Gardeners again.

[Beezerk]

We have a wall about 5ft high between us and our neighbour, it runs for a couple of metres away from the house and past that there is s some bushy plant things in the neighbours garden which are ok in the summer when they have leaves on but in the winter it offers no privacy. The wall and bushes combined are not tall enough and he can see directly into our living room and kitchen.
I don't want to do anything too obvious to say "I don't want you looking into my house" so what are my "subtle" alternatives?
The ground is kind of pebbles (haven't checked what's underneath if it's soil, concrete etc) but I imagine some kind of long planter would be required, would have to be a good 4 or 5 metres in length though.
Ideally some form of evergreen bush/conifer thing to get a bit more privacy.
Alternatively I could put a trellis on the wall to make it higher with some plant things to block that bit (lots of technical terms being used here here) and just plant the bush/conifers for the final couple of metres.

Knowing absolutely sod all about gardening I'm after some form of inspiration and ideas to muse over.

 

[Slab]

I've a little bit of a background in horticulture and I'm thinking curtains or blinds
(serious answer)

 

[clubchamp98]

We have a wall about 5ft high between us and our neighbour, it runs for a couple of metres away from the house and past that there is s some bushy plant things in the neighbours garden which are ok in the summer when they have leaves on but in the winter it offers no privacy. The wall and bushes combined are not tall enough and he can see directly into our living room and kitchen.
I don't want to do anything too obvious to say "I don't want you looking into my house" so what are my "subtle" alternatives?
The ground is kind of pebbles (haven't checked what's underneath if it's soil, concrete etc) but I imagine some kind of long planter would be required, would have to be a good 4 or 5 metres in length though.
Ideally some form of evergreen bush/conifer thing to get a bit more privacy.
Alternatively I could put a trellis on the wall to make it higher with some plant things to block that bit (lots of technical terms being used here here) and just plant the bush/conifers for the final couple of metres.

Knowing absolutely sod all about gardening I'm after some form of inspiration and ideas to muse over.

DONT put conifers anywhere near a wall or your house.
They will undermine the foundations in a couple of years.
I would put some vertical battens with some bamboo screening on them ( garden centre) then plant some evergreen Clematis climbers these will intertwine in the screen .
any climber will do but clematis flower really nice.

 

[Beezerk]

I've a little bit of a background in horticulture and I'm thinking curtains or blinds
(serious answer)

Like keep ours closed all the time?

 

[Beezerk]

DONT put conifers anywhere near a wall or your house.
They will undermine the foundations in a couple of years.
I would put some vertical battens with some bamboo screening on them ( garden centre) then plant some evergreen Clematis climbers these will intertwine in the screen .
any climber will do but clematis flower really nice.

Interesting, I did see bamboo when I was in a local garden centre, do they offer privacy in the winter as well?. Any possible bush./tree thing would be in a planter, if that is possible.

 

[fundy]

Interesting, I did see bamboo when I was in a local garden centre, do they offer privacy in the winter as well?. Any possible bush./tree thing would be in a planter, if that is possible.

bamboo as a plant provides excellent screening but i think cc meant this sort of stuff

http://www.screwfix.com/p/apollo-na...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CO3L2If_6dICFbWm7QodeUoJzg

 

[Slab]

Like keep ours closed all the time?

I know you're looking for a garden solution but horizontal or vertical blinds let in bags of light and prevent line of sight and there's a reason our parents all had net curtains

Plant wise then as suggested trellis and climbers but it'll be some time before it makes an effective screen.You can get rolls of brushwood screen from local garden center as another option

 

[Rooter]

Interesting, I did see bamboo when I was in a local garden centre, do they offer privacy in the winter as well?. Any possible bush./tree thing would be in a planter, if that is possible.

if you chose bamboo, make sure you get one that has a clumping root type. Running root types will spread like a bar steward and ruin everything in its path!

(you can prep the ground before hand with barriers etc, but thats a pain and a lot of work!)

 

[Beezerk]

if you chose bamboo, make sure you get one that has a clumping root type. Running root types will spread like a bar steward and ruin everything in its path!

(you can prep the ground before hand with barriers etc, but thats a pain and a lot of work!)

It will be in a planter so shouldn't matter too much should it?

 

[Rooter]

It will be in a planter so shouldn't matter too much should it?

not if its in a pot, no.

 

[clubchamp98]

bamboo as a plant provides excellent screening but i think cc meant this sort of stuff

http://www.screwfix.com/p/apollo-na...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CO3L2If_6dICFbWm7QodeUoJzg

Yes this is what I meant .
put wooden frame onto wall and use this to screen off.
Clematis will grow from pots very well
the screen provides privacy and gives the climber something to grow onto

 

[Golfmmad]

Like the idea of Clematis planted in large pots and trained up some trellis, which will grow pretty quickly.

It might be useful to have some interior covering for when the plant is dormant. And I'd suggest Shutters! They are the in thing at the mo and offer good light control and excellent privacy.

And they look fantastic! :thup:

 

[patricks148]

Clematis isn't evergreen and dies back over winter. We planted some Bay across the front of hours, grew pretty quickly and are evergreen

 

[clubchamp98]

Clematis isn't evergreen and dies back over winter. We planted some Bay across the front of hours, grew pretty quickly and are evergreen

you can get evergreen ones but anything will do as the bamboo screen will not let neighbor look over wall.

 

[splashtryagain]

Have you seen those living screens? Pre planted trellis style unit with ivy etc - think I saw them being made on "how it's made".
Or a small, slow growing evergreen like leylandi...

 

[wrighty1874]

Are there any gardeners or fence electors on the forum? My neighbour has a load of ivy and it's damaged the fence and it's nearly collapsing into our garden. As he rents the house out he's asked to get a quote for tidying the ivy and getting a new fence because he lives in London and I live in Warwick.