Best climber for hiding a wire fence

[ban-all-sheds]

My garden backs onto land owned by TFL - probably 20-30m before you get to the tube line.

It was pretty much a jungle, but basically full of medium sized trees and shrubs, plenty of nettles - the usual suspects, but hey - it was green, and it screened the railway line. We (like neighbours either side) kept a "barrier strip" clear of undergrowth so we had no problems with stuff invading, it was a handy place for the compost heap etc.

A few months ago the railway decided that one security fence between us and the track was not enough so they came and cleared the land, felled trees, and put up a 2nd fence about 5m from our boundary. So now when we look out we have this wonderful vista of a bright green mesh fence, 2m high with 3 strands of barbed wire on top of that.

We'd like to plant something which will grow up it and make it look less like we now live in a prison.

Suggestions? Someone I know did suggest Russian Vine, but having done some research I think that even with 5m between our garden and it that might be risky, particularly as we do want to use that 5m space for compost heap & shed.

Would like a perennial evergreen, and something we can get started now by scattering seed. Preferably not expensive seed, as there's about 30-40m of fence to cover.

 

[gregers]

llylandii,

 

[Deleted2797112]

It's the scattering seed bit that's tricky. There are plenty of vigorous evergreen climbers but I wouldn't give much for their chances just scattering the seed. They usually need a little bit of TLC to get them going.

Clematis armandii, passiflora, lonicera henryi, if you've got TFL as a neighbour, presumably you're in London so you might get away with eccremocarpus if it's a sheltered spot. There's a few climbing roses that are semi-evergreen or hold on to some of their leaves in winter. Could make the space productive and plant a few grapevines. Or hops! If you know someone with an ivy-covered wall, beg some cuttings. They'll root really easily just sticking them in the soil and watering until they get going.

Nicky's Nursery is good here's the climbers seed page.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I've got loads of ivy elsewhere.

For some reason that never occurred to me.



PS - when I said "scatter" I did mean "sow fairly evenly, cover with soil & mulch and water well".

 

[Deleted2797112]

Job done then!

I'm a fruit and veg grower so if I had all that wire to cover, I'd use at least a part of it for climbing beans and squashes, and a section for sweet peas for cut flowers. Saves all the faffing around with cane wigwams.