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Disappearing
Trick
14
August 2002
Most gardens
have a black spot. An object or an area which
needs to be camouflaged, screened or made to
disappear. It may be a shed, an oil tank or
gas storage unit. Compost heaps can be unsightly
and even the vegetable garden is a bit of a
mess in late autumn and winter.
 While
panel fencing is often the obvious answer, it
too, sometimes needs covering. With solid timber
fencing you are prone to wonder what is behind
it which defeats the objective. A living screen
of plants may be the answer. Evergreen shrubs
such as escallonia are invaluable. Thick, twiggy,
deciduous beech, hornbeam or forsythia will
hide a multitude of problems. There are climbers
so rampant they are able to hide a fence within
a few years.
As with any vigorous plant the growth needs
to be managed. Allowed to rampage at will, they
become an untidy heap. Regular pruning of the
old branches which are tired of flowering will
encourage new growths which may be trained as
replacements. With shrubs, read the label to
find out the ultimate height and spread. When
planting to hide a shed or outbuilding leave
sufficient space between the plants and the
wall for essential maintenance such as painting
and cleaning gutters.
 Climbers
have a habit of finding their way into the building.
Ivy will find the smallest crack and before
you realise what has happened, it has as much
growth inside the shed as outside. Fuel tanks
are more easily covered if a free standing wire
or trellis frame is erected around the sides
and over the top to accommodate the climber
and give support.
For temporary, summer time screening Jerusalem
Artichoke is worth considering. Planted in a
row, like potatoes, they quickly grow to 8-10
ft high dying down in the winter. They are related
to sunflowers
which are another quick growing, excellent summer
time favourite with their oversized flowers.
Hedging makes a good screen for the vegetable
garden. Maintain it at a height to block the
view remembering it will also block the sun
causing shadow. Planting a mixed shrub border
will be less formal and provide colour and interest
all year.
The most difficult object to hide is the service
pole. Where it is far enough away it can be
screened by planting a narrow upright conifer
such as Chamaecyparis columnaris or the upright
cherry, Prunus Ama-na-gawa with its pale pink
spring flowers. Position tall growing plants
away from the overhead wires.
back
to John's index page
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