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Covering a shady fence
Anne17
Posts: 98
I have a new, rather unattractive fence down the dark side of my house, between 2 houses
Any suggestions as to what i could grow to cover it, other than Ivy ? T
It would have to grow on containers
0
Posts
Where are you and which way does the fence face? How much sun, if any, does it get each day and when?
Fence goes from N to S and I'm in Sheffield
gets a bit of sun at the North end in summer
OK, but does your side face east or west? It does make a difference to what might grow there.
Rambling rector rose very profuse even in shade and smells great
I would not expect a Rambling Rector to do well in a pot. They get huge and like a good root run.
The RHS has a list of suitable plants for shade. I would avoid clematis because, like roses, they also require a deep root run and lots of food and water.
Check out the plants on the link below and see which may suit life in a container which should be as big as you can manage - minimum 60cms wide and deep and filled with good John Innes no 3 planting compost. You'll need to top dress with slow release fertiliser every spring and keep it watered plus occasional liquid feeds throughout the growing season.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=467
Last edited: 07 July 2016 16:31:43
I'd echo what obelixx says - containers of any kind would have to be very generous for any climbers long term.
Do you see much of the fence? It might not be worth planting anything really.
Also, how much space is there in front of the fence ?
Alternatively, pots of annuals like sweet peas for the bit that's sunnier,or shrubs rather than climbers. You'll get more variety using those and they would provide a good screen. It really depends on the amount of room you have
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks both, also coincidentally GW posted a load of suggestions
i have very little space for the pots, and my side of the fence faces west
maybe I should try hanging planters on it instead ?
They'd need watering a great deal and their weight might affect the fence.
Have you considered just painting or staining it a lighter colour? How much do you actually use the space in front of the fence? If it's just a walk through I'd concentrate my energies on making the two open ends as attractive as possible and leave the passage as open as possible for easy access. If you have a window that looks onto it then paint and maybe a plant in a pot or a trompe l'oeuil design.