DYI privacy fence

DYI = DIY, as in do it yourself. sorry, type-o

How about some sort of evergreen bushes...

http://gardening.about.com/od/treesshrubs/tp/Privacy_Hedge.htm

We planted Hyacinth Bean Pod Plants this year and were surprised at how big and full they got in only one season.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2250435_grow-hyacinth-bean-pod-vines.html

The only problem is that they are an annual, so they don't last through the winter. Not sure if you're looking for something permanent, but they may make a nice 'fill-in' plant as whatever you plant on a permanent basis grows to desired height.

Arborvitae is a very common choice as it is fairly easy to grow and fairly neat in appearance. I have always liked bamboo, but you have to be diligent with it because most species are very aggressive. Another good possibility is viburnum.

Maggie, thanks for the tip on the hyacinth bean pod! How soon did you see blooms?

We had very good luck with Rosa multiflora rosa multiflora. There was an experiment some years back that suggested the gov't use rosa multiflora instead of guard rails on highways, as the plants could be grown thick enough to prevent a car passing through the hedge while limiting the sudden stop and damage caused by crashing into a guard rail.

All I can tell you is that once you grow it, you can't get through it or see through it without removing it.

Mjack - sounds interesting - how/where did you plant it? Ive got an existing 4' fence, but I'd like to have the hedge go higher than that - do you think if we planted rosa multiflora along the fence it would continue above the chain link?

We planted a yew hedge several years ago and it's over 8 feet tall now. I started with a tall-growing, column-shaped variety (as opposed to the kind that spread outward as they grow taller). I also fertilized every spring for first 3 years. It's covering an ugly view, maintenance-free, and the bonus is that birds eat the red berries. Any of the big box hardware stores have them in spring, $6 to $12 per pot.

Also, if the berries ferment on the bush, squirrels eat them and act drunk for a few hours. Free entertainment!

We planted it along a split rail fence. Ours grew to about 8 feet high. The brambles are impenetrable unless you're a rabbit.

Hey madjack - I'm curious about that rosa multiflora.

We have a split-rail fence and our backyard faces an intermittently busy road. I'm thinking the rosa multiflora might be good for privacy. How long did it take to fill in? Where did you get your starters or seed?

Oh, one last question...does it get invasive?

We live in a subdivision in Sylvania Twp, and our neighbor on one side is extremely picky about their lawn. They don't have a fence in their yard, so at least there's nothing back there it can spread on. But I just want to make sure it won't spread onto the ground in his yard before planting.

Valbee - it blooms later in summer...I think it was late July, early August but it continued to bloom until just recently...and even then the purple pods were colorful....

It's great for privacy, even better for security. It takes about two to three years for it to mature into a fairly impenetrable hedge. The first year nothing much happens, but by the end of the second summer you wouldn't want to walk through it. By five years you can't see through it during the summer, and you'll have trouble seeing through it in winter.

As a bonus, I've noted that hummingbirds like to nest in it. The brambles seem to appeal to them. Rabbits and similar critters use it for cover. Dogs can't really get through it.

While a fence isn't mandatory, the shrub likes to climb stuff and will take right to the fence. It isn't what I would call invasive, although it will spread slightly it doesn't try to take over a yard when there's nothing to climb. Like you, we had some neighbors that were very picky about their own back yard and they loved it as it provided the perfect backdrop for their yard. We just let it grow on it's own, but these people kept it trimmed and cultivated, and as a result the stuff grew to about eight feet in height, and the blooms were sweet smelling.

About the only real downsides are that it can be tough to start. It's sensitive to drought and monsoon conditions, so we had to replant in some cases. The other thing is that when it's fully grown and you have a thick hedge, you really cannot get through it. Horses, for instance, cannot force their way through it. Neither can dogs. Trying to create a gate way or something would be a major job and likely take all day.

We planted ours so long ago I couldn't tell you where to get the plants. Ours were a foot or so tall and we planted them a few feet apart.

I should have added that we planted it in the summer, but looking back we probably should have planted it in the spring.

If you do decide to go this route, please keep me informed about the progress, as I'd like to know how well it works for you.

Bumping this up to current page for the other hedge question