Giving up.....

I've almost had enough now of trying to grow things on the east facing side of my back garden. Virtually everything I try dies or at best struggles. There is a three feet high wall there that I want to grow something next to,for privacy,but don't want to use fence panels if I can avoid it. The only things that have survived there are some Dogwood that I put in three years ago and only just reach the top of the wall,Russian Vine (wonderful stuff) and weeds of course.The wall never gets sun on it. I suggested Leylandii to my wife,but she nearly had a coronary!.
The latest plants to croak were some Broom (i think). I've tried Beech (died) and a few other things I can't remember the name of (not much of a gardener I'm afraid) all of which ended up in the compost bin.
I'm after something evergreen,prefer some flowers of some sort but not essential,very fast growing,cheap,dense and grows to about six feet.
Help please before I go and get some fence panels.

 

fatsia japonica?

 

Cotoneaster cornubia perhaps? Grows well in shade, grows fast, semi evergreen (sometimes loses some leaves but not all) good screening, excellent for privacy, easy to shape and keep in check. cheap as chips to buy.

 

Are you keeping the plants/shrubs well watered?

How about Photinia 'Red Robin'...
http://www.leylandii-hedging.co.uk/photinia_hedging_38_44.html?gclid=COaYhbfN7q8CFYpjfAodcQxT4g

 

Elaeagnus x ebbingei or Viburnum Tinus - both do well in shade.

 

Are you sure the soil is ok?? The first thing i thought when i read your post was maybe your soil is toxic

 

If it never gets sun try camelias, I have two growing in shade, one has flowered for 16 years and the other for about 12 years. However, they mustn't get any morning sun (east facing?) as the warmth on frosted flowers would cause them to drop. If it's really shaded at the base but lighter above Clematis would like the position and lonicera (honeysuckle) will do well in shade or east facing morning light too.

 

what about bamboo? And check the soil as well , could you publish a picture to help ?

 

East facing three ft high wall.
That suggests to me once the plants reach four ft they are in full sun for most of the day.
How big are the plants you are planting?
Dogwood grows anywhere and should make a decent size in three years.
If weeds are growing the soil is probably OK.

Are you sure you're not getting impatient and digging plants out before they get a chance to establish.
You say you want evergreen but have planted mostly deciduous plants up to now.

 

Also - don't forget that the soil next to the wall will be very dry, are you watering enough or planting too close to the wall?

 

Also - don't forget that the soil next to the wall will be very dry, are you watering enough or planting too close to the wall?

 

Also - don't forget that the soil next to the wall will be very dry, are you watering enough or planting too close to the wall?

Sorry GazSuttonUK, just noticed you'd already mentioned watering.

 

Thank you all for the above replies. I have taken all suggestions on board and will make a decision soon,and let you know what I went with.
I should have explained that I have two dogs!!. On reflection,the length of time we have had the dogs corresponds to the amount of time I've been having problems with stuff dying. I hadn't linked the two until now. I spoke to the old girl next door last night suggesting that this might be the cause and as she said 'Dog pee ain't gonna do 'em no good'!!.
So,when I have decided on the next 'victims' I shall see if the garden centre sells a kind of 'tube' to put around the young plants to protect them from the dogs - or shoot the dogs!!.
I am after evergreen really for the privacy factor. There always used to be a three foot high fence on top of the three foot wall until a previous resident next door took it down and never replaced it as promised. The wall is their responsibility,the one on the other side is ours.
Thanks again (I love my dogs really!).

 

I have four male dogs who would pee up and kill my plants given half a chance.

I have planted up a border with some evergreen shrubs which I have protected while they are young with some plastic netting attached to stakes, then plastic attached to the netting. The height is 50cm which is enough to stop my medium sizes collie types from being able to pee on the plants.



Re the shrubs themselves, I have removed all foliage below a certain level so that when they mature the bottom 50 cm will have no leaves. I've found in the past that a) it's the peeing on the leaves which seems to do the damage and b) if the shrub is fairly mature then the pee doesn't have much effect.

Hope this helps

 

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