Hi, hope someone can help me. I want to screen off my back fence to a height of about 8'-10' (2mtrs). I need something perennial/decidous that will grow quickly but not too bushy. Ideally I am looking at some form of tree such as a Lavetera. Can anyone help please. One main consideration is that I live in the north west of England so this may be a bit of a stumbling block. Thanks in advance.
You don't say what the available width is for your planting or what the exposure is, what 'climate zone' is Liverpool?. Hybiscus syriacus (Rose of Sharon) is a flowering shrub which can be fairly easily kept at a reasonable size and moderate width. It would probably take at least 2 years to reach 8 feet high. It is hardy to zone 5. Buddlea davidii will easily reach 8-10 feet in a single season and if you cut it back really, really hard every fall you can keep it from getting wide and leggy. It also has nice flowers, which attract butterflies, but would be a more informal look than Hybiscus. It might be hardier, I'm not sure? http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Hibiscus+syriacus http://www.floridata.com/ref/B/budd_dav.cfm
Hibiscus syriacus isn't happy outdoors in Britain, it needs much hotter summers than we get here. Rose of Sharon (Hypericum calycinum) is happy, but doesn't get very large, rarely over a metre high. Lavatera × clementii (the common, widely sold tree mallow in Britain) would be suitable, though can be fairly short-lived. It is a good fast-growing starter plant that you can grow something else slower-growing underneath or in front of to make a more permanent screen.
I'm surprised. Hibiscus syriacus does very well here in Vancouver where we don't have hot summers at all and often not much sun either. Even in my shady back yard it blooms profusely in the late summer. Despite a very hard winter last year which killed most of the ceanothus, rosemary and lavatera here in Vancouver, the H. syriacus were generally undamaged. The site http://www.plantadvice.co.uk/plant/156/ lists it as "fully hardy", but perhaps it is only suitable for some parts of Britain. Too bad, its a very pretty plant and not fussy like the tropical Hibiscus grown as indoor plants. Rose of Sharon is its common name in North America but in Britain I think it is called Shrub Althea.
what about climbing Hydrangea? See http://www.paghat.com/climbinghydrangea.html It has nice white blooms like lacecap hydrangea, but is an enormously far-growing vine. Hardy in cold climates, likes shade.
You could also look into the hardier bamboos - they get tall fairly quickly, and don't require hot summers to thrive.
Or use some sort of artificial screen that you can build in front of your fence and use a suitable creeper for your area and keep it trimmed to the screen. You would have less soil taken up by roots for a large area covered and still be able to add other flowerig things. The screen can be as simple as trellis or a strong meshed wire. I use a 2 inch square 6 ft high wire mesh supported on metal stakes. Works a treat for the climbers and keeps the dogs on my side. WE have bamboo and brush screening that can be bought in sections and put together. Climbers are also happy on them http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/b/better-homes-gardens/642/lattice-screen/ http://www.hayters.com.au/PDF's/garden screens.pdf http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2007/08/25/2002553.htm Lots of pics http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&q=fence screens &cr=countryAU&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi Some of the following materials may be available there too http://au.shopping.com/xGS-screen fencing~NS-1~linkin_id-8024509 Liz
