Help A Newbie!

spee2k16565 · 1 March

Hi Guys,

I'm new to the forum and know little to nothing about gardening in general - my green finger activity extends to my house plants so bear with me.

We are in the process of buying a house right now. There is a long east facing garden in the back approx 120ft in length so a very good size. Issue is there are about 5 houses to the south , each with its own fence - in different heights, shapes and sizes . I have attached a couple pictures below to give you an idea of the space.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/to/40niyibzm9y1.png

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/ub/qhiad04jpslx.png

I was initially considering installing new fencing along the length of the south side to "hide" the neighbours fences but was thrown off the idea of double fencing.

It then occured to me I could plant some evergreens along the length of the fence to provide some privacy and make the garden space a bit more pleasant to the eye.

I guess I'm just looking for ideas on what evergreens would thrive in a east facing garden, and if I should just plant a row of the same plant or mix it up abit.

Thanks for reading through my mini essay and look forward to some of your thoughts

Fairygirl · 2 March

Hi @spee2k16565 - the big problem with fences is - you can't tamper with them unless they're yours.

Easiest way to hide them is as you're considering. A hedge or a row of freestanding shrubs. The important thing to do is prep a proper border first, so that anything you plant has the best chance of thriving. Lots of things will suit, but if you can give us a general idea of your loctaion and climate/conditions, that will also help, as not all plants will thrive all round the UK. Another approach with a long narrow plot is to divide it with screens - plants or a physical one of timber or similar. That actually makes a plot look wider and creates more interest, but you do any of that if/when you get the property

When you say the fence on the south side, are you meaning the one facing south ,or the one to the south, which would then be north facing? I'm assuming it's the one on the right of the pic which is the southern boundary if the plot faces east.

spee2k16565 · 2 March

Fairygirl said:

Hi @spee2k16565 - the big problem with fences is - you can't tamper with them unless they're yours.
Easiest way to hide them is as you're considering. A hedge or a row of freestanding shrubs. The important thing to do is prep a proper border first, so that anything you plant has the best chance of thriving. Lots of things will suit, but if you can give us a general idea of your loctaion and climate/conditions, that will also help, as not all plants will thrive all round the UK. Another approach with a long narrow plot is to divide it with screens - plants or a physical one of timber or similar. That actually makes a plot look wider and creates more interest, but you do any of that if/when you get the property

When you say the fence on the south side, are you meaning the one facing south ,or the one to the south, which would then be north facing? I'm assuming it's the one on the right of the pic which is the southern boundary if the plot faces east.

Thanks for the comment @Fairygirl. So on the question of the fences, the "south fence" I was refering to - or should I say fences, are the ones to the left in picture 1 (overhead shoot of garden) , and to the right in picture 2 (looking into the garden). As you can probably make out these all belong to the neighbours.

The other boundary fence - combination of solid wall and wooden fence section, is mine.

Location wise, property is in Chelmsford area of Essex. Soil is heavy London clay I believe.

Fairygirl · 2 March

That's helpful - but I have a very different location and climate, so that makes a difference

I also have clay soil, but mine doesn't dry out in summer - that's where the big difference will be with your site. Clay can dry out and then crack in hot, dry weather, which makes it harder to establish plants ,and also keep them well enugh watered. The way to fix that is to make a border, and then add as much rotted manure and compost as you can, and that helps to improve it. It means in dry weather, moisture is retained better, and in wet conditions, it helps it drain. Clay is the best growing medium for the majority of plants, especially anything woody or heavy flowering, so for your site, it will eventually be excellent for that nix of shrubs.
The ideal time for planting shrubs and/or hedging is autumn through till about this time of year, simply because you avoid the need for watering, which new plants require. If you improved the soil over the next few weeks, it's slightly more difficult for new planting, because you'll be heading [probably] for drier spells.
Having said that - lots of shrubs will manage very well, and it will just depend on what you like, and how much maintenance youwant to have. Many shrubs are easy, but they take a while to establsih and grow.
You could consider getting some bare root hedging - the season is almost over, but many companies will still have stock. It's cheaper anyway, but would be even cheaper just now because they'll want to offload stock for this season. We can help you with all that too. Bare root plants establish very easily too. Take a look at this site for example [there are many others] but I've used them a few times
https://www.hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Mar_24_Relocation_Sale_Reminder&utm_id=Mar+24+Relocation+Sale+Reminder
I've also just got a small amount from Hedges Direct, plus a couple of other shrubs for a project.
https://www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/

