What would you plant here?

[StartingOverInMy40s]

I need some advice.

we’ve just moved into an old Victorian house and as much as I love the garden, it needs something planted along the fence. I’m not a fan of roses and it needs to be low maintenance as I’m not a gardener (yet) 😂

I’ve added a photo but it’s taking a while to show.

Lavender would look lovely, or Jasmine.

i can’t tell whether it’s shady or bright, but I’d be tempted to add a climber like clematis to ramble along the trellising at the top of your fence. Armandii keeps green leaves in winter. They need planting deep, to keep the roots cool.

Chaenomeles (Japanese quince) - easy to look after, doesn't grow like a bastard, and has lovely white, pink or coral flowers in spring.

Cotoneaster horizontalis, low & slow-growing with a herringbone pattern of branches, small flowers around now and berries in autumn.

Lavender 'Hidcote'.

Whatever you plant in there though, you are going to have to keep watered from now until the middle of autumn.

Pyracantha to deter anyone from climbing over - evergreen and has berries in winter. A clematis - can be grown through a shrub. Sweet box - another evergreen with scented cream flowers in winter/early spring and dark berries spring into summer. Put some daffodils and narcissi in.

What will thrive there depends on whether that side of the fence is mostly in sun or shade.

Sun or shade makes all the difference. If shade I would make it a lovely woodlandy feel border, if sun mediterranean style.

Do you need it to screen from the road/whatever is behind?

A row of bay lollipop trees.
A garden classic for a Victorian house. They are evergreen and look smart throughout the year.
Pick the height you want when you buy and their trunks won't grow any taller - only the crowns will expand. They just need a once a year trim to keep the crowns tidy.

They look good on their own and take up very little space at ground level...
Or you could under-plant with some spring bulbs, or if it's a sunny spot some lavender. If it's shady, or at least shady in the afternoon, under-plant with hydrangeas or heucheras.

What kind of things do you like? I would browse some mail order companies for ideas and make a list of things you like, then look them up and see if they will grow in the conditions you have in the garden (sun, soil type etc).

Personally I love a salvia, Japanese anemones, poppies, etc. You might hate them (or they might not suit the site).

The other thing to think about is what the border will look like off season - bushes will obviously still be there but lots of perennials will have died back. So winter/spring plants like bulbs, hellebores etc are useful to stop it looking drab in February.

A tall purple verbena at the back, lavender in the middle and night scented stock at the front.
Maybe a small obelisk with either a honeysuckle or sweetpeas growing through.
It will smell heavenly.
I'd also do what others are suggesting and underplant with some spring bulbs.

I'd go for clematis and honeysuckle. If you want uniformity a lavender hedge would work. Plant in the early autumn. You will have to maintain whatever you go with.