Have to agree with @Fairygirl . The more info that is given about soil, aspect, general location which speaks to climate and exposure, the easier it is for posters here to give sensible and useful advice.
50cms is very narrow ad restrictive so limits you to narrow, upright plants or climbers and wall shrubs trained along the fence. I grow verbena bonariensis and it is easily over a metre wide in full sun and sprawls after strong winds, even with staking which can be unsightly if just using canes.
Lots to consider and loads of possibilities - once we know more.
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)."
If I recommend or suggest a plant to someone, it's from personal experience,
I personally grow all of the above except verbena. I'm not going to hold the OP hostage and refuse advice/suggestions until they give me the photo or more details as I demand.
I've followed this forum for years before getting involved (only now just recently getting into physically gardening on my own plot) and have read many moans from regular posters about how newbies just come and ask one question, don't give effusive thanks and then disappear, never to return.
So here I am trying to get involved and I get shot down on first attempt. I guess I should have just left after I asked for my plant ID.
We clearly have different approaches to life and must agree to disagree.
@charlottet1234P8VO-YQk Bamboo is also tall but DISCLAIMER it may not be suitable for your site depending on aspect, conditions and blah blah blah blah
Gaijin I really appreciated your suggestions and the first thing I did was to research whether they would fit my plot, as I'm also a novice gardener I do quite like trying things out and not restricting myself to what I should use, since I've had great results with plants that shouldn't have done well where they were! Especially I liked the aliums and will definitely be planting some! Someone else suggested making the space a bit bigger or allowing for some leaves to fall over the grass so might do that as well, but I REALLY appreciate your thoughts 🥰
As part of your cunning plan you could do something to the fence itself, assuming it is yours.
This could be something like baskets hanging from the posts, but it could also be painting the fence in a plain colour, pattern or mural. Or you could use a reflective material to see twice as many plants.
F
Love the idea of reflective mirrors!!! Thank you!!
50cm is not enough for a good border, I would do it only if there isn't any other option. It only allows 1 row of plants, maybe 1 and a half if you zigzag them but even climbers have some depth. If you want tall plants, they often need lower plants in front of them, both for support and because it looks better. I think 90cm would be an absolute minimum to allow you some climbers, some taller plants (90-150cm tall) and some smaller plants in the front row (50-70cm). 100-120cm would be much better.
If you don't want to grow climbers on the fence or if you want some additional height, an obelisk with a rose or clematis (whatever is suitable for your aspect) adds height without being too wide (45-70cm width, depending on the obelisk and the climber).
I don't want terribly wide borders just yet, I don't want to over-garden myself! Can anyone suggest anything?
@edhelka They don't want to widen their borders any more just yet. As a novice gardener myself, I completely understand that. Initially I had 0.9m wide and then I just kept gradually making them wider as time went on. There is absolutely something that can be done with 50cm which can make a good attempt at partially covering the fence. I mean people on here have even had recommendations about growing things in a 2cm gravel strip. Erigeron karvinskianus is a common one.
There is absolutely something that can be done with 50cm which can make a good attempt at partially covering the fence.
Yes, I agree, I also have narrow borders. But I usually use smaller plants in them - 50-80cm at the back and low spreaders (alpines) and smaller plants (20-40cm) at the front. I think, from a design point of view, that tiered look is the best (two rows or if space allows that, three rows, they don't need to be straight rows, just the general principle of taller plants in the back and lower plants in front of them).
Having just one row of tall plants simply won't look good.
If keeping it 50cm wide is an absolute necessity, then climbers like clematis (20cm depth) and smaller plants with them (maybe something 50-90cm tall with 30-50cm spread) are the way to go but there would still be some overspill to the lawn - I am not sure if OP wants that.
I don't think 90cm is too wide and it would be a much better playground, allowing for multi-seasonal interest. Sunflowers are nice and tall for one or two months only. Alliums even less and have ugly foliage that needs hiding. Verbena has bare legs. Grasses are pretty but lack colour. Combining more plants is the way to go but it needs depth.
There is absolutely something that can be done with 50cm which can make a good attempt at partially covering the fence.
Yes, I agree, I also have narrow borders. But I usually use smaller plants in them - 50-80cm at the back and low spreaders (alpines) and smaller plants (20-40cm) at the front. I think, from a design point of view, that tiered look is the best (two rows or if space allows that, three rows, they don't need to be straight rows, just the general principle of taller plants in the back and lower plants in front of them).
Having just one row of tall plants simply won't look good.
If keeping it 50cm wide is an absolute necessity, then climbers like clematis (20cm depth) and smaller plants with them (maybe something 50-90cm tall with 30-50cm spread) are the way to go but there would still be some overspill to the lawn - I am not sure if OP wants that.
I don't think 90cm is too wide and it would be a much better playground, allowing for multi-seasonal interest. Sunflowers are nice and tall for one or two months only. Alliums even less and have ugly foliage that needs hiding. Verbena has bare legs. Grasses are pretty but lack colour. Combining more plants is the way to go but it needs depth.
Thank you, what you've said also makes sense, I think I'll have to consider a bit more space, or not getting quite so much height, I've read a few comments about allium leaves but I must be in the minority as I don't mind them 😊 I don't mind a bit of overspill onto the lawn, and having looked at lots of suggestions I think I need to be brave and dig a bigger border!
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50cms is very narrow ad restrictive so limits you to narrow, upright plants or climbers and wall shrubs trained along the fence. I grow verbena bonariensis and it is easily over a metre wide in full sun and sprawls after strong winds, even with staking which can be unsightly if just using canes.
Lots to consider and loads of possibilities - once we know more.