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Trouble spot--need some advice
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Posted by abnormalsanon Philadelphia, PA (My Page) on Wed, Apr 30, 08 at 15:54
| I live in a city rowhome that faces a vacant lot, and I'd like to block the view from my south-facing windows on the first floor. (See URL below for a picture of the space.) I can't increase the height of my fence, so I thought maybe I could use plants to do the job instead. The problem is that my property line and fence are just 30 inches from the side of my house (gotta love city living), so I have a 30" W x 20 'L concrete alley to work with. Whatever I use would need to be 8 feet high to block the view from those windows. My options seem to be:
1) jackhammer up the cement and find very tall/skinny plants (a cypress or something?) to fit in the narrow space;
2) use my negligible carpentry skills to build a tall, skinny arbor and try to grow a vine or some sort on that; or
3) plant containers with very tall trellises, grow some vines, and hope the neighborhood kids' basketballs don't bounce over and ruin them.
Any other suggestions from you folks to fill this space? It's a tricky spot to deal with. I also thought about hanging planters outside of the windows, but I'd need a ladder to water them. I'm in zone 6 in Philly. Thanks in advance! |
Here is a link that might be useful: Picture of the alley
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Trouble spot--need some advice
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| Yours just might be "the Room with a View" that can't be altered to any great extent. Anything that grows tall is also going to grow wide. And are there any mechanicals or means of ingress or egress that can't be blocked? I see a downspout so rainwater runoff has to be maintained. Does that spill out somewhere off property or is it connected to city runoff pipes? How much weight can your fence take? What is it, rolled bamboo? With no ground, everything would have to be in planters. I'm asking a lot of questions and have absolutely no answers. Would you consider adding a stained glass panel to the inside of your windows - they admit light, would be pretty with the sun streaming through, can be found at antique shops or architectural salvage - and there are many talented artisans who display their wares at craft fairs. Could even have a custom piece made in colors complimenting your interior decor. |
RE: Trouble spot--need some advice
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| If you can use the airspace on the other side of the fence, then the arbor idea, with vines in tall narrow planters, is worth pursuing. But I too have other questions, such as, can you use the airspace on the other side? If so, maybe a deciduous spreading tree that you let grow very one-sided. I think the fact that the fence is flimsy isn't helping. To make your arbor you'll need to sink posts a good 3 feet into the ground. Is that possible? KarinL |
RE: Trouble spot--need some advice
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| Put a window box out of your window and then all you have to do is fill it with whatever you wish to block the view however you wish. A window box with cosmos for example would be cool. |
RE: Trouble spot--need some advice
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| Thanks for the replies, this forum is really helpful. I'm going to keep thinking about it and see what I come up with, but I think plain ol' window boxes might be the only real solution! The bamboo is attached to a chainlink fence, so it's not as flimsy as it looks. Eventually we'd like to replace it with a privacy fence, but it's not the budget at the moment. Again, thanks for the suggestions! |
RE: Trouble spot--need some advice
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| I just want to apologize for repeating my question within my post, but also to second the idea of a window box. Good thinking! Make it substantial and attach it firmly though! It's something you can change up annually or even seasonally; could have fun with that. KarinL |
RE: Trouble spot--need some advice
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| If you do the window box, consider using the type made of wood with an open framed bottom, in which you just drop in several containers and they stick "out" of the bottom but are not visible. I have seen various versions with instructions in different publications. The trick is to size it for a common-sized and simple plastic container such as 2 gal nursery pot, or similar. The downside is that separate containers need more water; the upside is that they can be plastic (hidden by the box) and therefore conserve moisture better, and the box can be wood, but is more rot-resistant with water just draining without ever touching the wood. Then you can replace and change seasonally very easily, including dwarf evergreens. You can still plant de novo combinations in one or more of the pots, or can just group items that will crowd into each other and overlap. |
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