Height without width

charlottet1234P8VO-YQk

Hi,
New to this page and to gardening in anything other than a pot... I'm just creating borders in my new garden and want some height to conceal the fencing without having the width of something like a bush as I don't want terribly wide borders just yet, I don't want to over-garden myself! Can anyone suggest anything? Would be open to using canes to hold them up if necessary but can't attach to the fence as it isn't hugely strong. Something that is perrenial would be ideal.

Thank you in advance!

Fairygirl

Need photos. Impossible  to offer useful advice without seeing the plot 
Climbers would be better, but if the fence is no use, you'll need a proper structure for them. There are plenty of grasses and taller perennials, but we'd need more info on the aspect, soil type etc, as that will be a factor.
A wider border doesn't necessarily men more work - it can be the opposite, as you could plant some shrubs instead, which will need minimal care. 

Canes are no use as a support other than for individual stems. 

Elmoz

Is the fence really ugly and that's why you want to hide it? Maybe something that a simple coat of paint would help with?

Some tall plants:

• verbena bonariensis
• alliums
• echinacea
• grasses e.g molinia
• sunflowers

If you're keeping it simple now is the time to plant bulbs so just a row of one of the larger allium varieties will shoot up in april/may. Then you could sow a row sunflower seeds directly in the ground in May/June and they'll get as tall as your fence.

charlottet1234P8VO-YQk

It's not an ugly fence, I just want more of a wall of flowers rather than wood really, it's sandy soil and just a standard fence. Planning on the bed being about half a metre wide as the garden isn't very big and I like my grassy space as well. Thank you Gaijin for those suggestions, I'll look into them! Not a fan of sunflowers but the rest are fab ideas! 

Liriodendron

Cotoneaster horizontalis will "rest" against the fence but not put too much weight on it...

Fairygirl

All of those suggestions need a sunny site to do well, apart from Molinia, which isn't too fussy. Is it a sunny site?
If not, they'll just lean to get enough sunlight, hence my query re the aspect.

Cotoneaster is a good suggestion as it will grow anywhere, and with minimal care. 

Elmoz

Fairygirl said:

All of those suggestions need a sunny site to do well

As a novice gardener I just suggested a bunch of tall plants that I know of. It's up to the OP to research them and see if they are suitable for their growing conditions. I'm sure there are loads of other tall plants of which I am unaware and I don't have enough height either so I'm looking forward to learning what might be suitable for me.

Most of my "full sun" plants still lean out to the direction of the sun instead of growing straight up. I did put an allium in a shady border last year and its lean was quite extreme.

@charlotte1234, I just thought of another one - hollyhock, alcea rosea. Tall with loads of flowers.

Fairygirl

I'm sorry - but that's not a good approach to a novice gardener IMO. If I recommend or suggest a plant to someone, it's from personal experience, and from gaining knowledge of their conditions, hence the questions re aspect and soil etc. 
I wouldn't just list plants and then expect the person to do their own research as to whether they would be suitable   
Alliums will definitely lean in a shady site - they need sun, and plenty of it. 
There's a very well used phrase in gardening - right plant, right place. There's good reason why it's well used. 

Elmoz

Fairygirl said:

If I recommend or suggest a plant to someone, it's from personal experience,

I personally grow all of the above except verbena. I'm not going to hold the OP hostage and refuse advice/suggestions until they give me the photo or more details as I demand.

I've followed this forum for years before getting involved (only now just recently getting into physically gardening on my own plot) and have read many moans from regular posters about how newbies just come and ask one question, don't give effusive thanks and then disappear, never to return.

So here I am trying to get involved and I get shot down on first attempt. I guess I should have just left after I asked for my plant ID.

We clearly have different approaches to life and must agree to disagree.

@charlottet1234P8VO-YQk Bamboo is also tall but DISCLAIMER it may not be suitable for your site depending on aspect, conditions and blah blah blah blah

Fairygirl

I think you'll find I don't 'shoot people down ', and I also haven' t  'demanded' anything or 'held anyone hostage'. I've merely asked for enough information in order to make suitable recommendations. That's called common sense. It doesn't matter whether you grow the plants yourself or not, it matters where they're growing, what climate you have, and whereabouts you're located. These are all important factors. 
I've seen many problems, from posters new and old, that they've experienced because they've been recommended something totally unsuitable for their plot.  If I was to suggest the OP planted a load of shade loving plants and the site was in full sun all day, that wouldn't be very sensible, and I would also feel partly responsible if those plants failed miserably. 
There's also no need to be so aggressive.  
If you don't like what I have to say, you can always press the ignore button.

My apologies @charlottet1234P8VO-YQk, but extra info will help with further appropriate advice and suggestions

Ferdinand2000

As part of your cunning plan you could do something to the fence itself, assuming it is yours.

This could be something like baskets hanging from the posts, but it could also be painting the fence in a plain colour, pattern or mural. Or you could use a reflective material to see twice as many plants.

F