I want to hide the houses at the end of the garden
Hi there, this is m?? first thread and I know nothing of gardening but would really like to learn. We've just got our first proper garden and its about 85 ft long. However, the houses behind have tiny gardens and I would like to grow something at the bottom of the garden to hide the new builds behind if possible.
Does anyone have an?? recommendations please?!? Thanks 
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There are limits to the height of things you can grow on boundaries - 6' for fences and hedges. What you could do, since you garden is long, is erect 3m or 4m high posts about 2 or 3metres inside you boundary and attach either trellis panels to support climbers or else cross bars to support a fan trained hedge on sticks. This involves trees such as beech, hornbeam and such and then training their upper branches horizontally along the struts.
The perspective from your garden will mean their height blocks out the neighbours without depriving them of light and should also give you privacy from your bedrooms and bathroom.
This picture shows a pair of parallel hedges on stilts at Chelsea last year - http://s211.photobucket.com/user/Obelixx_be/media/1205%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show/BG43.jpg.html?sort=2&o=21#/user/Obelixx_be/media/1205%20Chelsea%20Flower%20Show/BG43.jpg.html?sort=2&o=21&_suid=136750080930500913589798526277
You could underplant with anything you fancy and make a work area behind for things like compost bins, shed etc or just make a path so you can get all the way round for maintenance.
Another alternative is to build a pergola across the width of your garden at the bottom and about 3m high and then clothe it with climbers such as roses, clematis, honeysuckle so that when you're in the garden you can't be overlooked.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Not quite right. You can plant shrubs and trees which have a much greater potential to grow tall. It's only the height of fences and walls which are limited.
Pretty nice, can't imagine it is a cheap option.
Pleached trees are £££ and only a screen during summer.
You want an evergreen screen like Bamboo. Wne established it can easily get to 4-5 metres.
Laurel grows quickly and is dense. Would make a good screen but not too close to the boundary. Some people aren't keen on it, but it works. You could always keep the garden rubbish area behind it!
We have bamboo, which looks great as its tall and fluid in the breeze. Just take care when selecting bamboo that you don't choose anything that is too vigorous as you won't be able to keep up with the cutting back. Good luck with your new garden
We went for a mixed screen against our fence of Laurel, climbers and deciduous trees for interest. Can recommend Solanum Crispum as is a great, fast growing climber. We're slowly getting a nice dense screen but it will take a while. Looked into pleached option as we are very overlooked by windows and I'm quite desperate for some privacy in our small garden but was a few thousand iirc?
The thing to remember is not to try and build a barrier at your boundary. A small tree/screen 1/3 way down one side and another tree/screen 2/3 way down the other side will work fine and maybe make your garden more interesting. From ground level a 10' screen half way down will cover 20' at the end etc. If you are trying not to see these houses from your 1st floor viewpoint or your house is much higher then you do have a problem, but the more you "confuse" the view the less you will notice them. Good luck.
A tree in the middle of your garden or 3/4 way down will do the trick. Look up Acacia pravissima, otherwise called oven's wattle - an evergreen mimosa, weeping shape, bright yellow flowers now and can be trimmed after flowering to any shape you fancy.
Try a 'Kiftsgate' rose growing up trees and fences. I started some off from seed a few years back and I can confirm what everybody says about them, that they are very tough and enthusiastic, high-climbers. With luck, they won't just draw attention away from the houses but will swallow them altogether, covering them with a thick blanket of beautifully scented, copious clusters of white roses. Good luck.