tall plants to act as a screen/ green fence

[krisskross]

i'd like them to grow tall and reasonably fast, but not to grow out too far onto footprint of the garden, if that makes sense

Thanks!!

We have just planted some bamboo against our fence in the hope of screening. I have been told to watch it and manage it as it will spread but it fitted the bill of height, greenery and little depth.

Well leylandi is the quickest growing conifer for a screen but you could also try a shrub grown as a fan ie photinia red robin, an evergreen prunus or a ceonothus

Laurel or beech hedging. You don't get the full effect until the second summer with those (or bamboo) though, ime.

thanks all!

Depends how tall you want your screen? Does it need to be evergreen?

You could add height to your fence with trellis or tall posts with a rope swag and grow climbers up. Solanum glasnevin gets big very quickly and is semi evergreen. Also wall shrubs like Pyracantha and Garrya will give you height but not too much depth.

You could also try growing a pleached hedge or standard Laurel or Photinia red robin trees for height but without losing too much ground space beneath.