Screening Advice

alastair_19 · 26 January

Any ideas how I can create better screening in my back garden? The 3 trees are tilia cordata greenspire. Could I plant other trees in between? Any ideas welcome.

B3 · 26 January

How about a pergola away from the fence?

GardenerSuze · 26 January

@alastair_19 You have cut out the turf to accomodate the three trees. Do you plan to actually make a border or do you want to cut areas of turf for more trees?
Do you want to screen what is beyond because this will take a very long time, creating more interest within your garden may be the way forward. A pergola or some tall obelisks will give you instant height, Both can be removed and used elsewhere in time.
Long term there could be concerns regarding the walls as the roots start to spread, a consideration if you ever move and need a have a house survey too.

Plantminded · 27 January

Those trees have the potential to grow over 12m high and 4-8m wide so you are probably going to have to manage them by pollarding once they get to your preferred height. By keeping them neatly pruned you could possibly place a slim, columnar tree or fastigiate tree in two of the gaps between them. I have used Amelanchier Obelisk to screen the view of my neighbour's garage. It will be restricted by the depth of soil in the bed, but I will prune it once it reaches my preferred height. Alternatively, as an interim measure, you could place a large container in each of the gaps to gain some height, with an obelisk in each of them and grow a perennial or annual climber to add some interest.

Papi Jo · 27 January

Plantminded said:

Those trees have the potential to grow up to 12m high and 4-8m wide so you are probably going to have to manage them by pollarding once they get to your preferred height.

On the Promesse de fleurs site this particular cultivar is given for 16m high and 12m wide when fully grown-up! It's hard to see from the photo, but looks like those trees have been planted far too near the fence, and probably not the right kind of tree to plant for screening. Let's see what the OP says.

Plantminded · 27 January

I thought that too @Papi Jo, but didn't want to be the bearer of bad news! Most hedging plants have the potential to be huge shrubs or trees but are kept within limits by pruning. It seems a shame to do this to an attractive tree though. It may be an opportunity to rethink now though before they get too big.

alastair_19 · 27 January

@GardenerSuze I had thought about doing a bed/border to add interest. Someone had suggested putting a trellis on top of the wall right round and getting climbers. Not sure if anyone has experience of this?

GardenerSuze · 27 January

@alastair_19 Putting trellis on top of a wall is not without problems sorry to say but not impposible. I hope someone else out there can help.
Better with the trellis panels between brick pillars. Then if the trellis breaks after a few years it can be replaced by just removing a panel.

Climbing plants have to put roots down into the soil before climbing this can also take a couple of years at least.
Some climbers such as Ivy can leave marks on a wall where they fix that are impossible to remove too.

Sorry if this seems negative when gardening is such a positive subject.
You can't hurry nature it takes it's own time and plants that are faster growing can become thugs that are difficult to remove at a later date.

If you have some tall canes you could create a series of wigwams to draw the eye into the garden. Then you could consider useing 6/7ft hazel poles as wigwams. Or perhaps a rustic metal although these would be expensive. This is the way to add somethiing more instant. This would also help you understand if you would like a border.

Your Tillias are beautiful, I have voiced my long term concerns, pruning is minimal it would be easy to spoil their shape. They do create a formal look which you could also consider when continuing to create your garden.

Busy-Lizzie · 27 January

I'm sorry to say but I think those trees will grow far too big in that situation unless regularly pruned which will rather spoil the shape of a lovely tree.

Years ago someone planted one 2 - 3 metres from my house in France. It's in a raised bed surrounded by a stone wall about a metre tall. Now it means I have to pay someone 300€ to pollard it every few years or it's on the roof of the house.

GardenerSuze · 27 January

@Busy-Lizzie Thankyou. I think first hand knowledge of growing Tillias is very helpful.

Fairygirl · 27 January

I agree @Busy-Lizzie. Wrong plants for the site unfortunately.
They'll cast a fair bit of shade too, when in leaf.
If you still want to keep them, they'll need pruned/maintained from an early age. A proper border with mixed planting would be fine, and the planting will depend on aspect, soil and general climate. It could be a simple geometric, straight edged type, or a curve, depending on preference. Taking it right round both walls would be better too.

I'm not sure where the fence is that's mentioned - have I misunderstood?

Adding trellis to the top of the wall is probably not feasible @alastair_19 , unless it's entirely your wall and not a party boundary, and even then, there are rules re heights so that could be problematic if they exceed that. You could put posts in to your side of the wall, and attach trellis, and then have climbers. That would be seen as a separate 'fence' as it wouldn't be part of the wall.

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