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How to improve the look of an ugly wall
ferrara.fabriziaG1NoYdg3
Posts: 14
Hello! I’m looking at improving the look of this white wall which is outside of the house. Eventually I would like to remove the stones and put bark or grass with some nice plants. For the wall, I was thinking either painting it but can’t find the right colour. Or I would love to cover it somehow.. but not sure how.. ideally something I could do myself and not too expensive..
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Try reducing it's size - 1MB or less is ideal.
We'd need more info too- location/climate, soil type etc, and also - if the wall is yours or someone else's. That's the defining factor
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Here is campanula ‘Campala’ in my garden. It’s evergreen where I am and is covered in flowers for much of the year. I watered it in the first year (2021) especially during summer, but now it’s established I don’t water it.
If you don’t already know, it would be good to find out what’s under the stones — is there a weed membrane or lots of rubble, what planting depth is available. It’s likely the soil will be poor (not rich and loamy with lots of organic matter) but generally herbs like rosemary or thyme won’t need much in the way of nutrition. They do need good drainage and full sun though.
Whereabouts in the UK are you, to give an idea of your climate and how much sun the site gets?
It could help with the general look to get rid of the weeds among the paving below.
I'd agree that something planted in the top area and left to trail is better. The aspect of the wall is also quite important, for the reasons @Athelas gives - plants which like sun wouldn't be so happy in full shade, although some plants are quite adaptable
The amount of time you have to spend on maintenance also needs to be considered.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
If it was me I would just put the campanula closer to the wall. Maybe the rest behind could remain as stones (easiest in terms of maintenance). As an outside space it may not appeal to you to be spending a lot of time there.
It’s a tough, undemanding, hardy evergreen, coping well with full sun. Covered in small white flowers in spring, and with bright red berries in autumn/winter; bright green leaves all year round. I kept it well watered in the first year until it was established, and then I absolutely didn’t do anything with it after that (no watering, fertilising) except to cut it back in summer/autumn if needed. You might want to add some topsoil if the soil underneath the stones is poor, but generally no feeding or other care is needed.