Need Plant suggestion to screen view of a dumpster from our front porch

Our front door opens to a view of a dumpster across the street. On sunny days we like to sit on the front stoop and wants some distraction from the (often messy) dumpster.

We recently removed a large grass plant (Pampas?) from the spot as it was huge, invading our crumbling barrier wall, overgrown and constantly dropping large sharp leaves onto the steps and the sidewalk.

We are looking for suggestions for a year round screening plant that could sit happily in a container that is 24 inches in diameter and up to 48 inches deep.

We would prefer something that has minimal leaf drop and something that would not die instantly if we forgot to water it for a week or two. We had been thinking about something bamboo-y or cedar-y but are not sure how either of those would fare.

Any advice would be appreciated, attached is a photo of the space (currently with the dirt out of it, we are planning to replace the dirt and have the container sit on TOP),
Thanks,
R and B in Vancouver

 

First of all, is that hole leading aneywhere? I do not see any pampas grass, how much sunlight does this place get, water, and temps? Cover that hole up with dirt, and try some ___________ if you want:

*zebra grass- Rare and exotic. In mid summer, the folage develops distinctive golden horizontal bands. In late summer, silvery-white plumes appear and last through winter. Grows 4-7' tall, spreds 3-5' and that is one plant.

*lemon grass- Elagant grasslike blades have an exquisite citrus sent and lemon flavored leaves. A delightful, refreshing addition to teas and Asian dishes. An excellent source of citronella, which repels mosquitoes! Grows 3' tall and 1' acrost. (Cymbopogon citratus)

*Chinese Elm Hedge- Fast growing hedge makes a tight, 8-20' tall screen for privacy and noise reduction or it can be shered for a formal look. Space 2-3' apart.
There are tons of options and I just listed a few that might look good there.. I got some of my info from Spring Hill nuseries ;)

 

Zebra grass is a common cultivar of Miscanthus sinensis with the same tendency to generate spent leaf blades that blow around during winter as the other forms of the species (I call it Messcanthus).

Lemon grass is not hardy in the north.

Siberian elm seems to be confused with Chinese elm by those promoting it for hedge use. Both are trees, too large for this situation. There are, however dwarf cultivars of Chinese elm on the market. One of these might have some potential, of a little tree with fine twigs and small leaves is what you would like there.

Otherwise a number of different broad-leaved evergreen shrubs or dwarf conifers might be suitable.

 

Thanks for your reply.

The hole does go nowhere, hence our interest in using a container.

The space gets nice sunlight all year round, but is on the NORTH side of the street. We would like some thing TALL, > 6 feet as soon as possible

I will look into your suggestions, please let me know if these answers change anything,
Thanks again,
R and B

 

Why not hardy hibiscus? - H. syriacus should do well in Vancouver, and definitely does well in containers. If you want something really unique, though, try Musa basjoo - it's a cold-hardy, fast-growing banana.

 

look and explore this site.. :)

http://www.shopwiki.com/search/Butterfly+Bush+seeds

 

Buddleja davidii has become a pest species in this region and is beginning to be listed as a noxious weed by states in the Pacific Northwest.