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How to create sheltered sunny spot e.g. for paeonies?

sarinkasarinka Posts: 270
edited August 2020 in Plants
My narrow garden is a wind tunnel, or possibly a hurricane tunnel, judging by the horizontal state of many of my plants whenever there is a bit of weather. 😬

I do have a pretty sunny garden, though, and would like to cheaply create some sheltered spots (e.g. on east-facing and west-facing fences) so that I could grow more types of flower, esp something a bit "wow" like a paeony.

I just don't know how to do it! Any tips? 

Posts

  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    It might be possible to plant bushy, sturdy shrubs that would take the brunt of the blast. Depending on your soil type, there is a variety of shrubs to choose from, to make a miniature wind-break.
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    They don't need to be great, solid looking things either. The idea is not to stop the wind flow altogether, but just to deflect it or slow it down. And, as most perennials are safely underground through winter, it's the spring and summer that are most important. I have pretty shrubs such as Potentilla, and taller, early appearing Euphorbia 'Fireglow' and large, evergreen grass Deschampsia that help give protection to my borders. Having plants in good sized clumps helps a bit, and so does having the border wellstocked so that the plants give each other some support.
    Get in early with canes and stakes and twine, as it is better to stop them flopping if you can, they never look as good after.
    If you buy  any new plants, they will most likely been grown fast and soft, with lots of food, warmth and shelter, so you will need to toughen them up somewhat before letting them loose on the real world of your garden!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You can also just do the simple 'trellis screen' and climbers - which is almost instant if you use the decent trellis with very small gaps. That, in itself, helps filter any wind even without plants. Easy, and cheaper, to make with some posts and roofing battens too. 
    You can then add other planting as well, as already described, but while it grows big, and sturdy,  enough that will help. 
    Angling them across the space is a good idea too, depending on the way your plot sits.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • sarinkasarinka Posts: 270
    Buttercupdays said:

    Get in early with canes and stakes and twine, as it is better to stop them flopping if you can, they never look as good after.

    This is very true! I really got taken by surprise this year by how blustery this garden  is (this being my first full year here) and my lavatera,  while lovely, have not benefitted from my only staking them once they had been uprooted in a June storm.:)

    Thanks all for your really helpful input. I do have a few camellias growing which will, eventually, help- in ten years' time, perhaps :D- but since reading this thread I have moved a small shrub into one of the problem areas.

    I will also be looking at trellis with fresh eyes, @Fairygirl , as it hadn't occurred to me that it was a windbreaker. Can it be used then as jutting out at a right angle from the fence? I will google "trellis screen" and have a look.

    Thanks again. :)



  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You can put trellis or screening anywhere you want it  :)
    You can easily make it from battens though - cheap, and you can have them close together, which filters the wind better.
    Some of the good quality trellis is very expensive, but worth it if you don't want to, or can't, make it yourself. Concrete the posts in though, so that they stand up to weight and weather. Easy to then screw the trellis or battens on, vertically or horizontally. 
    My garden is quite windy, and I did a screen inside my boundary which acts as a support for climbers, and also backs the little pond. It also provides privacy.
    It would be straightforward to do a simplified version.  :)

    I'd forgotten how it looked when I did it. It's a bit different now. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • sarinkasarinka Posts: 270
    That's really clever and your pic looks fab!

    I am going to learn how to install a fence post and look at some trellis online (making a substitute is probably beyond my abilities tbh).

    Thanks.:)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You only need a spirit level and a few basic tools for the battens. You'd need a level for the posts anyway.
    Once you get the first batten level, you use a spacer of some kind for the others - bit of wood, or similar. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • sarinkasarinka Posts: 270
    I do have a spirit level, and a hammer, but that's about it! The drill gave up the ghost recently. But you've certainly got me wondering.

    I am all for doing things cheaply if possible!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Can never be without a drill  ;)
    I bought a cheap one to replace the supposedly good one I'd bought to replace one that died. It was about £40. I think it was someone here who recommended it. Argos if I remember correctly. 
    You could still attach the battens with a hammer and nails if you had someone to give you a hand. There's all sorts of little angled fixing brackets available too in DIY stores, which might be easier than just fixing directly to the posts, or you can nail them to the front/back of the posts. 
    Mine were attached top and bottom to a horizontal, then another horizontal to cover them. They could have been done with a hammer and nails  :)


    I found the drill/driver
    https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4618618?clickSR=slp:term:cordless%20drill:8:36:1
    It's ideal for most home projects
    I think I got the one with the spare battery, which is very useful. It might be a bit dearer.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • sarinkasarinka Posts: 270
    That's really impressive. Thanks for the link!
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