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Breeze block wall

deesmessagesdeesmessages Posts: 5
in Problem solving
We'll be having a new garden soon which is quite small and triangular shaped. The longest side is dominated by this ugly green breeze block wall. Im planning on having two raised beds along its length with a large mirror between them.
My problem is - what is best to disguise the wall? I was thinking of tall trellis panels. Should I paint the wall first or even render it? 
I'd like some evergreen climbers growing up there so suggestions would be great please. Are all climbers able to use trellis or do some need to attach to the wall itself, I'm thinking Virginia Creeper, or is that too vigorous for a 6ft wall? It's East facing and I'm also thinking of other climbers as well plus sweet peas and clematis to cover it initially.
All suggestions welcome! 
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Posts

  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Is the wall a shared boundary with your neighbour or do you/your neighbour own it?  Best to check this out before planning any changes!
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I grow Tetrastigma Obtectum on an east facing wall. It doesn't like a wet soil and would not be suitable in the north .It will fix and cover your wall in a few years. Whatever you plant it will take a few years to root before successfully climbing. 
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • deesmessagesdeesmessages Posts: 5
    Plantminded - we do own the wall so guess it's OK to drill it etc.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Great, thank you.  If it were mine, I'd get it rendered in a textured finish and then paint it, may be to match the house.  Otherwise, you're always going to know it's there and will be anxiously watching your plants growing to cover it!  However, this can be a costly option.  It's really down to your intended budget.  You could then place trellis panels in a contrasting colour on the wall to grow climbers that you like. 

    Evergreen climbers will be rather limited but there are two nice large leaved variegated ivies that you could consider - Hedera algeriensis Gloire de marengo and Hedera colchica Sulphur Heart.  I'd keep them controlled on the trellis rather than letting them cover the whole wall.  Virginia creeper is impressive but it can be quite thuggish and needs to be regularly maintained.  The ivies will self cling to your wall or trellis as they start to become established.  Other climbers like sweet peas and clematis have tendrils that will coil around a support as they grow.  I'm a great fan of sweet peas and would choose these over ivy but they are not evergreen.  Hope this helps.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • deesmessagesdeesmessages Posts: 5
    Thanks. That sounds like good advice! 
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @deesmessages I would stick with the large leaved Ivies mentioned. Small leaved ones can be a nightmare to control once established. It is also a very good idea to tie  in the wall colour with your house .You could also consider plants for the raised border that will to add to your colour scheme.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    All the above suggestions sound good so hopefully you will now have plenty of ideas on how to screen the wall.

    Could I just make 1 suggestion tho and that is to reconsider the mirror ?  Mirrors in outside spaces can be detrimental to bird life - ie bird strikes.
     
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited March 2022
    I'd agree - get it rendered. Problem solved, and planting is then easier.  No need to hide it - just enhance it.  :)
    I often pass a large house with a beautiful stretch of rendered wall, which has a Cotoneaster [evergreen] on it, shaped and trained. Vey sculptural, and it looks superb. 
    Sometimes, less is more. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • deesmessagesdeesmessages Posts: 5


    hilippasmith2 said:
    All the above suggestions sound good so hopefully you will now have plenty of ideas on how to screen the wall.

    Could I just make 1 suggestion tho and that is to reconsider the mirror ?  Mirrors in outside spaces can be detrimental to bird life - ie bird strikes.
     
    Good point about the birds. 
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    We've also got a rather ugly breeze block wall but not quite as high as yours. We considered having it rendered, then painted but came to the conclusion that it would be a faff to have to repaint it every few years, as rainwater was bound to leave dirty streaks down it and it's at the top of a bank. We opted for decorative diagonal trellis panels screwed to the wall with some climbers tied to it. Works reasonably well but ten years on, one tied in rose pulled the screws out of the trellis, one trachelospermum is so successfully growing, you can't actually see the trellis any more, ditto a vigorous clematis. Also common ivy is climbing up behind and over the trellis in places so is difficult to weedkill.

    I don't really know what the answer is. I suspect we don't really 'see' the breezeblocks any more as we've got used to it.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
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