What to plant for privacy along 120cm high boundary wall

[ThreeMetresSquare]

I would like to grow, not quite a hedge, but a little plant-y bit to provide privacy between us and the neighbouring garden. Just about 3 metres long to block our patios off a bit.

What should I be aiming for to do this? I love star jasmine, and I thought of maybe bamboo or bay laurel? I was thinking I should get plants I could keep in pots so the don't grow mad, or maybe a long planter box or raised bed? Could they grow to 150/180cm without being planted in the ground?

Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated!

Both laurel and bamboo could definitely grow to that height in planters.

You can also buy planters with a built in trellis up the back so that you could plant climbers (a variagated ivy would be pretty and evergreen) but also have that screen immediately.

most plants are happier, healthier and need less care (food and water) in the ground. How about osmanthus burkwoodii it’s not fast growing so easy to keep it in check. Or a couple of other shrubs or climbers on trellis to take up less space. Jasmine is fairly dense if pruned.

Are there restrictions on how high plants can be? I’m just wondering why the boundary is so low.

Do they need to be permanent/perennial, or is it just for summer, when you'll be sitting out there?

@Squirrelsonthescaffolding Oh I like the burkwoodii, I hadn't heard of that before. I love the smell of Jasmine, is it similar?

@YouAreInMySpot No, no restrictions. We have a 6ft fence on thr other side and various trees and bushes in all the gardens. I think the previous residents just enjoyed chatting! Both gardens were very similar with lost of concrete features so I think they were possibly done together by the same contractor many years ago.

@TheSpottedZebra Good question, I hasn't thought about that. Yes just for the summer would be fine. My neighbours are nice, it's only the patio I'd like to screen so we don't need to make small talk every time we sit in the sun!

I would avoid bamboo like the plague. It spreads and can become invasive - roots running across lawns and even damaging buildings. I have know it even spread from pots.

The osmanthus has little white flowers March/April which can be good as you don’t have lots of buzzing insects by the patio in the summer. I think it has a bit of a scent.

Photinia. Red Robin. The marbled one is lovely.

A row of ornamental grasses could work in this scenario - something like calamagrostis Karl Foerster, stipa gigantea or miscanthus. They get quite tall but are semi transparent and extremely low maintenance. No need for planters or pots as they are well behaved in the ground. The calamagrostis is the one I'd choose as it has a very upright habit and doesn't collapse in rain/wind. It's also a cool season grower so it comes into flower fairly early. Stipa gigantea (giant oat grass) is absolutely gorgeous, but takes up more ground space. Miscanthus flowers much later than the others.

I thought some bamboo are ‘clumping’, they don’t spread like wildfire?

Even the clumping types of bamboo can eventually run riot 😫