Topic: HELP! 7 foot screening plants in pots???

[reddyreddy]

My neighbours have knocked a door into their wall right opposite my dining room window which makes meals fun  >:( The fence between us is really low so I want to put some screening plants in pots to give us back some privacy. They need to be about 7 feet tall and quite dence, they also need to be able to grow in pots - I do have some quite large ones.

Any suggestions?  :)

Help much appreciated!!

[froglets]

Bamboo - phyllostachys varieties - I use them to create some privacy in my narrow terrace garden.  You will of course need big pots & make sure they are well weighted down.

Cheers

[reddyreddy]

Thanks, I have tried Bamboo (not sure on variety) and it is a bit transparent - unless I spend a few hundred pounds!! Anything else??? :)

[Lauren S]

Line up several large pots, put stakes in each one and create a trellis effect using horizontal wood strips. You can also add a little ready to mix concrete in the bottom to weight them down, (don't forget to add drainage holes) Train evergreen climbers up your new trellis work. Clematis, ivy, roses. I'm sure other can suggest more.

[rosebud]

 A nice strong HONEYSUCKLE, you can buy them quite big at gardencentres & it will be just right for the growing season, it will also get nice & dense, of course if you want something that grows at the speed of sound buy a RUSSIAN VINE, we had one in our last house, good grief you could almost see it grow, nice flowers this time of year also. Just give it a good feed Large pot & it will be away. Good luck  Rosebud. ;D

[saddad]

Jerusalem Artichokes....  ;D

[reddyreddy]

Saddad,  I have inherited about a million jersusalem artichokes on my allotment so that might work  ;D

[lewic]

My mother had a wonderful Victorian gardening book which suggested Cannabis Sativa for this. It had a drawing of a row of them shielding a croquet lawn from the servants!

[saddad]

I think the constabulary might have something to say about that... and they could probably catch them... plants not being too good at doing a runner...

[Deb P]

How about a buddlija?

[Hyacinth]

Sorry :-[.....no suggestions as to plants, but, as I'm gathering that erecting a second fence, your side, isn't an option because, possibly, you'll be on concrete, there's been a good suggestion of a trellis stretch over several pots by Lauren. What you then grow up it.....dunno.BUT it's surely got to be year-round screening....knowing next to zilch bout things-you-can't-eat ::), ivy, poss a variagated one for interest? springs to mind. And the birds love it 8)

[cjb02]

if you want all year round shielding, suggest ever green clematis. My sis grows her clematis in a pot and the variety (dont know what it is) never dies back. Stays green all year round.

[reddyreddy]

Thanks all, I think the trellis over a few pots with clematis is the winner, off to the garden centre!!  :D

[saddad]

We have an evergreen Clematis (Armandii?) got it from Homebase last year.. excellent show of flowers right now. Not as impenetrable a screen as say passionflower.  :-\

[PurpleHeather]

To get a lot of 7 foot pot plants is going to cost. and they certainly will not provide dense cover. They will also weigh a ton.

Cosmos I grew last year got to about 6 feet tall, they were dense and pretty too.

Climbers are probably as good as anything, you will need a frame though If the pots will never be moved then You could put a pole in the centre and run the trellis along. Then plant a variety of Ivy, Roses, clematis, Passion flower and of course sweet peas. It will take a couple of years for the roses to establish a good height but the sweet peas will get there for a temporary measure this year.

For just a screen, in pots I would put the frame work in place and plant just variegated Ivy. Feed it generously and it will climb to whatever height you want.