On Fri, 5 Dec 2003 16:19:33 -0000, "Snowman"
wrote:

~
~"jane" wrote in message
snip some stuff
~ ~
~ 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
~Thanks for those ideas, the only problem I thought with climbers, is that it
~would stop the fence panels being lifted out for maintenance. I agree with
~you about the hedge though.

I got round that one by a) screwing trellis into the fence with
galvanised screws so it could be unscrewed easily and b) asking the
neighbours to give me notice should they wish to remove a panel, so I
could unscrew the trellis and lay it and the plant horizontally on the
garden while they did their maintenance. As it happens their fence has
had it and will need replacing. So I can see a screwdriver and a flat
clematis in my life sometime in the next year... :-)


--
jane

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

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

The message
from "Snowman" contains these words:

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 doubt they overlook you unless they are hugely tall. If anything,
your (higher) patio doors overlook their conservatory :-). But you might
feel happier if you saw the view from inside their conservatory for
yourself, it's reasonable to ask.

As for planting; I'd choose something that screens the fence and looks
handsome all year round, because even when you aren't sitting outside
you'll see that area through the patio doors. Here's some contrasting
foliage plants which will be hardy, healthy and almost maintenance free
in the sheltered narrow shady bed (you can look them up in
google/images).

Fatsia japonica (huge glossy evergreen leaves; weird winter flower spikes)
Leycesteria formosa (droopy purplish flowers, smooth green winter stems)
Phyllostachys nigra (manageable bamboo; blackish shiny stems in
winter, fine green foliage in summer)
Choisya (evergreen attractive foliage, scented white summer flowers)
Camellias (evergreen leaves, lovely flowers in range of colours)
Iris foetida (orange berries).

None of these need attaching to the fence, which avoids maintenance
problems for your neighbour. You could underplant with bergenia,
hellebores, snowdrops, small narcissi.

HTH

Janet.

"martin" wrote in message
...

Sneeky! That's my grandma!

all of them? :-)

Nice photo and lots and lots of other nice photos.


Anyway the link should work now. I don't know what happened, I just
checked
and the file had disappeared.

It does work now. What about building a similar green house to your
neighbour?
--
Martin

Thanks for the compliment - although I didn't take the scanned&enhanced
photos - one wonders how their hats stayed on when riding the bikes!

We'd often thought about an extension or a conservatory before, but having
seen our neighbours' it's put us right off the idea (I called it "a
carbuncle").

Peter.

On Fri, 5 Dec 2003 18:48:25 -0000, "Snowman"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message
.. .

Sneeky! That's my grandma!

all of them? :-)

Nice photo and lots and lots of other nice photos.


Anyway the link should work now. I don't know what happened, I just
checked
and the file had disappeared.

It does work now. What about building a similar green house to your
neighbour?
--
Martin

Thanks for the compliment - although I didn't take the scanned&enhanced
photos - one wonders how their hats stayed on when riding the bikes!

Hat pins?


We'd often thought about an extension or a conservatory before, but having
seen our neighbours' it's put us right off the idea (I called it "a
carbuncle").

When you have your own conservatory, you see it from the inside
looking out.
--
Martin

In article ,
(Snowman) wrote:

the only problem I thought with climbers, is that it
would stop the fence panels being lifted out for maintenance

Consider Bamboo.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

"..........I'm getting 404 .........."

Well if this is like 303 then you can't use it on the neighbour.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk
***2004 catalogue now available***

The message
from "David Hill" contains these
words:

"..........I'm getting 404 .........."

Well if this is like 303 then you can't use it on the neighbour.

A bit more oomph, David.

·404 Rimless Nitro Express

Bullet 300 grains
Charge 60 grains Cordite
Muzzle velocity 2,600 fps
Muzzle energy 4,500 ft pounds.

·303 British

Bullet 215 grains
Charge 45 grains of 4350
Muzzle velocity 2290 fps
Muzzle energy 2,518 ft lbs

8 other loadings are listed

I think you're right though: it is just a bit on the heavy side unless
your neighbour is a bit of a bear.

HTH

--
Rusty Hinge http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Dark thoughts about the Wumpus concerto played with piano,
iron bar and two sledge hammers. (Wumpus, 15/11/03)

"Snowman" wrote
We'd often thought about an extension or a conservatory before, but having
seen our neighbours' it's put us right off the idea (I called it "a
carbuncle").
Peter.

Hi Peter,

How about a fan shaped construction of wires that would be anchored near the
base of the evergreen on the right of the photo.
The wires could be attached to a piece of pipe or a board that in turn is
attached to the house wall reaching up to higher than the roof of the
conservatory)

You could then grow climbers up it. Evergreen if you want screening all year
round or deciduous (assuming you won't be out in the garden much to be
overlooked in the winter ! )

HTH Jenny