What to plant when there is no sun to be had??? part 2

Hi there,

I tried to add my image but it wouldn't allow me, so I'm reposting again (sorry, not very tech savvy...)

There's about 21 inches between the railing of our back porch and the wooden fence that runs between our backyard and the neighbor's. I'm thinking of putting a trellis on top of the fence and growing a vine to shield the (ugly) view of our neighbors. But what vine can grow in a mostly shaded area??? and in such a narrow spot??? I was thinking about a hydrangea vine. Does anybody think that would work, or have a better suggestion? (I'm also not very happy with the tree growing through the back deck - I think the tree is too close to the house and blocks too much of the sun. Wisconsin can be a very moist place, and I think it needs more sun to dry out more.) I live in a zone 4 area. The fence is facing north and the back of the house is facing east.

Michelle

This message was edited Apr 6, 2008 8:50 PM

This message was edited Apr 6, 2008 8:57 PM

Hi - a quick search found these vines

Silver Lace, Polygonum aubertii Weaving; fast growing; white flowers and insignificant fruit; zone 4; full sun to moderate shade.

Akebia quinata Fiveleaf Akebia
ZONE 5, HT 20-40', SP 20-40', SUN/SHADE
This attractive deciduous vine has dark blue-green foliage. Fragrant chocolate-purple flowers appear in mid spring. This fast growing vine will cover a structure in the sun or shade.

Aristolochia durior
Dutchman's Pipe
ZONE 4, HT 30', SP 30', SUN/SHADE
This is the vine everyone has been asking for! You've seen its huge heart shaped leaves climbing up porches of old Vermont farmhouses. A vigorous twining vine with small green-brown flowers resembling Meerschaum pipes,

Euonymus fortunei 'Vegetus' Wintercreeper
ZONE 4, HT VARIABLE, SP VARIABLE, SUN/SHADE
Can grow as a groundcover or as a vine if trained. Give it quite a bit of room. Will cover an entire side of a building

Question: Michelle, is the fence yours? Can you add onto it? I was thinking that maybe you could add another foot or two of lattice along the entire length of the fence to make it taller - yet still allow for some air movement and to prevent it from looking 'wall.' It would serve to hide the neighbor's view. Maybe you could hang colorful pots in spots off the lattice or fix a shelf the length of the lattice to hold pots.

Are you planning on taking out the tree to bring in light and air? If yes, and you don't intend to do it all at once (it probably would be costly plus you'd have to do something with the opening in the deck. Consider leaving the entire trunk up to and including a few feet of those large limbs coming off the trunk. You can then clothe/drape the top of the trunk and limbs with a wire mesh / metal screening and weave with small outdoor lites. It would be very nice in the evening. Hanging from the underside of that wire or attached to the short limbs, you could place some similar pots in the same color as the other pots on the lattice. Does it sound too far fetched? I'd spike it and put glass bottles on it too and stuff some lights in the bottles. It would be great to eat out there.

These are very good ideas - thank you very much for the inspirations. I was thinking about hanging some pots, too - but having a shelf would also be a great idea. Great idea with the tree, too. It's just been a mess with that tree - fallen leaves and branches and bark (the rabbits have chewed off, I think). The fence is ours. I was thinking of putting a trellis on top of it - also to deter the local squirrels. They use the top of the fence as a runway. Do you think I can make the trellis/lattice myself? Is it an easy thing to do?

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Twenty-one inches isn't very much space to be able to get into to plant anything. I notice your deck has a little nook that juts out on your neighbor's side. You could build a planter box in that area and put a tall trellis in it (attach the trellis to your deck rail for strength) to allow vines to grow up. It would widen your choices as you would have more light up there vs. what you will have down on the ground between your deck and the fence. And another thought on that tree, you might also be able to hang a few plants from whats left of your limbs after you trim them off. Or you could cut it all the way down to a stump and set a large pot with some type of plant(s) that would trail over the sides.

Hi NatureLover1950 - that's a good idea, too - there would be more support coming from the deck versus the fence. Thanks! I tried to grow some clematis last summer in pots lined up along the edge of the deck facing the neighbor with dreams of a thick screening coming from the clematis. No such luck. They never took off - just wasn't enough sun from that darn tree.... Good idea, too, with setting a large pot on top of a possible stump.

I think it would not be hard at all to attach lattice to the fence or to your deck. You would have to support the back of it if you planned on attaching a shelf or wanted to hang pots on it. If you hired someone I would think that the cost would not be more than 50 dollars - 75 dollars and the piece of lattice and bracing. Most of the labor would be 'minimum' charge built in for the house call! I bet the person could do it in less than an hour. Now trimming that tree way back or taking it out....that will be costly! I suggested attaching the lattice to the fence as opposed to the deck because it is a tad farther out and I thought you would feel a little less closed in. If you attach to the deck and then put a shelf or pots it will infringe into your deck space.

Hi there missingrosie,

I ordered a silver lace yesterday - thanks for the suggestion. Can't wait! They say that it is a quick grower, which will be perfect. I'm going to the store today to look at latttices - I hope they have them in stock. Thanks again for your suggestions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HI sundaisy. Waving from Middleton. Lattice would be good, especially the heavier type. I don't think that lattice counts as fence height.but not sure.
Ah, squirrels..ours can outdo the highwire acts at the circus.
I think the silver lace was a good choice. I had a hydranga and traded it after it grew about 1 foot in over 5 years. I do a lot of growing in planters that are hooked on deck railings. If you could hold lattice or plant stakes on the deck, could do criss cross of Annual vines, if they would get enough light.
Good luck.
Spring this week!!!

Hi Marcia from the other side of town :)

Hmmm, I got a hydrangea - but I put it in a sunny corner, so we'll see how it goes... Today was a beautiful day - we saw 2 ducks in our neighbor's backyard today, pecking through the grass. Yes, the wildlife is plentiful here. Sounds like a good idea with the planters on the deck railings - thanks. I'm thinking of planting the silver lace in a planter on the deck...

I found this site while looking for alternatives to build a higher fence:
hammerzone.com/archives/landscape/fence/extend1/lattice.htm