Re your fences - technically, the one you want to hide could be yours. When the posts are on your side, and you have the 'ugly' side of the fence, that tends to be the case, weird as that sounds. Might be worth checking with the solicitors or vendors, to see what's what though.

spee2k16565 · 3 March

Fairygirl said:

That's helpful - but I have a very different location and climate, so that makes a difference
I also have clay soil, but mine doesn't dry out in summer - that's where the big difference will be with your site. Clay can dry out and then crack in hot, dry weather, which makes it harder to establish plants ,and also keep them well enugh watered. The way to fix that is to make a border, and then add as much rotted manure and compost as you can, and that helps to improve it. It means in dry weather, moisture is retained better, and in wet conditions, it helps it drain. Clay is the best growing medium for the majority of plants, especially anything woody or heavy flowering, so for your site, it will eventually be excellent for that nix of shrubs.
The ideal time for planting shrubs and/or hedging is autumn through till about this time of year, simply because you avoid the need for watering, which new plants require. If you improved the soil over the next few weeks, it's slightly more difficult for new planting, because you'll be heading [probably] for drier spells.
Having said that - lots of shrubs will manage very well, and it will just depend on what you like, and how much maintenance youwant to have. Many shrubs are easy, but they take a while to establsih and grow.
You could consider getting some bare root hedging - the season is almost over, but many companies will still have stock. It's cheaper anyway, but would be even cheaper just now because they'll want to offload stock for this season. We can help you with all that too. Bare root plants establish very easily too. Take a look at this site for example [there are many others] but I've used them a few times
https://www.hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Mar_24_Relocation_Sale_Reminder&utm_id=Mar+24+Relocation+Sale+Reminder
I've also just got a small amount from Hedges Direct, plus a couple of other shrubs for a project.
https://www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/

Re your fences - technically, the one you want to hide could be yours. When the posts are on your side, and you have the 'ugly' side of the fence, that tends to be the case, weird as that sounds. Might be worth checking with the solicitors or vendors, to see what's what though.

Thanks so much for the advise. We are looking to move in early April , so I'm hoping that wont be too late in the season and I can grab some bargains as well considering I've got alot of ground to cover..

Fairygirl · 4 March

April is technically beyond the bare root season, but if you were quick once you move, you might be lucky! Otherwise, waiting till autumn would be better in terms of cost, because if you want to buy hedging through spring/summer, it would mainly be potted plants, which are much dearer, and it's long run to fill there. The other disadvantage of planting in spring/summer is the weather/watering, as I mentioned earlier. Essex is dry, so that could be more difficult.
It's always worth doing that soil improvement though - so I'd be inclined to wait, do your prep of the ground with a decent border, and buy bare root in autumn. It also gives you a chance to get a feel for the new site, and to plan other things you need and want. Washing line, storage, play areas if you have children etc.

I'd still try and check ownership of the fences - if they're jointly shared, you can always give them a lick of paint to make them more uniform, and then decide on whether you can, or want to, add trellis or wires for climbers etc. If they turn out to be yours, you can do what you want with them. I'll cross my fingers for you and hope that it's one of those 2 choices

JennyJ · 4 March

You have lots of space to work with there, and despite the your side of the fence being north-facing it looks like it's not overshadowed by buildings so plenty of shrubs would be OK there. If it was mine I think I'd go for a mixture of evergreen and deciduous, including some variegated evergreens like hollies, and a range of heights so it doesn't look too uniform (which would make the garden appear more long and narrow). Maybe a few small trees for height.

spee2k16565 · 5 March

JennyJ said:

You have lots of space to work with there, and despite the your side of the fence being north-facing it looks like it's not overshadowed by buildings so plenty of shrubs would be OK there. If it was mine I think I'd go for a mixture of evergreen and deciduous, including some variegated evergreens like hollies, and a range of heights so it doesn't look too uniform (which would make the garden appear more long and narrow). Maybe a few small trees for height.

Thanks for the suggestions. To be honest I'm out of my depth when it comes to this stuff, and I'm thinking I will just go down the route of gettiing someone to design the garden space based on our requirements really. No doubt it will cost a small fortune but I havent the time at the moment

philippasmith2 · 5 March

@spee2k16565 If you don't have the time or expertise then getting a recommended landscape designer to provide plans sounds a good idea. Could save you from making some expensive mistakes.
Just be careful that they don't suggest an Instant Garden ( such as you often see on garden makeover programmes ) - a basic layout which suits your needs and which you can add to over time. More enjoyable and you'll be surprised how much you learn about what plants do well in your garden.

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