Re: some sort of bushy planting to hide a fence
- Subject: Re: some sort of bushy planting to hide a fence
- From: S* O*
- Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 17:58:06 -0800
At 12:16 PM 1/16/2002, Don Bowen wrote:
>We also want suggestions for some sort of bushy planting to hide a fence
>we had to put in because of those same neighbors. Our location is
>northern San Diego County about 35 miles inland at 1800' in a small east
>west valley. Water is a concern as we have about an acre to do something with.
>
>Don Bowen donb@cts.com
>Valley Center, CA
>Senior Software Engineer
>Full Sail Software Development, Inc.
>http://members.cts.com/crash/d/donb
Don -
My best recommendation to you given the circumstances would be Rhamnus
alaternus, the Italian Buckthorn. It grows fast, can be clipped very
narrow or left to assume a natural shade, becomes 12-20ft tall depending
upon conditions but holds its good-looking, dark, evergreen leaves well all
the way down to the ground. I had a client to whom I suggested this for
the same problem - a hodge-podge of ugly fences along the back of their
property. Now they have a deep green wall that requires no water, no
pruning and is impervious to their interior high summer temperatures. The
selected clone 'John Edwards' is good for uniformity and is usually the
clone available. There is a variegated for which is not a vigorous but
quite beautiful as a specimen. My most recent referral of this plant was
for Lady Susana Walton in a new part of her garden (La Mortella) on Isola
d'Ischia (in the Bay of Naples, Italy). Planted at the top of a
cliff-terrace above the main garden, in poorish soil and with little water,
she reports that they are growing wonderfully and is very pleased. I knew
it would be perfect for the project, especially after my wife and I spotted
it growing wild along a road to the beach during our visit to island!!
Regards,
Seán O.
No. Calif. Branch of the Mediterranean Garden Society
Seán A. O'Hara - Branch co-chair
(510) 987-0577; fax (707) 667-1173; sean@support.net
710 Jean Street, Oakland, California 94610-1459, U.S.A.
http://www.MediterraneanGardenSociety.org/branches_CANo.html
