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What can I plant in this difficult area?

WildliferWildlifer Posts: 52
in Problem solving
hello all !

recently bought and began to renovate a lovely 1970s property in rural Somerset, with two wonderfully large south facing gardens (yep!)
there is a gap in the ivy screening at the back of the garden as the previous owner used it as a shortcut. We don’t like it and want to get some privacy back again, but the depth of substrate in the top of the wall is extremely shallow. 
Any ideas of something that might grow? Or how to encourage the ivy over? 
Thankyou in advance x

Posts

  • delskidelski Posts: 274
    The previous owner climbed over the wall and fence?! Seems inconvenient.
    I'd just encourage the ivy to grow across. Just pull out some longer branches and weave them in and out across the gap.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    Check the bottom stems to try and see if you can guide any loose stems more horizontally. They will slowly knit into that area. Ivy will grow back in time, especially such a mature one.
  • WildliferWildlifer Posts: 52
    delski said:
    The previous owner climbed over the wall and fence?! Seems inconvenient.
    I'd just encourage the ivy to grow across. Just pull out some longer branches and weave them in and out across the gap.
    sheer laziness I’m afraid, the house is built into the side of a valley hillside and so access at the front is up a lot of steps. 
    Thankyou re the ivy!
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    The ivy will soon fill that gap as long as no one goes through there, and the birds and insects will be grateful. 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • WildliferWildlifer Posts: 52
    Dovefromabove said:
    The ivy will soon fill that gap as long as no one goes through there, and the birds and insects will be grateful. 😊 
    Ah yes, it’s very much a wildlife focused garden!
  • delskidelski Posts: 274
    edited March 2021
    It's a 5ft wall! I could easily overstep the wire fence but...the wall?! I'd rather walk up a bunch of steps. I'm aware that I might not be aware of an alternative path (which doesn't involved climbing the wall) to access the wire fence bit, in which case I might end up doing the same as the previous owner!
    Therefore if I wanted to mainain this access, I would install a trellis in front of the gap.
  • WildliferWildlifer Posts: 52
    delski said:
    It's a 5ft wall! I could easily overstep the wire fence but...the wall?! I'd rather walk up a bunch of steps. I'm aware that I might not be aware of an alternative path (which doesn't involved climbing the wall) to access the wire fence bit, in which case I might end up doing the same as the previous owner!
    Therefore if I wanted to mainain this access, I would install a trellis in front of the gap.
    I think I am in fact going to build some planters on those spaces, now wondering what would grow well in a planter that would be easily dense enough to give cover AND interest... hmmmm...!
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