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thin, frondy plant to block overlooked spot.

FireFire Posts: 19,096
edited February 2022 in Problem solving
I'm looking for a tall, long, thin plant/tree to fill a space that is over looked in my garden. It would be something like a small silver birch, except I'm very allergic to the pollen. Like a bamboo, but I don't like bamboo. Like a tall thalictrum. I have planted tall sunflowers there before, and this summer I am trying tall dahlias in a pot in that spot, which could be quite fun, but I'd like something more permanent. It will be between tight between an espalier apple tree along the fence and a rose arch. Something frondy would be good so that it doesn't block too much light. Any ideas please?


Posts

  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    How tall does it need to be Fire? I've had Viburnum bodnantense grow to about 3m high while still retaining quite a small footprint. Not evergreen of course but lovely scented flowers in winter. 

    Maybe a bit boring in summer but you might be able to grow a Group 3 clematis up which you can cut hard back in autumn.

    Failing that would a tall obelisk or pillar with a rose or clematis work?

    Not very frothy / frondy though...
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    What about a solanum? The white ones are rather nice, will grow up the fence and don't get very dense and light blocking.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    edited February 2022
    I had a similar situation in my garden where I wanted to sheild the view of my neighbour's home office.  I have grown three different evergreens in thin columnar shapes to create a successful screen.  One of these may suit you:  Griselinia littoralis, Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) or Bay (Laurus nobilis).  I'm not sure whether you like conifers but a slim Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) could work.  I've even pruned a Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) into a slim, tall column to hide another view! Arbutus unedo (Strawberry tree) is also an attractive shrub/small tree which can be pruned to suit such a situation.  It is also evergreen.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Some more thoughts for you to consider @Fire.  If you don't mind the plant being deciduous, you could consider an ornamental pear, Pyrus calleryana "Chanticleer", an Amelanchier lamarckii or a shrub that I've just added to my garden, a Sambucus nigra Black Tower, a columnar elderberry with dark foliage, flowers which attract bees and berries for birds (or elderberry wine!).  There's also a green leaved variety call Golden Tower.

    A good trick to get extra light into your garden once the space you want to obscure is covered is to lift the crown of the tree or shrub by removing the lower branches.  I do this to most of the trees in my garden including Rowan, Whitebeam and Catalpa.


    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited February 2022
    Thank you for all your thoughts. A columnar fruiting tree is an interesting idea. Crown lifting is def'ly the order of the day. I've suddenly got excited about the potential for a high, standard rose tree in a baseless pot splaying out over that area although that maybe too ambitious for such a tight spot. I can't quite tell what the neighbour would think; all this would certainly impact on her.
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