Ok can I expect 20 years life span from the climbers? When they start to die can I just plant new ones and let them mix in with the dying climbers. What I want is a conveyor belt situation so I don't get into a situation where I have a bare wall for a few years while I wait for the new ones to grow.
Thinking about the 200mm difference in height between the back boundary and side boundaries I probably will leave either side at 1.8m tall as I can see some greenery from the neighbouring gardens. It is all about being strategic with the bamboo to leave small gaps to be able to view it.
You had mentioned metal supports for the pergola. I will be making the pergola from wood to as you say keep the neighbours happy this would include wooden posts. I can change the posts to metal if you think they would be better. With wooden posts set into metal slots buried in the ground to reduce moisture issues I was quoted a 100 year life span of the pergola before it needs replaced reducing to 50 years if I grow climbers on it.
Of all the images you just sent the last one with what I believe is the Clematis cirrhosa stands out. It is EXACTLY what I am after which is lush greenery with no gaps at all. The type of coverage I would want along the back wall.
I am using Sketchup for the garden plans which is sufficient for my needs right now.
A large single tree will dominate a garden that size, so I'd make it something special.
Robinia hillieri would be my choice (or Robinia Frisia but that might get too large/too fast for some).
Fast growth rate, tough and drought tolerant. Multiple seasons of interest, beautiful leaf shape, striking flowers. Not often seen.
I believe they have a reputation of producing suckers if pruned. But it wouldn't be a major problem in a totally paved garden.
I assume by your plans that you don't have children, as this has thorns.
That tree is absolutely stunning. Yes I am single so the thorns would not bother me. Could there be an issue with some of the branches falling off into the neighbouring gardens who could have families with children?
I had taken Lizzie27 suggestion on board about the mutli-stemmed white birch and had come across six varieties which had won the RHS plant of merit, Betula 'Fascination', Betula albosinensis 'Red Panda', Betula ermanii 'Grayswood Hill', Betula Nigra 'Little King', Betula Utilis Jacquemontii 'Doorenbos' and Betula Jacquemontii 'Grayswood Ghost'. I had settled on the 'Doorenbobs' variety but now I am not sure having seen that beautiful Robinia Hillieri tree.
I believe the 'Doorenbos' is more often named 'Snow Queen' in UK. Also a stunning tree. I'm also in the middle of choosing a tree (or two) for my garden, trying to get the hardscaping done first.
I've got kids and don't mind thorny plants, but I know some people think otherwise. And to be honest - i'm not the most considerate neighbor with my planting choices.
@Dannyboy334, I'd be extremely sceptical of anybody who advised a wooden pergola would last 100 years and I would think 50 years is highly unlikely, solely due to weathering. If it survives 25 years that would be good. Maybe other posters have more experience however.
I wasn't suggesting you change the wooden pergola for a metal one, but I thought you were going to stretch wires across the top for the plants to cling onto. My clematis is growing on a wooden trellis, now almost completely hidden, apart from the new horizontal sections at right angles.
For the actual pergola beams, there will be three of them made from wood. Each beam will be roughly 50mm wide and 300mm tall with a length of say 4.3 metres. I could probably make them 250mm tall but lets assume 300mm tall. My intention was to wrap the climbers around these beams. Is this possible?
If this is not possible I assume you are suggesting to put metal wires between each of the beams for the climbers to cling onto?
@Dannyboy334, yes, that would be easiest for the clematis tendrils, they prefer something fine to cling to. If you didn't want to do that, you would have to wrap each crossbeam with fine chicken wire or similar. In time however they would grow sufficiently long tendrils to throw themselves across the beams.
Thanks for that, I guess the final question I have is should I lay the raised flower beds on concrete flat foundations, basically giving them a bottom and fully containing the soil to control the roots of the bamboo and other plants? Or should I let the flower bed soil merge in with the rest of the soil in the ground to give the roots more space to grow and save me having to replenish the soil every so often?
