Hi all

I am looking for recommendations please.
The rear boundary of our garden is formed by the side wall of our
neighbour's tandem garage.
The wall is east facing so gets some morning sun upto mid-day.
I have just removed 2 pyracantha (which had outgrown themselves) from the
border. This leaves a rather stark wall as our garden back-drop.
What does the group recommend to screen this wall (not ivy)?
Ideally I would prefer 2 or 3 free standing plants which will grow a bit
above the garage roof level to break up the line (flat roof approx 7' high).
To keep the screen, evergreen or winter interest is important particularly
to er-indoors.
Alternatively I would like fruit of some kind - not pears - would any work
in this location?
The soil is workable in the immediate area but predominantly it is clay with
2" chalk seam 12-18" down.
The border is about 12' long with a large silver birch at the southern end.
The location is East Yorkshire.

Any fruit or non-fruit recommendations for this location appreciated along
with soil treatment necessary.

Thanks in anticipation

Phil

"TheScullster" wrote in message
...
Hi all

I am looking for recommendations please.
The rear boundary of our garden is formed by the side wall of our
neighbour's tandem garage.
The wall is east facing so gets some morning sun upto mid-day.
I have just removed 2 pyracantha (which had outgrown themselves) from the
border. This leaves a rather stark wall as our garden back-drop.
What does the group recommend to screen this wall (not ivy)?
Ideally I would prefer 2 or 3 free standing plants which will grow a bit
above the garage roof level to break up the line (flat roof approx 7'
high).
To keep the screen, evergreen or winter interest is important particularly
to er-indoors.
Alternatively I would like fruit of some kind - not pears - would any work
in this location?
The soil is workable in the immediate area but predominantly it is clay
with 2" chalk seam 12-18" down.
The border is about 12' long with a large silver birch at the southern
end.
The location is East Yorkshire.

Any fruit or non-fruit recommendations for this location appreciated along
with soil treatment necessary.

Thanks in anticipation

Phil

To start with Phil, would your neighbour object to you painting it? (If it
is an ugly concrete block or concrete sectional that is) My garage is the
latter and is painted. My neighbour has a concrete outbuilding which looked
ugly and I asked if I could paint it .......... no problem at all.

Of course it is dependent on getting on with your neighbours, which I do.

Mike



--
www.rneba.org.uk. The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association to find your ex-Greenie mess mates.

In article ,
"TheScullster" writes:
|
| Alternatively I would like fruit of some kind - not pears - would any work
| in this location?

I recommend damsons - decorative, tough, delicious and hard to buy.
My Farleigh Prune is an upright, and I keep it at c. 10' high.

Crab apples would be good, too.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"'Mike'" wrote in

To start with Phil, would your neighbour object to you painting it? (If it
is an ugly concrete block or concrete sectional that is) My garage is the
latter and is painted. My neighbour has a concrete outbuilding which
looked ugly and I asked if I could paint it .......... no problem at all.

Of course it is dependent on getting on with your neighbours, which I do.


Mike

The garage was painted white by our predecessors unfortunately - it would
have looked much better in the natural brick.
So we intend to paint it a more "interesting" colour, but want something to
screen the end result.
Not sure if we would need the neighbour's permission to paint it, as it
forms the boundary to our property and we have to look at it.
Don't anticipate a problem in any case as we get on with our neighbours
also.

Phil

"Nick Maclaren" wrote


I recommend damsons - decorative, tough, delicious and hard to buy.
My Farleigh Prune is an upright, and I keep it at c. 10' high.

Crab apples would be good, too.

Thanks Nick

What sort of "forward" spread would be likely for damsons/crab apples and
how controllable is this?
Do you have to net your damsons to protect from birds/pests?

Phil

"TheScullster" wrote in message
. uk...

"'Mike'" wrote in

To start with Phil, would your neighbour object to you painting it? (If
it is an ugly concrete block or concrete sectional that is) My garage is
the latter and is painted. My neighbour has a concrete outbuilding which
looked ugly and I asked if I could paint it .......... no problem at all.

Of course it is dependent on getting on with your neighbours, which I do.


Mike

The garage was painted white by our predecessors unfortunately - it would
have looked much better in the natural brick.
So we intend to paint it a more "interesting" colour, but want something
to screen the end result.
Not sure if we would need the neighbour's permission to paint it, as it
forms the boundary to our property and we have to look at it.
Don't anticipate a problem in any case as we get on with our neighbours
also.

