Screening Vine/bush Recommendation

[intrepid]

Now that we are somewhat settled in our new home we are working on the outside gardening.  My wife has taken care of the front and east side.  At this point we are starting on the back which is mostly south facing.  I'm looking for recommendation as to hide the the upper wall/dirty kitchen of the home behind us.  In our subdivision all owners are required to leave an open space to the rear of the property of at least two meters from the wall.  I suppose our neighbors tape measure must be off a little because it appears to be less than the required two meters.  Also, this wall to the rear of the property must not be over two meters high.  So without causing any issues with the neighbors we would like to plant something to hide from our sight the back of their property.  Our wall is two meters high.  The high point of their dirty kitchen is two meters above the wall.  Initially I was thinking of placing baskets every few feet near the top of the wall planted with ferns or bougainvillea.  But after seeing Queenie’s post of her exotic flowers got me thinking.  What I am now thinking is like a horizontal type trellis on top the wall.  If we go this route I need to find a vine like plant with a lot of foliage that would provide the needed curtain.  Also a vine that produces a nice flower would be a bonus.  The length of area I need to cover is about 45’.

Edited January 22, 2018 by intrepid
added photo

[Mike J]

We planted some bamboo several months ago and it is doing a nice job providing some privacy to our pool and it looks good.  The bamboo has a narrow stem, maybe 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter.  The top out at about 4 meters and the foliage has a nice "airy" look to it.

[Queenie O.]

39 minutes ago, Mike J said:

We planted some bamboo several months ago and it is doing a nice job providing some privacy to our pool and it looks good.  The bamboo has a narrow stem, maybe 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter.  The top out at about 4 meters and the foliage has a nice "airy" look to it.

I agree Mike--bamboo can make an airy swaying privacy cover , and it's just very peaceful to look at. Once bamboo is out of a pot and set in the ground, many varieties will branch out and tower way up. I don't mind that, but it is remarkable how many different bamboo varieties can really get quite tall!  Bamboo in many forms are one of my favorites in the garden. Many pretty varieties here are Jade bamboo, Pole bamboo Chinese,  and Buddha Belly bamboos.

[Mike J]

Here is a picture of the bamboo.  Started with a single stem and already we have three plus a fourth that just popped a few days ago.  I am still absolutely stunned at how quickly bamboo shoots up (pun intended).  Grows about 1 foot a day, from shoot to full height in about 2 weeks.   With you having the walk on one side and the wall on the other it should keep the bamboo well contained.  

[Queenie O.]

16 hours ago, intrepid said:

What I am now thinking is like a horizontal type trellis on top the wall.  If we go this route I need to find a vine like plant with a lot of foliage that would provide the needed curtain.  Also a vine that produces a nice flower would be a bonus.  

 

21 minutes ago, Mike J said:

Here is a picture of the bamboo.  Started with a single stem and already we have three plus a fourth that just popped a few days ago.  I am still absolutely stunned at how quickly bamboo shoots up (pun intended).  Grows about 1 foot a day, from shoot to full height in about 2 weeks.   With you having the walk on one side and the wall on the other it should keep the bamboo well contained.  

Very pretty Mike!  Yes they are not really invasive like some wild varieties, and can be quite showy in just a short time. My favorite is my pole bamboo, which was a little pricey, compared to others, but one plant in the ground by my front door has made a beautiful showy specimen with unique leaves in about three years now. My jade bamboo stayed small for a few years, while growing in a pot. Once placed in the ground beside the front wall, it now towers up above a nearby coconut tree! I don't mind though..

[Queenie O.]

17 hours ago, intrepid said:

What I am now thinking is like a horizontal type trellis on top the wall.  If we go this route I need to find a vine like plant with a lot of foliage that would provide the needed curtain.  Also a vine that produces a nice flower would be a bonus. 

Hi Intrepid,

A vine that I haven't mentioned before, but makes a showy vine that grows best a on the support of a trellis, is called Bengal Clock vine. I have a white variety that grows on the inside of our front cement wall clinging to nylon netting. Once the vines are established they'll send down secondary flowering vines that are full of flowers. They come in white, and two shades of purple and pale violet that I've seen here. The flowers are quite big and showy, and this vine of mine blooms continuously rain or shine through the year. You might want to try this one!

Edited January 23, 2018 by Queenie O.

[Mike J]

17 hours ago, intrepid said:

What I am now thinking is like a horizontal type trellis on top the wall.  If we go this route I need to find a vine like plant with a lot of foliage that would provide the needed curtain.  Also a vine that produces a nice flower would be a bonus.  The length of area I need to cover is about 45’.

Consider bougainvillea.  Grows quickly here, lots of attractive blooms, and easily trained to grow on a strong horizontal trellis.  As a bonus it has sharp thorns that will keep anyone from trying to climb over the wall.  Requires frequent pruning because it grows so fast.  We have quite a few of these and they are incredibly hardy and really attractive.  Be sure to wear gloves when you prune.  Picture is not our house but represents how they can be grown.

 

[intrepid]

3 hours ago, Mike J said:

We planted some bamboo several months ago and it is doing a nice job providing some privacy to our pool and it looks good.  The bamboo has a narrow stem, maybe 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter.  The top out at about 4 meters and the foliage has a nice "airy" look to it.

Mike J,  Bamboo was also one of my early choices.  I like it very much and other than cutting the tops once it gets to the height I want there should be little of work with it and it spreads on it own.  However, the head gardener/chief cook and all else overruled me on that one.  I also had her leaning toward the bougainvillea unless another option would be available.  Thanks for your thoughts.

[intrepid]

1 hour ago, Queenie O. said:

Hi Intrepid,

A vine that I haven't mentioned before, but makes a showy vine that grows best a on the support of a trellis, is called Bengal Clock vine. I have a white variety that grows on the inside of our front cement wall clinging to nylon netting. Once the vines are established they'll send down secondary flowering vines that are full of flowers. They come in white, and two shades of purple and pale violet that I've seen here. The flowers are quite big and showy, and this vine of mine blooms continuously rain or shine through the year. You might want to try this one!

Okay Queenie.  Somehow I knew you would come through.  I was going to send you a PM but thought other forum members might also be considering other vine options.  Anyway, this Bengal Clock vine seems just what we are searching for and my head gardener approves.  Doing a little research I found other names for this, Blue skyflower vine, or Thunbergia grandiflora.  Also as you mentioned there are several color choices which we are thinking a mixture to get stated.  Since we want our trellis to cover about 45' across, how many plants should we need and spacing?  Thanks again Queenie.

[Queenie O.]

That's right Intrepid--those are other names for this vine. It's a member of the Thunburgia family, just like the Black Eyed Susan vine. That's a tropical too, but I haven't seen it growing here yet. I'd love to grow that one here. 

It took a while to find the seedlings for this vine, but once we did, it didn't take that many plants to get growing and to establish itself. The seedlings were about six inches tall, and I think that they were put in about every three to four feet or so. The nursery might be able to tell better about that though. Earlier I went out back there to see how it had been growing in all the heavy rain we've been having. I remembered that  a while ago we had trained it onto our "bahay Kubo" or  native cottage over there, and it has now climbed up on the netting of the thatched cogon grass roof!  It's another vine that can easily be pruned to reign it in over time.  I like the mixture idea!