What would you with this wall in the garden? (Pic attached)

[Sandrine1982]

Hi,

We're starting to contact companies to revamp our garden (new fence, new patio and new turf).

However we've got this ugly wall there that we don't know what to do with.

I thought it would be nice to paint it all dark grey, so that it's at least the same colour. I think that would look nice, if a bit "alternative".

But I'm struggling to find an outdoor paint that has good reviews and would withstand the weather.

I'm not sure what else we can do with this wall? Our budget is quite tight so rendering / replastering is not an option.

Also whatever we do we might need permission from the neighbours.

So yes, any ideas welcome :)

Could you put a couple of planters and some trellis up and get some nice climbing plants like clematis or jasmine?

Climbing plants on trellis sounds a good idea, something that doesn't damage brickwork (ivy is awful for damage).

Would the neighbours allow you to have the edge of the felting tidied at least? Looks such a bodge job.

Agree about asking if the roof felt could be tidied up or covered up as that would look better

What about putting evenly spaced posts along the wall then wire stretched between the posts (rather than putting eyes/hooks into the wall) and growing a espaliar fruit tree? The heat from the wall will be good for the tree, it would look good and you'd get bonus fruit!

I'd knock the render off because the bricks are lovely, to paint them would be a shame. I'd then attach some horizontal wires and grow clematis up it.

I would strip the remaining plaster/render/whatever it is off it and make it a rustic feature.

A few lights, a climber, some zinc and terracotta pots etc.

You could also set up for an outdoor cinema screen...some fixings at the top to take a sheet and a few comfy chairs opposite.

Knock the tender off, repoint the wall and attach some wires, then grow a fig tied in along the wires. I have one by my back door. We get 1-2 kilos of ripe figs each year. Very easy to grow.

It obviously gets the sun so should be perfect.

Render - not tender

You could fit a trellis and plant an evergreen climber. You can buy expanding trellis in places like Wilko for just a couple of pounds, and its pretty straight forward to fit. How much sun does it get and which direction does it face? If it gets a decent amount of sun an evergreen jasmine would be good, perhaps with a white climbing rose growing through it. Or clematis armandii 'Apple Blossom' would be good too. In fact if it was me I'd probably squeeze in all three! Having a variety of plants would extend the season of interest, you'd just need to give them a quick prune after flowering if they did start getting too big. These plants would introduce some lovely scent to your garden too.

If the wall doesn't get too much sun over the day (so less than 4 hours, say) climbing hydrangeas, honeysuckles or ivy would be better suited. Be careful though, ivy can grow REALLY fast! You'd need to be on top of the pruning if you planted ivy, but it would green up the space in no time, and is really fantastic for wildlife.

I think I'd speak to the neighbours first; you'll be disappointed if you come up with a plan and they say 'no'.

Thank you so much everyone for these great ideas.
Can i just ask where people buy these kind of plants?

The garden is south facing so this wall gets the sun pretty much all day.

Garden centres :)

You'll probably have a few near you, have a look around, get advice from the staff etc

The RHS website, Sarah Raven website are also good - although neither are the cheapest!!

If you live near a RHS garden they're a good place to buy quality plants from and have a good returns policy, but again they're pricey.

I'd stick with your garden centre tbh and use the websites i mentioned for guidance. There are a few online garden centres, like Crocus, but I haven't bought from them as I prefer to see the plant in person.

If its a sheltered sun trap then you might even get away with exotic plants like canna.

I’ve bought from Crocus and the plants were excellent quality. If you have a look on their website you can search for plants for specific conditions/locations. I found it especially useful when I knew less than I do now so it’s a good place for ideas.

Lucky you, if it’s south facing the world is your oyster! If you’re neighbours are not happy for you to attach a trellis you could also consider some tall, upright perennials, such as Cephalaria gigantea, perennial sunflower, Verbena Bonariensis, or even bamboo (grow this last one in pots though, or it can take over!). Local garden centres are great, the staff are often really knowledgeable, and it’s so useful to be able to see plants before you buy them. Or as @Deux says, plants from the Crocus website are excellent quality, and the website has clever filters to find plants that are perfect for your plot. They often have special offers as well so it’s worth keeping an eye on their website and joining their mailing list. If you happen to be anywhere near Buckinghamshire they also have their own fantastic garden centre too.

Love the figs idea!

Knock the remaining render off, no way to make that look nice then give it a power wash.

This was ours when we started. Lots of colour now!

You can get some amazing plants from Morrisons for a few pounds… I haven’t been in the last month but the “Garden Centre” bit will be open soon/ now and the clematis and climbers are either around £5 for large more established plants, or £2 or so for smaller ones. Usually loads of choices, but have a look before you buy. I’ve had loads of great plants from them.

I agree that it would definitely look better with the rest of the render removed and the rustic charm of the old brick accentuated/made a feature of......

But....if it's your neighbour's wall, you can't do anything like that - including attaching stuff to it - without gaining their permission first.

If they object, you can still prettify the space by adding tall, colourful plants and - if the ones you choose need trellis - use planters with trellis attached/inserted or buy/make willow obelisks to add height. The latter can be used with sweetpeas or even smaller clematis/other less rampant climbers 😄

Posted too soon 🙄

You could also put your own fence/screening panels in front of the wall, again as long as these aren't attached to it. You'd then be free to grow whatever you want against your fence.

I've also purchased from Crocus and was very pleased with the plant size/quality, although they're not the cheapest option. Buying from a local independent nursery or garden centre as others have suggested often means you get plants grown locally that are suited to the growing conditions where you are. I've found that (because we now live in lovely, but often wet Wales 😉) locally grown plants survive much better!

B & Q do a lovely trellis with fake ivy on it.

Agree with all the Crocus suggestions – I’ve never been let down. How nice to have a south-facing brick wall – if your neighbours agree I’d definitely go down the route of knocking the last bits of render off and growing some gorgeous, cottagey climbers up it. Don’t paint it grey or get fake plants!

www.indooroutdoors.co.uk/collections/rustic-planters/products/semi-circular-rustic-steel-raised-flower-bed-tree-planter?variant=38456705679541

I love these.
I’d be tempted to have some beautiful fan fruit trees or maybe a wisteria.

Don’t paint the bricks they are lovely.

Please don’t paint it grey, that will give it a dour look. If it’s far enough from the house I’d plant a fig tree there, it will love the south facing wall and the way the bricks release heat in late afternoon. Plus the leaves smell gorgeous, better than a posh scented candle.

My DM had a wall like this, facing south. It was painted white and she grew fabulous peaches against it.

I would also do a trellis, and love a clematis, but would probably choose a passion flower instead. They are gorgeous, such unusual looking flowers and excellent climbers. My old house had blue crown passion flowers growing along one fence and everyone always commented on them when they were flowering (I didn't plant them, but definitely want to replicate it in my new place)