What are my options for coverage - creepers/ivy/etc

[UTH]

Pics below should explain the story - huge amount of overgrown ivy on a very old fence/trellis sadly had to come down before it all collapsed. As you can see, that ivy provided a huge amount of cover and although the new fence looks lovely, it is quite the change from the protection provided before.

My plan is to attach trellis on my side which will go 2-3 fee above the fence height, but my worry now is what I can actually grow there. I went to our local garden centre yesterday, started seeing some stuff which looked ideal, but was then told that everything they sell will need to be taken out of the pots and planted in the ground. As you'll see from my photos, the only real option I have for a large section of this plan is putting pots onto the wall that's there.
So, I guess the question is what, if anything, am I going to be able to grow from pots that will get as high as I'm planning?
At this stage I'll take anything, I can't be picky, clearly.
I'm a bit concerned my options might end up being nothing, or fake! But hopefully the clever PH mind can give me hope.

[UTH]

Just to add, I'm thinking of buying 4 of these and attaching them about two thirds of the way up the fence panels so the trellis should extend 1.25m or so above the current height. They're 1800mm wide so 'should' fit very neatly inside the concrete fence posts.....

If nothing else, the trellis itself will provide some more cover, and then I need to work out if I can get anything to grow from pots to actually grow on it.....

Feel free to tell me this is a good plan or not.

[sospan]

Rather than a complete covearage would you consider fruit trees trained as espalier form? Not 100% year round cover but if the sunlight access is good then a dual function of fruit and some cover. It might need some developing of the planting bed due to the wall. Large planters against the wall with trellis/wire support for training?

[UTH]

sospan said:

Rather than a complete covearage would you consider fruit trees trained as espalier form? Not 100% year round cover but if the sunlight access is good then a dual function of fruit and some cover. It might need some developing of the planting bed due to the wall. Large planters against the wall with trellis/wire support for training?

Hmmmm, I think sun to that spot will be an issue once the outdoor kitchen goes in with its roof.
And for now I'm ideally looking at an option that doesn't require developing the planting bed - my dream is just pots sitting on that wall, but I'm not getting the sense that growing things several metres high from pots is going to be an option.

[Quhet]

Get some flowering climbers in like jasmine, clematis, honeysuckle, potato vine etc

[UTH]

Quhet said:

Get some flowering climbers in like jasmine, clematis, honeysuckle, potato vine etc

Do tell me more (I know NOTHING) about any of this, as you can probably tell.

Will they live in pots on that wall and reach a few metres tall?

[Chumley.mouse]

Make/ buy a trough plant bamboo in it . Get the right species and it grows like billy o.

[Byker28i]

UTH said:

Quhet said:

Get some flowering climbers in like jasmine, clematis, honeysuckle, potato vine etc

Do tell me more (I know NOTHING) about any of this, as you can probably tell.

Will they live in pots on that wall and reach a few metres tall?

Oh god yes. I've just taken out two honeysuckles that were in large pots growing and huge. They rooted under the patio and were causing problems...

Paint the fence a dark grey and grow something pretty against it

[UTH]

Chumley.mouse said:

Make/ buy a trough plant bamboo in it . Get the right species and it grows like billy o.

I was wondering about bamboo, we had some appear and provide some perfect natural privacy by the front window of our living room.

[UTH]

Byker28i said:

UTH said:

Quhet said:

Get some flowering climbers in like jasmine, clematis, honeysuckle, potato vine etc

Do tell me more (I know NOTHING) about any of this, as you can probably tell.

Will they live in pots on that wall and reach a few metres tall?

Oh god yes. I've just taken out two honeysuckles that were in large pots growing and huge. They rooted under the patio and were causing problems...

Paint the fence a dark grey and grow something pretty against it

Ok, this is encouraging........given my total lack of knowledge here, my visit to the garden centre had me thinking I had no options, but maybe that was just for proper big 'hedge' type stuff?

[AC43]

UTH said:

Quhet said:

Get some flowering climbers in like jasmine, clematis, honeysuckle, potato vine etc

Do tell me more (I know NOTHING) about any of this, as you can probably tell.

Will they live in pots on that wall and reach a few metres tall?

If you're going to use pots I'd suggest you go huge and keep them watered. Watering really needs an irrigation system as if you leave them for a few days in the heat they will very quicky dry out and you can easily kill something well established.

Planters are better as they hold a much larger capacity of soil - but they'll still dry out (ask me how I know).

Over the years I've had some great results with various varieties of evergreen jasmine and clematis. I tend to avoid honeysuckle as the lower areas tend to die back/become woody and I find it generally less hardy.

[UTH]

AC43 said:

UTH said:

Quhet said:

Get some flowering climbers in like jasmine, clematis, honeysuckle, potato vine etc

Do tell me more (I know NOTHING) about any of this, as you can probably tell.

Will they live in pots on that wall and reach a few metres tall?

