How to brighten up a blank wall

MaryMary48

I live in one of a row of identical bungalows. The kitchen window looks out at the blank side (apex) wall of my neighbours house, which is I guess 3m away. So I have a small courtyard outside the back door. The sun shines directly into the space for perhaps an hour at midday, but otherwise the light is quite good, I manage to grow stuff in pots under the kitchen window - but of course I don't see these from indoors.

I want to put structure up to look at. I thought of trellis panels. There are a few restrictions (mine) on the design.

Nothing should be directly attached to my neighbours wall. The 'structure' must be self supporting - although I could brace it in a couple of places. There are several screws / nails / vine eyes in the wall suggesting that previous owners of my house had at some time grown a climber there. (the bungalow was built in 1950). I did attempt to brighten the space with Spanish pots as you see from the photo!

I don't want to put permanent planting - e.g. a climber - there. (Risk of damp affecting the wall.) I had thought of trellis that I could attach pots to for summer geraniums for example. 

There's a restriction on the depth of any structure/planting because the courtyard is also the way to the back garden and I don't want to narrow the gap too much.

 Suggestions please. 

 

 

Lou12

As it's your neighbours wall you shouldn't really be drilling holes in it so how about some freestanding trellis and planters like these. They look quite narrow so getting past shouldn't be a problem.

 

ian cameron dromore

You could also make a long slim box with scaffolding boards (very sturdy wood planks) and even have them two deep. With the weight of the soil any support structure you build upwards will be kept in place. You could use willow to make a an arch and simply support the plant with wire across.



Think about the water run off for drainage also.



good luck

Buttercupdays

Move your pots from under the window, where you can't see them, to against the wall where you can. Plant them up with fuchsias (don't mind some shade) pelargoniums etc and add some canes for climbers, such as sweetpeas and clematis.

MaryMary48

Thanks for the suggestions - I like the scaffolding board planter box. Work is in progress!

 

geum keenbutgreen

An other idea to scaffolding boards is to make a long low planter out of heavy duty decking boards - really cheap from a builders merchants, and they look great, particularly painted - we just made a 2 metre long one, cost about £25 max for the timber!