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Living windbreaks

deanmperrydeanmperry Posts: 1
in Problem solving
Hi all,
wonder if you’re able to help. I have a house that is south facing and the rear garden is north facing. With a 3m side garden. There is a 2m high fence around the garden. This has cut out some wind but is still a problem. 

I was hoping for some ideas on what options I have and what I could do to limit it as much as possible. 



The garden is mainly lawn, until the rabbits are no longer here. 

Look forward to your comments and help. 

Posts

  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    edited January 2019
    you can plant a mixture of trees and shrubs near the fence - things like silver birch, which are tall, fairly narrow and give light shade, or a clump forming bamboo (the sort that doesn't spread everywhere) - again, quite tall but doesn't throw very deep shade over the garden. 
    Or you could add a section of trellis at the top of the fence to both add a little more height and which, being more open, makes a more effective wind break than a solid fence. You may not be allowed to do this - some areas have specific restrictions on the height of fences.
    Or you can build a narrow pergola along the windward side which is no taller than the fence but forms a 'lip' along the fence. 
    With either the trellis or the pergola you can grow climbers on the structure which will help dissipate the wind as it swirls about.

    Or you could plant a small orchard of semi dwarfed fruit trees in the windiest area, with some rabbit guards when they are small, and by the time you are ready to have a more planted type of garden you'll have a nice structure of semi mature fruit trees to work from
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Some good suggestions from RG.  The problem with solid fences and walls is that they affect airflow and thus wind behaviour so breaking this up with some shrubs or trees will help enormously.   See here for th etechnical stuff about air movement and distances and where to plant - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0167880988900072 
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    I don't know how long your garden is deanmperry but personally I wouldn't plant anything bigger than miniature trees, something like a weeping birch maybe - all trees cast shadows, and with the fence and the house already giving shadow on your lawn I would be against adding more structural features. That is my opinion although you may feel differently.
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