Arch spanning entire width of narrow garden

[ImpossibleDecisions]

Has anyone done or seen this? Can’t see any examples of this online.

We have a narrow terraced garden (5m wide). We are very overlooked at the back by windows.

Short of planting lots of trees and waiting for them to grow, I thought that a huge high arch (or pentagon shape) spanning the whole width of the garden, with leafy climbers on it, would blot out the windows.

Rather than do it on the patio as a lean-to on the house, I was thinking of erecting it stand-alone in the middle of the garden.

The shade would probably fall onto the patio which would be a good thing in summer. We could keep it quite thin so the strip of shade would hopefully not be too oppressive. It is a south-west facing garden and a bit too sunny in the kitchen at times.

I know it would need to be quite strong, maybe with steel rather than wood. I want to avoid multiple pillars in order to keep the garden open. Maybe an A shape either end to stop it falling over. It would need to be about 4m high in the middle I think to block the overlooking windows.

Does anyone want to critique this idea or share any examples of it being done?

I don’t see anything for sale more than 3m wide.

Really interesting idea, I think you’d have to construct it bespoke though - on Your Garden Made Perfect they did some interesting things with scaff poles if you don’t mind an industrial style? Or perhaps constructing something with copper pipes could be pretty cool.

I’m not sure I’ve quite got my head around it - do you mean neighbours windows overlooking your garden further from the house - so you’re looking to shield yourselves from neighbours (next door to your house) being able to see into your garden? I have the same issue and currently pondering it. I spend time hovering where I eventually think seating areas will be and trying to work out where specimen plants or screens would need to be to block specific views. Looking from my own window into my neighbours gives me an idea of what they can see into mine!

You might be restricted by permitted development rules though as this is a garden structure. Within 2m of a boundary it can be max 2.5m high.

I’m not sure you can do this at that height? I think you need to look at planning permission and permitted development.

Also for the cost of getting something bespoke like that built. I’d go for mature hedging. Something fast growing like Laurel.

you can erect a pole-and-wire structure and grown grapevines, runner beans, tomatoes and sweet peas up it

all of those are annuals so you can tidy it wach winter

most fast-growing climbers will get unmanageable after a couple of years.

I don't think you are allowed to have a structure that high, have you thought about a lower square structure. The plants will make it higher once they start growing.

@lemonviolet we are overlooked by neighbours either side also, but I’m more concerned about the houses behind our garden. The upstairs windows are like huge eyes looking right in to the kitchen.

The alternative is clear stemmed pleached trees at the back, but that is problematic too as we have a humungous tree stump in just the wrong place at the back of the garden, and concrete and a shed as well. I’ve tried bamboo in huge high pots but it hasn’t grown at all and doesn’t look too healthy.

@Bluntness100, I don’t think any neighbours would be detrimented by it, quite the opposite as it would provide some screening for them too. It would be completely covered in evergreen climbers so no different looking to neighbours than large bushes (except we can walk under them).

4m structure would need planning permission. Perhaps a diagram of your idea?

Worth thinking about the long term impact of planting trees on the boundary in a small/narrow garden. The shade obviously goes in all directions, and also the root structure will be as wide as the branches and will reduce what you can grow underneath.

How about a pergola?
www.perfectpergolas.co.uk/shop/
As others have said, it cant be more than 2.5m high within 2m of a boundary, so in effect that’s the height you're limited to as your garden is so narrow.

Ok thanks all. Yes if the rule is 2.5m to 2m from the boundary that probably isn’t enough.

I’m now looking into the idea of poles that @pigletjohn mentioned. I wonder if I could get a large plant to sit on top of the pole so it’s like a lollipop... like a tree but without the same needs for root space and time!

If you can get machinery into the garden, you can use a stump grinder to remove the problem tree stump. Some tree surgeons have them, or there are specialist stump removal companies.

Or planting high plants like bamboo on top of the roof of a full-width shed at the back, maybe that’s a separate thread.

The stump is huge, 2-3 feet in diameter. I would worry even if it was removed there’s still all the roots underneath, so any new tree is not going to grow in the back corner on that side.

We put 2m high trellis screens at the bottom of our garden for privacy.
We concreted in 2.5m fence posts for strength and attached the screens.
You could forego the middle section for a doorway and have a top rail to support climbers?

We had 2 enormous conifer stumps right where the posts are. DH took a chainsaw and pickaxe to them and they are now ‘features’ in our front garden.

I’ve seen this done, but for a swing rather than for plants. It was only about 2.5m high though. I agree 4m would need pp, and also I think could look quite oppressive in a garden that size - it would sort of loom over you.

We have a similar issue with overlooking. Two tips:

• Plants don’t need pp as mentioned. So tall plants are your friend

• Something pretty to look at in your garden greatly detracts from the overlooked effect, because you focus on the pretty thing rather than the houses. We put in a little olive tree and while it isn’t very tall and doesn’t block out much of the houses behind, it does draw the eye so you don’t notice the houses so much.

In your garden, what about having pleached trees (or similar) in front of the shed? So you basically create a “service area” at the back of the garden (could put other messy stuff there too) and the screening plants block the view of both the service area and the houses behind. Depends how long your garden is and whether you can afford to cut off a bit of the depth.

If you get a stump grinder in there is no way it will grow back. But it’s expensive and it causes huge mess. I’ve had several that size removed and the ground needs backfilling after. But you do that and Chuck some grass seed down and it’s fine.

I get what you’re saying about benefitting the neighbours but you’d be surprised about how some folks react to something like that. And climbers will take years to cover it. Plus you’ll need planning. And someone’s going to charge you thousands to bespoke build it, then it needs to be installed and done so securely so it doesn’t blow over.

shade sail? or I've seen pergola style roofs over patios with plants on them. Kinda like thiswww.harrodhorticultural.com/harrod-modern-pergola-wire-grid-roof-pid10671.html

Thanks for all these ideas. @rugseverywhere that is the first link I’ve seen for something that spans wide enough, so it is possible I guess. It’s not high enough to blot out the windows without another 1-2m of plants on top though. And very expensive.

Maybe scaffolding is the way to go with a a couple of extra big poles sticking up with ivy on them, just covering the main offending windows.
Or pleached trees in front of shed/stump etc as @minioie suggested. Really need to just make a decision somehow!

Do you need to screen the entire garden?

I’ve been just looking at where we’ll be sitting, and concentrating on the views to those points. Not worried if I can be seen strolling up and down :-)

Don’t plant laurel. If grows very wide! You won’t have a garden left. It’s a thug. Some pergolas work well if you have plants that build up on each other for increased height. Slim cherry trees are pretty good on a boundary too. Maybe don’t buy an overlooked house!

Sorry I haven't really any advice about the arch, but I've bought some lovely 3m high Bamboo from this company www.bamboogiant.co.uk Really helped to immediately screen part of the garden.

Would a high quality sail shade across the garden at the kitchen end stop people looking in? Not too expensive and would give you some shade.

Bamboo is a garden thug too. It gets enormous and spreads. That’s why there are forests of it in China.

Bamboo would be perfect for what you need, as long as you plant it in a root barrier there are no problems, the right type will easily grow to 15 feet , it lets light though, it’s evergreen, grows quickly and also looks great.

Thanks for that link @Jazzhandedintrovert that’s the best value bamboo I’ve seen! Shame a lot of the species are out of stock but I’ll keep an eye