"Robert" wrote in message ...
"John" wrote in message
...
: I have a area down the bottom of the garden that is overgrown
: (nettles/brambles etc)
:
: I would like to plant something just in front of this area to detract from
: whats behind. Can anyone suggest anything that is tall and fast growing?
:
: I did consider foxgloves - is there anything else?
:
:
tall dahlia plants from tubers?

I don't really think you've an alternative to getting in there and
clearing the bad patch. If you don't, it'll just get bigger, whatever
you plant in front of it. (Depending on the site, it may not be fair
to your neighbours, either. And you won't get tall foxgloves till the
second year, by the way.) I've had to do a few of these brambly
patches in my time, and as long as you're patient and determined, it
isn't really as bad as it looks. As a reward, you'll probably find the
soil underneath is in lovely condition.

We've talked about ways of tackling the problem here befo a Google
search should bring it up. In an ordinary garden setting I'm for
cutting each cane one by one into portable lengths with secateurs, and
either digging out the crowns or letting them sprout and hitting the
shoots with glyphosate. If it's an area which was garden originally,
there may be some nice plants surviving in there, so take care with
the glypho!

You may consider hiring a good lad with a brushcutter to knock it all
down for you; you or he then rake up the bits and burn them a couple
of days later, then wait for the shoots and give with the herbicide.

Mike.