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Advice needed for new garden
I have just moved into a new build house so my garden is a blank canvass. I am looking to create instant height to create some privacy. The garden is small with an east facing back wall, unfortunately the soil is very clay based. As a starting point I am looking to plant some fast growing (looking for height, not too bushy in width) shrubs before winter sets in. I am a complete novice so all advise will be gratefully received. Thank you
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Some more information would help us give better advice. Are you looking for protection from houses behind you, or also on the sides? If you have a fence, how tall, would you consider adding a trellis top and then climbers? Are you planning eventually to develop the garden further? Garden structures like an arbour or a pergola with climbers can add privacy and be attractive to look at. What about a small tree - the fastest route to gain height? Whereabouts in the country are you, as this affects which plants will grow well for you?
Thank you for your reply. I am mainly looking for privacy as my garden is overlooked. I was going to add a trellis to one area where there is an east facing brick wall and grow honeysuckle and Jasmine up the wall. I have thought about a seating feature in this area. The sides which are fenced are where I want to grow tall shrubs, the fence is about 6-7ft. I was wondering about Red Robin!!! What small trees do you think would be suitable? The garden is very small so there isn't much to develop. I am going to create a small patio area in one corner, thats about it. live in West Sussex.
The problem with tall shrubs is that they usually grow wider as they grow taller! This would reduce your garden space to an unacceptable extent. A tree however could expand when it was high enough not to cause a problem, providing it did not cast deep shade, and provide more of a barrier to being overlooked. Possible candidates could be Sorbus vilmorinii, a small and very pretty mountain ash, Amelanchier, which can be either a shrub or a smallish tree depending on variety chosen, or crab apple - again there are a number of varieties with different attributes to choose from. There is also a cherry tree or two. Prunus subhirtella autumnalis is a small tree that flowers in the winter, from November to March, whenever the weather is mild. It gives a green backdrop in summer and colours up nicely in autumn. Prunus serrulata Amanogawa is a very slender tree that takes up hardly any garden space but provides some height and makes a good focal point. It has pretty honey scented spring blossom and again gives some autumn colour. Also worth considering is Prunus cerasifera which can be used to make a flowering, fruiting hedge. I have no personal experience of Red Robin but do know that it has been the subject of a number of questions on this forum!
I am sure others will be along soon to offer more ideas, but welcome to the forum and I hope you find what you need.
Just remember that adding trellis to a fence increases the height and that has to be included in the overall permitted fence height - usually 2 metres. If your fence is already around 6 feet/ 1.8 m it will then be higher with the addition of trellis, so be aware of that in case anyone might complain.
I'd also suggest Buddleias if you want something quick growing. They're easily maintained or pruned back into a hedge shape too, but if you do that, you'd need other planting in front of them. Remember anything that's quick growing will also need pruning and clipping regularly - it won't just stop at the desired height!
Any of the Sorbus (Mountain Ash ) would be ideal and Amelanchier is a lovely shrub/tree as Bcupdays suggests. Trouble free too.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thank you very much everyone for your much appreciated advise. I will certainly post a before and after photo, great idea. The trellis is going on a high wall so will not interfere with my neighbours, quite right I do not want to upset anyone when I've just moved in. I will take note of all your suggestions and get planting
Hi Jes & welcome to the forum
Autumn is the ideal time to plant shrubs & trees but you do need to make sure the site is properly prepared first - many new build house gardens are heavily compacted from bulldozers etc driving over them (esp problematic if you're on clay) and the soil is often full of builders rubble.
It can also be worth taking a little time to live with the space & work out how you will use it. When are you likely to sit outside & enjoy it? Where does the sun fall at that time of day in the summer? Is that the best spot for an entertainment / sitting area? How much sun does the garden get at different times of the day and year?
If the soil is already prepped and you have already worked out the hard landscaping then this is the ideal time to plant. If not, I would take your time and aim to do the work in spring.
Arches & pergolas planted with climbers, even a tiny summer house may give you the privacy need if correctly sited. If you are after trees my vote is for a crab apple - beautiful blossom in spring and brightly coloured fruits from late summer till late winter if you pick the right variety.
Good luck