Plant to act as a screen

[colser]

Can anyone recommend a plant, bamboo or similar that will be good at acting as a dappled screen.
Ideally grow 6-8 feet maximum and be fully hardy

thanks in advance

[Flummery]

Be careful what bamboo you use. Some are thugs and will come up for miles around!

[colser]

thanks, yes i've been reading that they like taking over your garden .... and your neighbours

[Flummery]

There are some that are very graceful and stay in their own little clump though. It's just worth doing a bit of research to get the right one. I've never really checked as I don't grow them, but I agree, a 'tame' one would be good.

[sarraceniac]

Generally speaking the ones called Phyllostachis are the most 'rampant'. The other main order are Bambusa which tend to be the clumping ones. However, the Phyllostachis aurea (pictured) is very well behaved growing only to about 6 feet maximum after 4 or 5 years and not really spreading in a nasty sense. The friend I got this one from has a large area of his garden full of it but it took him 25 years. The photo is mine 3 years after cutting back, and was only about 3 feet when the picture was taken. It is now (5 years) at it's full 6 feet and has spread from about 2'6" after 3 years to still only about 4 ft now. I would offer to send you a root for postage but if you need a screen I reckon you will need either more than I can supply or a faster spreading one. My only other established Phyllostachis is aureosultacha which is taller and far more delicate so does not make an effective screen.

[colser]

thanks a lot for the advice, i'll take a trip to a few of my local garden centres this weekend and i may even sound like i know what i'm talking about

[Bigmallly]

A plant I have always admired but don't have the space is Pampas Grass. I don't know if it's hardy, I assume it is.

[Glutton4...]

HARDY BM??? It's indestructable!

[sarraceniac]

Hardy as hull Bigmally. Now that is a spreader. We have 4 different types, all young, one (a pink one) hasn't put any plumes out yet, and so far they are a reasonable size. But I am standing by with a small H bomb for a few years time. I am told by members of my local G.C. that once it is big I should literally burn them down. They recover in a couple of years. So not so good for a permanent screen.

[Flummery]

HARDY BM??? It's indestructable!

Make that - almost indestructable. It took me 5 days but I did it!

[Flummery]

Bamboo - "[I]

Have been looking at these recently - there is a huge range of prices, bundle sizes, varieties. Would love some advice on what is good to plant/avoid if anyone else has done this.

I, with the rest of our village's Britian in Bloom group, will be taking part in a willow weaving course in late March. These will not be living willow sculptures, but I can't wait. I'd love to weave my my own pea and bean obelisks. Pretentious? Moi???

[sarraceniac]

Make that - almost indestructable. It took me 5 days but I did it!

Hmm. Only 5 days. Ve vill examine vot vent wrong.

P.S. How long ago? Bet it's back within 5 years.

[Flummery]

Hmm. Only 5 days. Ve vill examine vot vent wrong.

P.S. How long ago? Bet it's back within 5 years.

It left a hole in which I could have inhumed a crouch burial! It's now got the compost heaps on. They have been cleared and replaced twice since then. I'm generaly a lazy sort but when I hate a plant so much I am nothing if not thorough!

[tamsin]

If you go for something slower growing but less rampant you can always put temporary canes with annual climbers. We had a lovely runner bean screen last year. It wouldn't give you much cover in winter but, depending what you are screening, it tends to be less important then anyway.