Bamboo fence: any suggestions are appreciated

Simone_in_Wiltshire

Thanks to my neighbour’s clearance of weeds and ugly overgrown mix of never-cared climbing rose and ivy on his side, I will be able to do something with the ugly concrete fence on the left side. 

I thought I might cover it with a bamboo fence. 

Do you have experience with that and how long it lasts?

Thanks in advance !

Lyn

Ours didn’t last long, the bamboo lasts forever, the wires rotted away. 

Simone_in_Wiltshire

Thanks @Lyn
That means I will be left with a huge bundle of bamboo stems 🤨

philippasmith2

We installed a similar bamboo fence.  In situ for a couple of years but then moved house so don't know for sure how long it was good for.
@Lyn is right tho - it's more likely to be the wires which give up so if you can strengthen with something better, you should be OK  

Lizzie27

They have lasted about 3-4 years in my garden but started to look ugly long before that. I wouldn't buy them again.

It might be better to paint the fence in perhaps a dark grey colour so it fades into the background.

GardenerSuze

@Simone_in_Wiltshire Just a thought but could you paint it? Accept that you have the rustic look and plant somethings with a wilder look.

Cambridgerose12

Yes, painting then planting is the way to go… after a couple of years the ugly bits will be completely covered in plants of your choice. Self-clinging things like ivy and Trachelospermum could be good, as they’re also evergreen.

Simone_in_Wiltshire

@Lizzie27 @GardenerSuze @Cambridgerose12 The problem is that this fence doesn’t belong to us. The entire area has got this type of ugly fence. Until 2019, there were conifers and an ash tree, a huge climbing rose shrub type, and ivy that came all the time to our side. 

The trees were suddenly partly taken off by the heirs of the owner who died in that year. The new tenant now removed everything in one day and wants to make it to a car park. 
I also need to keep the hole on the right for the cats and foxes that pass the garden for the water that I have. 

I’m really here between a hard and a rock place. The problem with ivy is that it destroys the concrete over the time, which makes it to a no-option. 

On the other side, apart from 2021/2022, we are normally in a wind and storm alley. As ugly as the fence is, it has persisted all storms so far. 

That leftover from a conifer will be removed and he will use a digger to get rid of the weeds and roots. 

I thought this one would be better quality, which is made of reed and made in the UK (since I refuse to buy anything from China)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Abaseen-Screening-Protective-Protection-Thickness/dp/B09CV4D8X4/ref=mp_s_a_1_11_sspa?

Plantminded

I quite like your fence @Simone_in_Wiltshire, the open sections at the top give it a contemporary feel.  Or perhaps your camera is flattering the fence!  Have you considered screening the fence with a mix of evergreen shrubs?  I’ve used Bay laurel, Portuguese laurel, Griselinia and bamboo to hide my neighbour’s home office (ugly shed to me!)

Simone_in_Wiltshire

@Plantminded thanks for the plant names. I have just a half a meter space there and wanted to use that section for additional plants like the marrow corner on the sunny right corner. Also, since the heirs cut the trees, we went from a shady garden into a full sunshine and on the left side are the ferns that I had to replant there. 

Our actual planting area is just 6x8 meters as we have sections of concrete because the water drainpipes and canalisation goes through the garden. Having a hedge means it makes the garden smaller as it already is and the permanent cutting job is really a pain for me. 

I read here in the forum that erecting a fence in front of such fence is not good either. I don’t mind so much the look of that ugly fence but the hole sections are head high. 

BobTheGardener

Trellis?  You could put some posts in on your side (I suggest putting them in offset from the existing one, to make digging easier) and the mount trellis (say, 6' x 2') at the top of the posts.