Monster deck

[LilyTheMink]

Hi I am hoping for some advice on a deck i have just had built. It main purpose was to straddle a drop in the garden levels - on the left the top of the handrail is 120cm from the ground and on the right going along the fence, its 270cm drop.
Theres a 1m gap between the fence and the deck, obvious with that steep gradient.
My issues are many. But I cant work out how to nestle it into the landscape. And to screen the views of neighbours' houses when you are on it.
The garden is mainly deciduous although there are evergreens in gardens around. Its fairly traditional as well, not modern. Our house is similar to the red brick one you see - ie Victorian.

Idea 1. Replace the ballustrade with a lighter, criss cross design and possibly paint cream- which will match the paint on the house windows?

Idea 2. Plant some hedging between the deck and the fence that will grow along level with top of pergola - eg leylandii but better, or griselinia littoris.

Any others ideas welcomed.

You wont offend me as I pretty much hate it!

What about growing something up over the pergola and railings? It would soften it and provide some shade.

Thank you, yes I have planted honeysuckle on the far corners in the hopes they will grow and cover the roof

You could put some trellis in the bit overlooking the neighbours and grow over that as well. They have something nice to look at and you get privacy.
Something scented would be good for summer evenings, like jasmine or honeysuckle?

I'd say leave the gap as it could be good for access and maintenance.

That's a good idea
The only issue with that part is how far a climber has to go before even reaching the handrail!
Also, my husband thought if it had more solid sides, the neighbours might complain....

I was thinking to replace the ballustrade with this kind of thing and get foliage growing thru them

That space behind the deck looks like a great storage space to me! I would be tucking spare pots, compost sacs, bamboo canes etc under there.

Watch out for foxes though, it looks like the sort of place they would love, if you don’t want to put anything under it I strongly advise you to ask your deck people to fill in the gap, then at least you will notice if they start digging underneath to make their den.

If you do want to plant stuff I would keep it low maintenance and something that looks pretty from the deck but not intrusive, so maybe grasses. I would plant them in a row of the largest cheapest plastic pots you can get hold of and put down a thick layer of dark bark chippings. I wouldnt plant any sort of hedging. You could have a bit of fun with banana plants which would be a very effective screen in the summer months.

I think the idea of some trellis could work to screen the deck or a panel from screen with envy, just make sure you don’t screen out your sun.

I wouldn’t paint anything, too much maintenance, but I might stain the decking a much darker colour so it doesn’t stand out so much, maybe a dark charcoal if you are feeling bold.

Can you move the top pergola part to the other end? It would give it a more balanced look I think, to have it over the ground rather than over the air, and make it all feel less 'bulky'.

Thank you @viques

I dont mind about foxes, they are in everyone's gardens around here I think there are some under our trampoline!

I don't need any extra storage space as have plenty of that too.

Do you mean putting grasses in pots in the gap between deck and fence? I can't see how they would get high enough to be seen - the drop from handrail on one side is nearly 3m.....

You can get very tall grasses, but I was mostly meaning they would be nice for people sitting on the deck to look down on.

You would not feel like that about foxes if you had had your garden trashed by fox cubs for two years running. Six one year, four the next. They are cute for about four weeks then turn into hoodlums. Their loving parents bring them disgusting things to eat, odd shoes and items of clothing for them to play with and are the sort of parents who call their children “spirited” as they rampage [ grin]. It also means you can’t leave anything lying around in your garden, or leave your back door open day or evening , even in a heatwave.

This year strict anti fox measures have been put in place and I hope I have persuaded them to go elsewhere. I can’t be sure until the middle of may when the 2021 crop of cubs come out of their dens.

My kids would have virtually moved into that underneath space. Great den! It's a lovely deck and only looks bare because it's new. Get some potted fruit trees and big pots of lavender and it'll be 👌

The evergreen clematis amanda is a very fast and vigorous grower. It would soften edges year-round and in April you get masses of flowers.

Pots on the deck with plants that provide height would shied things - like bamboo for example. And they are moveable and can't get over-vigorous if contained in a pot.

The clematis suggestion is a good idea. It does grow fast and is gorgeous in Spring. I also thought about wisteria, which could be beautiful in blossom. Also climbing hydrangea.

Thanks, yes I like the clematis amanda. I have a clematis montana elsewhere that is growing fast.

I think I made a mistake with my honeysuckle- I bought established plants trained on a trellis (£74 each) and they seem to not be climbing higher than the trellis was.....

There's a very large area under the decking if our family holiday home, where chairs/tables/garden stuff are stored for the winter, with a door and solid sides so not accessible to wildlife. Is that something you would consider? It's hard to see the height from the pictures.

I'd attach something like this all the way along the back of the decking:
liveoutside.co.uk/privacy-trellis.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwvMqDBhB8EiwA2iSmPDHY3Y4rjUZlS62mPBydp3kGIH8ujCoTRlDBFcqGN-M6TStYCWwO4RoCGsAQAvD_BwE.

It would make it feel like a room and you could grow things up it.

All I can think of is "what a perfect support for some wisteria"... 😂

Thanks yes the trellis @Coronilla. I just worry the neighbours would object more to a more solid sided structure. But it seems a good solution.

@kissthepastrychef - 100% love listeria. Very slow growing tho. We have some on the house and it's about 60 years old!

Listeria 🤣🤣😭

Don't know about listeria, but the wisteria we've had (in two different gardens) has been quite fast growing?

I had a white wisteria growing up a chimney. It grew quite quickly and was very vigorous.

Have you considered going around to your neighbours, apologising for how big it looks, and asking them what they would like you to do?

If you see it from their side, you might be able to work out whether putting trellis up would keep it private for both you and them, and you will also see what windows of theirs it affects and how you could protect them.

You could off to buy them a strategic tree for their side