Overlooked garden / retaining wall ideas

Overlooked garden / retaining wall ideas

Author
Discussion

Surfr

Original Poster:

629 posts

194 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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We've recently bought a new property and the one compromise was that the garden was overlooked and has a rather unsightly brick retaining wall topped with a fence. I'm looking at ideas on what we could do to improve this garden. Any thoughts?

Things which have popped into my head so far include a pergola type structure to create a form of privacy from above. Whitewashing and Planting english ivy along the wall.

Untitled by Surfrdan, on Flickr

by Surfrdan, on Flickr

B17NNS

18,506 posts

246 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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Monocouche to match the house?

Trellis with climbers?

Surfr

Original Poster:

629 posts

194 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
B17NNS said:
Monocouche to match the house?
I had to google that, Yes I'd thought about a render and whitewashing

ILoveMondeo

9,614 posts

225 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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DO NOT plant ivy.

Unless you want the retaining wall and whatever it's retaining in your back garden in about 20 years time.

OK, I'm exaggerating but it will not do the wall any good at all. English ivy is a nasty fker, grows and grows and fks up anything it touches. It'll weaken the bricks and the pointing. It'll also end up all over that fence, and it WILL kill that within a couple of years of it being covered. I doubt your neighbor will thank you either.

I've currently working out the best way of removing 20 years growth of the stuff, and it has done serious damage to retaining wall it's sitting on top of. Some of the "branches" are as thick as your arm. Chainsaw if currently looking like the best bet, even the most noxious herbicides wont touch it as the leaves are covered in some waxy crap that prevents it being absorbed.

Seriously, dont do it! It's right up there with the "what kind of bandit plants bamboo" thread! (At my place the previous owners had planted it in pots along the fence and wall, and over time it bust out of the pots, and took root every-bloody-where, even in concrete.)








randlemarcus

13,507 posts

230 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
ILoveMondeo said:
I've currently working out the best way of removing 20 years growth of the stuff, and it has done serious damage to retaining wall it's sitting on top of. Some of the "branches" are as thick as your arm. Chainsaw if currently looking like the best bet, even the most noxious herbicides wont touch it as the leaves are covered in some waxy crap that prevents it being absorbed.
Find a farmer, borrow some proper strength herbicide. Dilute to taste. Add some fairy liquid. Spray ivy. Wait for it to die, it will.

SAB888

3,230 posts

206 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
ILoveMondeo said:
DO NOT plant ivy.

Unless you want the retaining wall and whatever it's retaining in your back garden in about 20 years time.

OK, I'm exaggerating but it will not do the wall any good at all. English ivy is a nasty fker, grows and grows and fks up anything it touches. It'll weaken the bricks and the pointing. It'll also end up all over that fence, and it WILL kill that within a couple of years of it being covered. I doubt your neighbor will thank you either.

I've currently working out the best way of removing 20 years growth of the stuff, and it has done serious damage to retaining wall it's sitting on top of. Some of the "branches" are as thick as your arm. Chainsaw if currently looking like the best bet, even the most noxious herbicides wont touch it as the leaves are covered in some waxy crap that prevents it being absorbed.

Seriously, dont do it! It's right up there with the "what kind of bandit plants bamboo" thread! (At my place the previous owners had planted it in pots along the fence and wall, and over time it bust out of the pots, and took root every-bloody-where, even in concrete.)
I have to agree about ivy. You don't want to put ivy anywhere near a wall. It grows really quickly and will eventually take over and weaken the wall. On the other hand I don't have a problem with bamboo.

Surfr

Original Poster:

629 posts

194 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
Interesting to hear about the ivy. The previous ocupants had planted some on the side of our current house and I't grown to cover about 50% of the side of a 2 bed semi now. I wasn't aware that it causes large scale damage but I can vouch for the trunk branches growing to quite a size over time.

ILoveMondeo

9,614 posts

225 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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Surfr said:
Interesting to hear about the ivy. The previous ocupants had planted some on the side of our current house and I't grown to cover about 50% of the side of a 2 bed semi now. I wasn't aware that it causes large scale damage but I can vouch for the trunk branches growing to quite a size over time.
I think it looks quite pretty up the side of a house/cottage...

But yank a bit off and see how much brick/mortar comes with it. The little climby tentril things are amazing, they can burrow into the surface of the brick and mortar making them porous, then after a wet and freezing winter or two you start getting blown bricks, all nicely hidden thanks to the creeping death! smile

On fences they do much the same, buggering up any surface treatment and letting moisture in, and the fence will rot quickly.

