On Fri, 5 Dec 2003 15:33:09 -0000, "Snowman"
wrote:

~I enjoy my garden, but I'm not very good at design, so I thought I would
~seek some ideas.
~
~The neighbours removed part of a hedge by the house and put up a fence and
~convervatory. We recently had the patio doors and steps installed, and need
~to do some paving. The back of house faces due north, so this is a bit of a
~shady corner, but nice and cool in the hot summer.
~
~See:
~http://homepage.ntlworld.com/p.w.crowther/Corner.JPG for a picture.
~
~To me the fence looks a bit of an eyesore and we feel overlooked from next
~door's conservatory (although they say they don't). I think they should have
~blinds or frosted glass, but I don't think that would improve the appearance
~from our side.

I have the opposite problem - thanks to a yard drop between house
levels my neighbours can looks straight down into my conservatory from
their patio which is unnerving when you're trying to water plants in a
dressing gown and find a seven-year-old boy effectively looking down
your front!

~So my ideas so far, have been to lay a small patio and put a raised bed
~alonside the fence hiding the bottom concrete panels. I've also thought of
~adding some trellis to the top of the fence, but I was looking at some reed
~or willow screening today in a garden centre, which could be put up to hide
~the whole fence and part of the conservatory.
~
Anyway, I would go for the trellis option (I assume it's their fence
so you'd have to ask), and pop in some winter jasmine and some
clematis for next year. I put a clematis montana by my (north-facing)
conservatory and it took off despite the lack of sun (ok so it's a
thug). Screens off the neighbours nicely and copes easily with being
hacked back by either side! It isn't terribly interesting in winter,
as it's deciduous, but my Dad's got a very similar appearing corner to
you (fence where there was leylandii) and it's north-facing and his
winter jasmine likes it. Yes, a raised bed is a good idea and you
could grow yet more climbers in it and a some shade-loving bedding in
summer.

Look on the bright side - with the nearest leylandii removed away from
your house, your foundations won't suffer nearly as much. This is a
Good Thing. Besides, they probably took them out as with the
conservatory there, they couldn't get down the side to keep the trees
under control. Again this means in the long term, better for you.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

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