I also assume its fine to place small plants on the soil around the climbers so I am not seeing bare bits of brown soil anywhere.
Hello @Dannyboy334. I think it would be better to site the bamboo trough on concrete to contain its roots but I suggest making the right angled trough open bottomed so the roots have more room to grow and less watering will be required. You could place small plants around the climbers as long as you wait for the climber to get established first and start making new growth. That way it's not competing for moisture and nutrients with the smaller plants. You will have to feed the plants (but not the bamboo) occasionally.
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Robinia hillieri would be my choice (or Robinia Frisia but that might get too large/too fast for some).
Fast growth rate, tough and drought tolerant. Multiple seasons of interest, beautiful leaf shape, striking flowers. Not often seen.
I believe they have a reputation of producing suckers if pruned. But it wouldn't be a major problem in a totally paved garden.
I assume by your plans that you don't have children, as this has thorns.
Thinking about the 200mm difference in height between the back boundary and side boundaries I probably will leave either side at 1.8m tall as I can see some greenery from the neighbouring gardens. It is all about being strategic with the bamboo to leave small gaps to be able to view it.
You had mentioned metal supports for the pergola. I will be making the pergola from wood to as you say keep the neighbours happy this would include wooden posts. I can change the posts to metal if you think they would be better. With wooden posts set into metal slots buried in the ground to reduce moisture issues I was quoted a 100 year life span of the pergola before it needs replaced reducing to 50 years if I grow climbers on it.
Of all the images you just sent the last one with what I believe is the Clematis cirrhosa stands out. It is EXACTLY what I am after which is lush greenery with no gaps at all. The type of coverage I would want along the back wall.
I am using Sketchup for the garden plans which is sufficient for my needs right now.
I had taken Lizzie27 suggestion on board about the mutli-stemmed white birch and had come across six varieties which had won the RHS plant of merit, Betula 'Fascination', Betula albosinensis 'Red Panda', Betula ermanii 'Grayswood Hill', Betula Nigra 'Little King', Betula Utilis Jacquemontii 'Doorenbos' and Betula Jacquemontii 'Grayswood Ghost'. I had settled on the 'Doorenbobs' variety but now I am not sure having seen that beautiful Robinia Hillieri tree.
I believe the 'Doorenbos' is more often named 'Snow Queen' in UK. Also a stunning tree. I'm also in the middle of choosing a tree (or two) for my garden, trying to get the hardscaping done first.
I've got kids and don't mind thorny plants, but I know some people think otherwise. And to be honest - i'm not the most considerate neighbor with my planting choices.
I will probably go for the multi stem snow Queen due to being much easier to source as a mature specimen.
Maybe other posters have more experience however.
I wasn't suggesting you change the wooden pergola for a metal one, but I thought you were going to stretch wires across the top for the plants to cling onto.
My clematis is growing on a wooden trellis, now almost completely hidden, apart from the new horizontal sections at right angles.
The wires are for the back boundary wall.
For the actual pergola beams, there will be three of them made from wood. Each beam will be roughly 50mm wide and 300mm tall with a length of say 4.3 metres. I could probably make them 250mm tall but lets assume 300mm tall. My intention was to wrap the climbers around these beams. Is this possible?
If this is not possible I assume you are suggesting to put metal wires between each of the beams for the climbers to cling onto?
Thanks for that, I guess the final question I have is should I lay the raised flower beds on concrete flat foundations, basically giving them a bottom and fully containing the soil to control the roots of the bamboo and other plants? Or should I let the flower bed soil merge in with the rest of the soil in the ground to give the roots more space to grow and save me having to replenish the soil every so often?
I also assume its fine to place small plants on the soil around the climbers so I am not seeing bare bits of brown soil anywhere.
You could place small plants around the climbers as long as you wait for the climber to get established first and start making new growth. That way it's not competing for moisture and nutrients with the smaller plants. You will have to feed the plants (but not the bamboo) occasionally.