Ideas for garden walls??

[missy]

I have a small urban garden I have painted the shed cream to brighten it up a bit and put trelises either side for climbers however I have two ugly grey concrete walls either side how will I cover them without resorting to painting (dont want to have all the walls painted magnolia) was thinking of putting that bamboo fencing either side make it look a bit tropical any ideas where I can get it, is it easy to put up on concrete how much is it and the upkeep. Any other opinions greatly appreciated

[creatingyourdream]

Hi Missy,

When you say bamboo cover, do you mean living bamboo or bamboo mats? Bamboo mats can start to look a bit grotty after a while (same as "dead" bamboo stakes) because moss/mould/plants will start to root in the gaps after a while. They're easy enough to put up, but as mentioned, upkeep is difficult.

Personally, I would actually paint the walls, maybe not magnolia but another colour such as a nice medium blue? The only reason for that is that for the first few years and the winter, it just looks nicer to have some background colour showing through when the planting gets a bit sparser....

If you paint it, then you can really put up any climber such as jasmine which grows like mad, or honeysuckle (both of which smell gorgeous). If you put hooks into the wall on a horizontal line (several actually), run a wire through it and use that to fan out the plant, you will get a lovely wall cover in no time.

Hope this helps!
_________________
Marion Hermannsen
Creating Your Dream Interior Design
www.creatingyourdream.net

[missy]

Thats not a bad Idea I was checking to see if anyone has bamboo on their walls as it looked lovely on a magazine feature I saw. However the idea of getting loads of climbers and attaching hook onto the wall is good a few questions though
1. I would be looking for evergreen climbers as I dont want the wall sparse in the winter
2. As a novice at DIY we have bought a masonory drill but as too frightened to put up our trelises in the wall yet, how do I go about drilling into a concrete wall and the hooks/and trelises to stay put havent a clue

[missy]

Thats not a bad Idea I was checking to see if anyone has bamboo on their walls as it looked lovely on a magazine feature I saw. However the idea of getting loads of climbers and attaching hook onto the wall is good a few questions though
1. I would be looking for evergreen climbers as I dont want the wall sparse in the winter
2. As a novice at DIY we have bought a masonory drill but as too frightened to put up our trelises in the wall yet, how do I go about drilling into a concrete wall and the hooks/and trelises to stay put havent a clue

[creatingyourdream]

Hi Missy,

I'm no plant expert, I'm afraid, but any garden centre should be able to help you with choice of plants...

As for drilling, make sure you use a masonry drill bit. Also invest in a pair of STURDY DIY gloves. When I first used a hammer drill, my hand slipped and the drill bit took off a nice slice of the glove. I hate to think what my hand would have looked like without the glove!! And don't forget some goggles, there is always a chance of shards of concrete or even a broken drill bit flying about!

To drill into a concrete wall, be prepared for lots of noise and vibration. Bit intimidating at first, just be sure to hold the drill hard against the wall so it doesn't "wander". You will need rawl plugs to hold the screws tight in the wall because the plants can get very heavy. Again, ask which ones to use in the DIY shop (usually the red ones).

When you drill the hole, I put a bit of masking tape on the drill bit to mark the depth of the rawl plug. Then when you drill, you know when you've drilled deep enough. Just a little tip

Anyway, just have a go, it's actually a lot of fun!
_________________
Marion Hermannsen
Creating Your Dream Interior Design
www.creatingyourdream.net