What screening plant to block out brick building?
Hi, I have a large and very tall brick building behind my fence at the rear of my back garden. I'm looking for some ideas of what to grow there to take my eyes away from the building. Something fast growing and pretty to the eye/evergreen is what I'd like but I've heard some negative reports about Leylandi. Any ideas?.. please help!!
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Leylandii is an ugly thug. Evergreen has advantages, but it is depressing as you never get the wonderful burst of spring foliage, it is just the same green all year.
Can you plant something in the garden nearer the house to take your focus away from the brick building?
You could plant something which is large and dense like laurel, which can be pruned easlily unlike Leylandii - which goes brown if you prune too hard. Or you could plant some trees, like apples, crab apples, flowering cherries, not evergreen but have blossom and a network of branches in winter. Or you could put up a pergola or tall trellis and grow clematis, honeysuckle (some evergreen, some not). Or climbing roses, but not evergreen.
Or if you want something more like Leylandii there are other conifers, but not as fast growing eg Thuja.
You could have Photinia X fraseri 'Red Robin', that provides all year round interest with its red new growth.
I agree with Busy-Lizzie, you could place some trellising and plant a fast growing climber. If you do not want to spend the money on trellising, then there are climbers like Cotoneaster horizontalis (that doesn't need the support of a trellis), which provides all year interest; flowers spring time, in leaf during summer, red leaves in autumn, berries and herring bone structure during the winter. Another climbing plant you could have is Euonymus fortunei, which has variagated leaves - I am not 100% sure how quick these last two plants grow, though it's just a thought
tall bamboo?
How about a climbing Honeysuckle....grown up /over trellis frame.
Quick to grow.
Stunning scent.
Reasonable price to buy... available at any garden centre.
Birds would love them to nest in. Eat the berries etc.
Can get evergreen ones eg Lonicera Henryi.
http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/lonicera-henryi/classid.1676/
Or plant several different Lonicera, at 6-8ft spacing ... the flowers would open at different times etc.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=lonicera+flowers&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ZnmPUb6xMuOc0QWo-IH4Aw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=967#hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=lonicera+flowers&oq=lonicera+flowers&gs_l=img.12...0.0.0.7349.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0...0.0...1c..12.img.Uz98OpVB-ls&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.46340616,d.d2k&fp=bf762468b5de09e&biw=1920&bih=967
Thanks everyone for all your helpful suggestions. I shall definitely look into these and keep away from the Leylandi!!
Thanks everyone for your very helpful suggestions... I shall definitely look into the different advise given and keep away from the Leylandi!!
Lonicera henryii is a good choice for a climber- evergreen with pretty flowers, though they are not fragrant. An alternative is lonicera Halliana, which is just as vigorous, and fragrant, and semi-evergreen, fully evergreen in milder areas.
Cononeaster x waterii is a superb shrub / tree growing to 12 - 15 feet, lovely evergreen, leaves, white flowers followed by superb red berries that last well into winter, and birds love them. It grows fast to that height, but then stops, A very similar one is cotoneaster x Cornubia.
All are widely available.