Need VERY fast growing fence coverage

Discussion in 'Garden Design and Plant Suggestions' started by Fossil, Mar 5, 2008.

  1. Fossil

    Fossil Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Buchanan,Sask. Canada
    I have a very ugly wire fence which my dog cannons into whenever the neighbour's cat walks by. I need something to disguise it as well as screen the cats. Can you suggest something, preferably evergreen, not too expensive & fast growing? NOT bamboo - I already have a problem with that! I should mention that one part of the fence is in shade and one part in full sun (on opposite sides of the house). Would it work as a stop-gap measure to plant something like Scarlet Runners in between something slower growing & permanent?
     
  2. Liz

    Liz Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Victoria Australia [cool temperate]
    I have a similar problem with people walking past and my Maremma (Livestock guardian dogs) yelling at them. A quick interim method would be to pin some shade cloth or weed mat along the fence. You could put a trellis over it as well/ I have then used in one case a potao vine to very great effect you might have a good vine that grows well in your area.

    http://users.bigpond.net.au/cgumtree/climber.html

    The beauty of the vine is it is very quick growing but does not take masses of nutrients from the soil. This leaves space for you to plant other small things in front of the fence. My fences are all wire and this is how I have made my block private. I also use things such as fuschia (little flowers but nice and woody old fashioned types) Climbing rose, geraniums and I have created what I once heard refered to as tapestry hedge. The birds love it.

    However be warned the dog will still know the cat is there. Mine put their nose into the air and react accordingly.

    Liz
     
  3. Fossil

    Fossil Active Member 10 Years

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    Thanks Liz - I had thought of potato vine but wasn't sure it would work. And thanks for the link - there are some great ideas there!

    No worries about my dog - he's a Newfoundland which translates to "not very smart"! As long as he can't see the cats I will be okay - the only thing that bothers him when he can't see them is bears - and in that case he is actually smart enough to high tail it back into the house.

    Love Maremma dogs - they are pretty rare here.
     
  4. Liz

    Liz Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Have removed meant to send private. Was dog information
     
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2008
  5. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Evergreen clematis and kiwi (Actinidia) grow in leaps when established, climbing knotweeds (silver lace vines) are also large and vigorous. However, climbers like these will never succeed where they will have a large dog crashing through them.
     
  6. JCardina

    JCardina Active Member

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    Location:
    Comox, Vancouver Island, British Columbia Canada
    Sorry you had trouble with Bamboo but it really is the best solution for quick year round coverage as long as you read up on it and do things properly.

    There are almost an infinite number of options available that are super fast but nearly all are going to be useless in the winter when they lose their leaves and or die back.

    For year round coverage, aside from bamboo we use western red cedars against our fence then laurels closer in. The combination makes for an impenetrable view however it will take about three years to get anything serious out of it depending on how big they are when you plant them.

    We weren't that patient so we sourced some tennis court screening fabric on the internet and put it up on our deer fence as a temporary measure until the cedars fully kick in, you can't see through it at any distance and it's an instant solution available in earth tone colours so it's not ugly or anything.

    As of yesterday we've completely surrounded our 3 acre property with doubled rows of cedars 6 feet apart.
     
  7. EnglishGardener

    EnglishGardener Member

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    How about Russian Vine. Polygonum
     
  8. JCardina

    JCardina Active Member

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    Yikes! If he's had a problem with Bamboo that's probably not the way to go to say the least. :) That's an uncontrollable beast of a plant and in this climate it will quickly overwhelm his area and the neighbors. There are countless threads on the internet from people asking how on earth to get rid of it after years of battling it and questions about lawsuits from neighbors etc.
     
  9. 1950Greg

    1950Greg Active Member

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    Location:
    Langley, B.C. Stones throw from old HBC farm.
    Why are we always is a hurry? One of the great aspects of gardening is watching plants and landscapes in the garden change and grow. It has been my experience that most fast growing plants soon become high maintenance and not worth it in the long term. Yew is a good choice for hedging or even cotton easter can be trianed on chain link fences and both are evergreen and will tolerate shade.
     
  10. JCardina

    JCardina Active Member

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    With respect I don't think you have been in this situation and have no understanding of why so many people post on here looking for fast growing coverage. Perhaps you have an acreage that is completely private or a city lot with no hope of privacy, a lot of us live in between those extremes.

    This is not a case of general landscaping or gardening, it's an immediate problem that requires a quick solution, I completely sympathize with the original poster; we have similar issues at our place.

    When you have an annoying neighbor with a direct line of sight into your bedroom window and have to pull the shades all the time on what is otherwise a very private property you too would wish for a fast solution. I wouldn't want to wait 20 years for a yew to grow large enough to be any help.

    Be thankful that people in this situation aren't simply building a giant wall and are concerned with the looks and a more natural solution. :)
     
  11. bullseye

    bullseye Active Member

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    Jcardina...I agree with you completely. To the OP, how about a trumpet vine, honeysuckle and virginia creeper?
     
  12. Debby

    Debby Active Member 10 Years

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    How about bindweed and potato vine and bramble and ivy and... All the things we don't want grow fast!
     
  13. KarinL

    KarinL Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    How about building a wood fence on your side of the chain link. There are some things that plants just can't do, and immediately solving such a problem is one of them. The downside of fast-growing plants that was pointed out is highly relevant too.

    If it must be plants, buy good-sized ones to start - yew and cotoneaster are excellent ideas.

    Annual plants are a good solution otherwise, like scarlet runners, or else virginia creeper... but these leave it open in winter.
     
  14. HortLine

    HortLine Active Member 10 Years

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    Try using a vine: Akebia quinata ( chocolate vine). It grows 20' in one season; it will grow in sun or shade equally well, and it flowers while being semi-evergreeen. Little attention it will need, and it will look green and glorious in the position you mentioned.
     
  15. Newt

    Newt Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Maryland USA zone 7
    Not trumpet vine either. Do a search here for Campsis radicans with my name and you can read about a nightmare.

    Newt
     

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