If you're going to use pots I'd suggest you go huge and keep them watered. Watering really needs an irrigation system as if you leave them for a few days in the heat they will very quicky dry out and you can easily kill something well established.

Planters are better as they hold a much larger capacity of soil - but they'll still dry out (ask me how I know).

Over the years I've had some great results with various varieties of evergreen jasmine and clematis. I tend to avoid honeysuckle as the lower areas tend to die back/become woody and I find it generally less hardy.

Nice one thank you! I'll take this as "all is not lost, you do have options" and do some more research.
Happy to have as big a pot as the spot will allow. Access to water will be easy as they'll be sitting on the other side of the kitchen units.....

[AC43]

UTH said:

AC43 said:

UTH said:

Quhet said:

Get some flowering climbers in like jasmine, clematis, honeysuckle, potato vine etc

Do tell me more (I know NOTHING) about any of this, as you can probably tell.

Will they live in pots on that wall and reach a few metres tall?

If you're going to use pots I'd suggest you go huge and keep them watered. Watering really needs an irrigation system as if you leave them for a few days in the heat they will very quicky dry out and you can easily kill something well established.

Planters are better as they hold a much larger capacity of soil - but they'll still dry out (ask me how I know).

Over the years I've had some great results with various varieties of evergreen jasmine and clematis. I tend to avoid honeysuckle as the lower areas tend to die back/become woody and I find it generally less hardy.

Nice one thank you! I'll take this as "all is not lost, you do have options" and do some more research.
Happy to have as big a pot as the spot will allow. Access to water will be easy as they'll be sitting on the other side of the kitchen units.....

If you can arrange a separate water feed you can hook up a battery-powered timey and attach some generic piping/connectors/drippers on eBay.

Then you never have to stand there twice a day with a hose.

[UTH]

AC43 said:

UTH said:

AC43 said:

UTH said:

Quhet said:

Get some flowering climbers in like jasmine, clematis, honeysuckle, potato vine etc

Do tell me more (I know NOTHING) about any of this, as you can probably tell.

Will they live in pots on that wall and reach a few metres tall?

If you're going to use pots I'd suggest you go huge and keep them watered. Watering really needs an irrigation system as if you leave them for a few days in the heat they will very quicky dry out and you can easily kill something well established.

Planters are better as they hold a much larger capacity of soil - but they'll still dry out (ask me how I know).

Over the years I've had some great results with various varieties of evergreen jasmine and clematis. I tend to avoid honeysuckle as the lower areas tend to die back/become woody and I find it generally less hardy.

Nice one thank you! I'll take this as "all is not lost, you do have options" and do some more research.
Happy to have as big a pot as the spot will allow. Access to water will be easy as they'll be sitting on the other side of the kitchen units.....

If you can arrange a separate water feed you can hook up a battery-powered timey and attach some generic piping/connectors/drippers on eBay.

Then you never have to stand there twice a day with a hose.

Well it's going to be right on the kitchen which has running water and power, so I shall chat to the PM about it.

[B'stard Child]

Chumley.mouse said:

Make/ buy a trough plant bamboo in it . Get the right species and it grows like billy o.

Get the wrong species of bamboo and the OP will have shoots coming up between his paved area - need to keep all bamboo tightly constrained if it’s not going to become a nightmare - even clumping varieties will send out the odd runner.

You are totally right about providing a nice green screen all round and it will grow a goid deal taller than the top of the fence

[okgo]

What’s wrong with putting something in the ground behind that wall?

Clematis will do the job, just buy one mature enough to be above the wall level and I’m sure it would find a way?

[Huzzah]

Or lift a slab or two, I've never had any success with climbers in containers.

An espaliered shrub or fruit tree would look good too. (Forsythia and pyracantha are my current favorites)

Edited by Huzzah on Monday 31st March 16:27

[Desiderata]

Long term I wouldn't go past Virginia Creeper, you could cover that entire fence with a single plant growing from the existing soil area. It grows at up to 2m per year so 3 or 4 years to give a complete coverage.
In the short term, something like annual sweet peas would grow in pots and cover the fence every summer.

[UTH]

Desiderata said:

Long term I wouldn't go past Virginia Creeper, you could cover that entire fence with a single plant growing from the existing soil area. It grows at up to 2m per year so 3 or 4 years to give a complete coverage.
In the short term, something like annual sweet peas would grow in pots and cover the fence every summer.

Thank you, these sound like 2 good options for my situation. Will add them to the research

[Chumley.mouse]

B'stard Child said:

Get the wrong species of bamboo and the OP will have shoots coming up between his paved area - need to keep all bamboo tightly constrained if it’s not going to become a nightmare - even clumping varieties will send out the odd runner.

You are totally right about providing a nice green screen all round and it will grow a goid deal taller than the top of the fence

If the planter/ trough was on the wall then even bamboo would have a job escaping the container creeping down the wall and under the pavers before the op noticed it……….lots of scare mongering around bamboo. Its not like day of the triffids…….