screen ideas needed!

[mullein3]

i need to hide a 8x6 door which is staring in my kitchen ..it is only 8 foot away so its intrusive..and so is the man sat their staring in...now i dont wish to put fence panels up as i would have to drill holes in tarmac....so if i have to spend another summer here i need some ideas of things that will grow tall and fast..at least 6 foot...i am thinking of buying some of those trellis and planters to hide the door but will need to plant something in them which will grow asap...i am not going to get full sun..but should get it for most of the afternoon...i saw an article somewhere but cant remember where..someone grew some giant size plants in one summer..any ideas? i can start some plants off indoors and in the greenhouse after xmas..and i am looking for seed ideas that grow mega fast.....thanks in advance..

[andyjevs]

Jasmine is a fast growing climber and an evergreen. Trachelospermum jasminoides is slower growing evergreen but, IMO, much nicer with glorious scented flowers most of summer. You could put a fence panel up but instead of putting the posts into the tarmac, you could fill a couple of decorative pots with concrete and put the posts in there.....they would have to be big enough to stop the fence blowing over or the panel would need tying. You could put some artificial plants around the top of the pots or set some small pots into concrete when it's wet and plant up with pansies to hide the top of the concrete. Just a few thoughts

[Robinia]

Hi mullein - how you doing?  You haven't changed your plans again have you? I thought you were going in march?

It depends on how much you want to spend but what about a couple of bamboos in big pots?  (Too expensive? Any risk of theft?) You're going to be taking them with you though & if you divide them you could sell some on next year & make some money back.

Erm, I'll have a think & if I come up with something I'll get back to you. :-) 

[Robinia]

I'm laughing 'cos I actually thought of putting posts in buckets of concrete but I didn't say in case you thought I was mad! (you've already suspected that I am haven't you?)  But there you have it from andy the professional gardener!!  It would probably be ok if you used a piece of light willow type screening that the wind could pass through & not blow over.

andy - who holds the posts while the concrete dries?? ;-)

[Courtney Cox]

Does your kitchen have a window or door?

I ask beacause I had a similar problem with passers by nosing into my front living room window and my god are people nosey! I was considering having the glass frosted but then came across a few companies that specialise in sheets of frosted plastic, (sounds tacky I know) that stick to the window with magnets, therefore can be removed. It was inexpensive, produced a stunning result and gave me privacy but still let through the light.

[Oneeyedvic]

there is a house a few doors down from where I live that have a film inside their windows - means you can't see in but they can see out - almost the same as tinted car windows.

Sorry, don't know anything aboiut them or the name or anything, and really don't like the neighbours so wouldn't want to ask them - but it is obviously commercially available.

[mimififi]

There is a climber called 'mile-a-minute' and it really does grow so.  I'm not sure if it is evergreen though.

Alternatively, could you do anything creative with lightweight curtaining such as muslin?

[mullein3]

robina...i am having second thoughts as mr m doesnt like the thought of living in a hostel for 2 years...its not really fair on him and i would rather buy a house in two years than live in another rented house..my plants need their own garden...now this back yard well i have a 6 foot gate and fence inbetween my house and the garage next door..so its safe no one can get in..that faces west!!then their is about 10 foot of back yard with my shed blocking the light in the east which i could move!...their is about 8 feet of a wall and they have put grass over their side which i can still see through..its the height he can see over by about 3 foot..and he can also see through the grass he put up..its cheap..i was thinking more of fast climbers to hide the nosey person from may till september..i could raise pots up on ground level to give me hight..i am sorely tempted to tell him to stop looking through..only not as polite as that!  their isnt going to be sun all day where i need to put these plants..and the back door is facing south but it has the bungalow and the wall facing it so its not alltogether sunny all day..the worst of it is where i need to put these plants they will be looking at north..i feel tempted to stick my shed in front of his view..that will sort him..

[mullein3]

but if i raise things up in pots say on a plank of wood and bricks they will get some sun!!!  i dont fancy the panels in pots..i may get two of those planters with trellis up the back of them for the worst bit to hide..but then i need something in them to grow really fast

[mullein3]

thanks for your help...i think i shall have to look at some web sites for fast growing things..its just finding the time to look..