Phil


I think out of manners you would need to mention it to your neighbour. I
have wonderful neighbours all round, front and back (my land goes through to
the road at the back) and we all know how important it is :-)) (When we go
cruising, we have a neighbour who has a set of keys, lets himself in,
collects the mail from the box, open and closes windows and curtains as
required :-)) THAT is a good neighbour :-)

Back to the wall, what about a 'gentle' mural of grass, earth borders, sky,
trees and trunks? Nothing too loud?

Mike


--
www.rneba.org.uk. The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association to find your ex-Greenie mess mates.

"'Mike'" wrote

Back to the wall, what about a 'gentle' mural of grass, earth borders,
sky, trees and trunks? Nothing too loud?


Guess you can't get much lower maintenance!
Wouldn't fit well with er-indoors - a bit too "Dermot Gavin" and
"Groundforce" for her!

Phil

"TheScullster" wrote in message
. uk...

"'Mike'" wrote

Back to the wall, what about a 'gentle' mural of grass, earth borders,
sky, trees and trunks? Nothing too loud?


Guess you can't get much lower maintenance!
Wouldn't fit well with er-indoors - a bit too "Dermot Gavin" and
"Groundforce" for her!

Phil


Deception ;-)

Grow a hedge against the garage but not all the way along. Somewhere two
thirds along fix, with permission, an arch with a gate in it. Just paint
what bit of wall you can see blue.

'What's through there'? ;-)

(This is the hard side of gardening I like. Her outdoors does the planty
stuff)

Mike



--
www.rneba.org.uk. The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association to find your ex-Greenie mess mates.

In article ,
"TheScullster" writes:
|
| What sort of "forward" spread would be likely for damsons/crab apples and
| how controllable is this?

It depends on the variety (i.e. growth habit). 6-12" for some;
1-2' for others. If pruned and trained for narrowness, of course.

| Do you have to net your damsons to protect from birds/pests?

No, but this is Cambridge.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
"TheScullster" writes:
|
| Not sure if we would need the neighbour's permission to paint it, as it
| forms the boundary to our property and we have to look at it.

You do.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote

| Do you have to net your damsons to protect from birds/pests?

No, but this is Cambridge.

Not sure I understand the implication here!
Does this mean you have more considerate and educated wildlife down there
which only eat foodstuffs placed in specific feeders marked "Bird Feed" for
instance?

Phil

In article ,
"TheScullster" writes:
|
| | Do you have to net your damsons to protect from birds/pests?
|
| No, but this is Cambridge.
|
| Not sure I understand the implication here!
| Does this mean you have more considerate and educated wildlife down there
| which only eat foodstuffs placed in specific feeders marked "Bird Feed" for
| instance?

Try "damn few birds".


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"TheScullster" wrote in message
. uk...

"Nick Maclaren" wrote


SNIP

Have you considered a fig tree? Nothing like freshly picked figs at the end
of a barbecue, we had some last summer. Less than 5 minutes old, and food
metres = 5.

And have you noticed there are no fig roll biscuits in the shops this year?
Last years Californian fig crop failed, so my favourite biccy is off the
menu :-((

Steve

In article ,
"shazzbat" writes:
| "TheScullster" wrote in message
| . uk...
|
| Have you considered a fig tree? Nothing like freshly picked figs at the end
| of a barbecue, we had some last summer. Less than 5 minutes old, and food
| metres = 5.

Sun half the day isn't good for figs in the UK - you really need the
best sun-trap you can get. They would grow, no problem, but would
they ripen fruit?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

shazzbat wrote:
"TheScullster" wrote in message
. uk...
"Nick Maclaren" wrote

SNIP

Have you considered a fig tree? Nothing like freshly picked figs at the end
of a barbecue, we had some last summer. Less than 5 minutes old, and food
metres = 5.

And have you noticed there are no fig roll biscuits in the shops this year?
Last years Californian fig crop failed, so my favourite biccy is off the
menu :-((

Steve


Figs are tasty, but damsons are extra tasty, I'd go for damsons! As it
is East facing I would have thought it might have a frost problem, not
sure how the figs would fare there, mind you damsons don't like frost
when in flower!