Kill it! (but not with fire, may cause a hazard to the house)... smile



ILoveMondeo

9,614 posts

225 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
randlemarcus said:
Find a farmer, borrow some proper strength herbicide. Dilute to taste. Add some fairy liquid. Spray ivy. Wait for it to die, it will.
All good in principal, however in reality I expect it to be a bit like "find a farmer who will let you do some rough shooting over his land"... it just wont happen... "Hi Mate, if I bung you £100 will you come and chuck some 100% proof glyphospate (or worse) around my garden"

I think the old dear next door know a local farmer, I'll ask her and report back! smile

I've given it a few litres of roundup on the weekend and I'll top up later this week too. The idea of this was just to try and kill some of the foliage before getting stuck in with a chainsaw in two weeks. The fence is fked so I'm just going to "fell" the fence posts, taking the ivy along with it smile

TIMBEEEEERRR!







randlemarcus

13,507 posts

230 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
ILoveMondeo said:
All good in principal, however in reality I expect it to be a bit like "find a farmer who will let you do some rough shooting over his land"... it just wont happen... "Hi Mate, if I bung you £100 will you come and chuck some 100% proof glyphospate (or worse) around my garden"

I think the old dear next door know a local farmer, I'll ask her and report back! smile

I've given it a few litres of roundup on the weekend and I'll top up later this week too. The idea of this was just to try and kill some of the foliage before getting stuck in with a chainsaw in two weeks. The fence is fked so I'm just going to "fell" the fence posts, taking the ivy along with it smile

TIMBEEEEERRR!
Just throw some fairy in the mix with the domestic stuff then. The fairy breaks down the leaf coating, and lets the glyphosate get at it. Might be worth reapplying if domestic. Give it a while though, you want the roots dead, and if you are looking for an excuse not to do it now, ivy comes up easier when dead.

ILoveMondeo

9,614 posts

225 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
randlemarcus said:
Just throw some fairy in the mix with the domestic stuff then. The fairy breaks down the leaf coating, and lets the glyphosate get at it. Might be worth reapplying if domestic. Give it a while though, you want the roots dead, and if you are looking for an excuse not to do it now, ivy comes up easier when dead.
Thanks, I'll give that a try! In fact I'm all worked up and angry at the ivy now, I'm buggering off home to give it a good spraying with secret fairy additive now! smile


SAB888

3,230 posts

206 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
Try crushing some of the leaves which will help the weedkiller get through the waxy coating. It gets into the damaged leaves rather than slipping off them.

Mr GrimNasty

8,172 posts

169 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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If you don't own the wall (and I'd guess you don't, as you say it's a retaining wall) you can't even paint it without permission.

A big tree in the corner of your garden is the best option, hate to suggest a Eucalyptus but it will do the job in 5 years.

bobtail4x4

3,701 posts

108 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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just what he needs, a great big tree knocking his house over?

Smiley198700

158 posts

115 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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What about some trellis on posts just in front of the wall with some honeysuckle/clematis/Passion flower etc running up it? It looks like it gets some sun so could do some runner beans too.

Would look pretty decent after a few years, pricey though with all the trellis you'd need... smile

ILoveMondeo

9,614 posts

225 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
SAB888 said:
Try crushing some of the leaves which will help the weedkiller get through the waxy coating. It gets into the damaged leaves rather than slipping off them.
Cool, thanks for that, I used the fairy trick and smashed up
Loads of the leaves with a broom too.

Sorry for the thread hijack OP

Surfr

Original Poster:

629 posts

194 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
ILoveMondeo said:
Sorry for the thread hijack OP
It's the PH way. I wouldn't expect any less. At least it's useful info smile. Now back to my garden....


C Lee Farquar

4,066 posts

215 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
ILoveMondeo said:
All good in principal, however in reality I expect it to be a bit like "find a farmer who will let you do some rough shooting over his land"... it just wont happen... "Hi Mate, if I bung you £100 will you come and chuck some 100% proof glyphospate (or worse) around my garden"

I think the old dear next door know a local farmer, I'll ask her and report back! smile
I see you're in Oxfordshire. You buy agricultural sprays from Countrywide, you don't need to be a farmer. Their non branded desiccant concentrate is about £40 a gallon.

AndrewCrown

2,280 posts

113 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
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Hi Surfr

I think someone said plant a tree.... good idea.. plant a few..
We needed rapid trees to hide a gable end, used willow hybrid..
Have a look on here... http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/Fastest-Growing-...

Or possibly Bamboo... see here http://www.bamboogarden.com/care.htm

Cheers

A

ILoveMondeo

9,614 posts

225 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
quotequote all
Surfr said:
It's the PH way. I wouldn't expect any less. At least it's useful info smile. Now back to my garden....
Trellis with some less aggressive and destructive climbers. Will take a lot longer to get established but will be easier to manage and look nicer too!