograph.ie

    bignonia capreolata
    [​IMG]
    ag.arizona.edu

    Parthenocissus quinquefolia
    [​IMG]
    boilvino.wordpress.com

    trachelospermum jasminoides
    [​IMG]
    mygarden.org

    wisteria sinensis [​IMG]
    wikipedia
     
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    • Suchmo

      Suchmo Apprentice Gardener

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      Thanks for the response. Given that passion flower would struggle through a harsh winter, what else would be nice and hardy to go with the clematis? The red leafed one above looks fantastic.
       
    • Grannie Annie

      Grannie Annie Total Gardener

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      I agree Suchmo the Parthenocissus quinquefolia looks amazing. The ivy has so many varieties to choose from that would complement the clematis. Also Climbing hydrangea 'Lacecap' and Campsis Radican would blend with clematis.
       
    • Suchmo

      Suchmo Apprentice Gardener

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      now for the embarrassing part where I reveal just how ignorant I am on the subject of gardening:

      Now that I've decided on a mixture of clematis and lacecap hydrangea to cover around 15m of fence, how exactly do I go about this? Do I buy a few plants, plant them strategically and then wait a couple of years to propagate with cuttings? Or is there a quicker way which is also affordable? Also, can I assume that these plants wil healthily climb up a trellis fence?
       
    • Suchmo

      Suchmo Apprentice Gardener

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    • Madahhlia

      Madahhlia Total Gardener

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      I think H petiolaris are slow growing but get quite big in the end. Two would probably enough of the hydrangea. How long are you planning to stay in the house? l think it's a clinger rather than a twiner and often needs a bit of encouragement to do this in the first few years.

      Personally I think I'd not bother with the trellis which deteriorates fairly fast anyway, plant a set of about 5 identical small-leaved evergreens, preferably with flowering potential - escallonia? - at intervals. Pyracantha would do but it grows too fast once it gets going and is a pig to prune. I think a rhythmic repetition of bushes along the back would be neat and pleasing in winter, though other people may prefer more variety.

      Then i'd plant summer twiners in between in the short term, like morning glory, even runner beans, and clematis for the longer term.
       
    • Suchmo

      Suchmo Apprentice Gardener

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      Thanks for the detailed answer. Your solution sounds com a littleplicated and , perhaps, expensive. Is it? Sorry for the silly question, but how would the clematis, or any climber, climb up to cover the fence without a trellis? Has anyone got any other ideas for this absolute beginner.
       
    • Madahhlia

      Madahhlia Total Gardener

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      I thought you said that there was a wire fence so the clems could cling to that. I thought it was quite a cheap option as you would need to buy about 10 plants and a few packets of seed and no trellis! You'd have to buy plants anyway no matter what option you took. The idea is that eventually the fence would be hidden by plants so you wouldn't need trellis. OK, a bit of a long shot!
       
    • Suchmo

      Suchmo Apprentice Gardener

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      Thank you, Madahhlia. The wire fence is just 3 wire cables run between concrete posts. I will run some plastic, ideal for growing plants, along the wire. I love your suggestion. Please advise further. What plants exactly (size and number) should I buy to follow your suggestion. When would be best to plant them? Any other hints? Thanks in advance for your patience.
       
    • merleworld

      merleworld Total Gardener

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      I would be tempted to plant shrubs in front of it too, then you won't be able to see it. If it's a shady position, I would suggest something like Elaeagnus ebbingei, which is cheap (8 plants for £33.99 plus VAT on that site), fast growing but doesn't grow overly tall (up to about 3-4m). They are evergreen, tough as old boots and can be pruned to the height you want. You can get variegated Elaeagnus such as pungens maculata, but in my experience they don't grow anywhere near as fast.

      These were good sized 3L ones I bought last summer :

      [​IMG]

      This is them now (and they were pruned in spring as well) :

      [​IMG]

      Not sure where you live, but Escallonia are not that hardy up north (and the ones I bought last year all got Escallonia leaf spot because of the wet weather).
       
    • Suchmo

      Suchmo Apprentice Gardener

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      Silly question: would I be able to pant the shrubs in the ground immediately or would I need to keep them in tubs (as you have) for some time? Also, I live in Peterborough. Would escallonia be a bad choice?
       
    • merleworld

      merleworld Total Gardener

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      I've only got mine in tubs as I wanted some screening from next door as they can see over the fence as part of their garden is raised. They are fine to be planted out.

      Not sure about Peterboro but you might be okay. Best person to ask is Stuart Holder on the www.escallonia.co.uk website - he's advised me in the past :)

      His contact details (including email and mobile number) are on this page.

      Not sure they would be very suitable for shade as they love the sun.
       
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