No matter how much you put your heart into arranging your garden as well as possible, an unsightly wall can ruin everything. Fortunately, there is an unstoppable solution to conceal it and even make it a spectacular element. We set our sights on plants with abundant flowering and/or graphic, colorful foliage, and if possible persistent in order to enjoy them even in winter… Bushy, climbing plants are able to hide an unsightly wall and quickly transform it into a sumptuous tableau. Let’s see which plants are perfect for greening a wall whose flaws you want to hide.
Shrubs to hide an unsightly wall
Whether he wishes to plant a single type of shrub or different species to play the diversity, each gardener can easily find the solution that suits him best so that he no longer has an unglamorous cinder block wall in front of him. It is indeed better to be able to admire shrubs which flower at various times of the year, or whose foliage is adorned with superb colors in autumn before becoming thinner, or even some subjects to evergreen because they bring a vegetal note in the middle of winter…
Laurel, Mexican Orange, Shrub Fuchsia, Tree Peony, Photinia, Hydrangea, Prunus, Four Seasons Mimosa, Lilac, Palm… Just go to a garden center to find the perfect shrub species. adapted to the climate which will quickly form a decorative hedge capable of literally erasing a wall that you no longer want to see, or a greedy hedge because indeed, fruit trees are perfect for combining business with pleasure…
A bamboo screen in front of a hideous wall
The bamboos of the genus Semiarundinaria grow very quickly and form a exotic-looking privacy screen. In this category, the species Semi-arundinaria lavish with a columnar port can reach 6 to 8 meters in height in adulthood. We like its dense foliage and the purple color that its culms take on when they enjoy full sun exposure. The ornamental qualities of this bamboo tracing which withstands down to -22°C are extraordinary. We can of course choose bamboos of another kind, non-tracing, so as not to be overwhelmed. This is for example the case of Fargesia robusta ‘Pingwu’ or even elegant Fargesia murielae nicknamed weeping bamboo.
Climbing plants perfect for hiding an ugly wall depending on its exposure
Of course, the best result can only be obtained by choosing plants adapted to the climate and it is just as important to take into consideration the exposure of the wall that you want to hide with pretty climbing plants.
- North facing wall : plants must be able to tolerate shade and cool. Hydrangea grimpant (Hydrangea petiolaris) with summer flowering and whose foliage takes on purple tones in autumn, Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) with yellow flowers in the middle of the off-season, Lierre (Ivy helix) whose evergreen foliage hides an unsightly wall 12 months out of 12.
- South facing wall : we hide it with plants that withstand heat and direct sunlight. Jasmin, Clematis are sumptuous climbers. In the Mediterranean regions and on the Atlantic coast, it is possible to plant chilly plants in the ground because the winters are mild there, such as passionflower, star jasmine, plumbago or even bougainvillea, which must be carefully mulched. and to cover with a winter veil if a little frost is to be expected.
- East facing wall : Plants are placed there that don’t like excessive heat too much, such as the spectacular Virginia creeper in autumn with its fiery-colored leaves or even golden hops and various more or less fragrant honeysuckles.
- For a west facing wall : the choice can be made on climbing roses, a Persian ivy, a wisteria, a bignone and even why not on an actinidia (kiwi tree).
In a less clement climate, these plants can be grown in large containers, which allows them to be wintered in a frost-free room. We choose decorative containers, why not colorfulto bring cheerfulness to the outdoor space.
Cobée, sweet pea, morning glory are other climbers, annuals these, which really deserve their place at the foot of an ugly wall that you want to see disappear in a short time…
In order to guide the climbers who need it, it remains to choose a beautiful support. We avoid wires (very ugly)! There is a range of interesting solutions. Some trellises alone bring a decorative touch that largely makes you forget about an unsightly wall.
Create a green wall to hide imperfections
An unsightly wall can quickly be transformed into a real jungle. This is the case of the living willow hedge, to be reserved for the most skilful (and patient) since it is necessary to start by planting willow shoots which will have to be braided. Spectacular effect guaranteed!
Another possible arrangement: install, a few centimeters from the wall that you want to hide, an inert rot-proof support of the pozzolana type, felt cloth or coconut fiber in which the plants will be able to take root. Installing a closed circuit required for watering plants.
You can also opt for gabions (mesh cages) or even felt pockets. All you have to do is put some substrate on it and plant it to create a green wall. This solution allows a wide choice of plants to associate for staggered flowering. And if you don’t want to complicate the task, you simply opt for wood panels to be firmly fixed and to which all kinds of pots and planters can be hung to fill with various plants, perennials and/or annuals.
Whether in the cracks of an unglamorous wall or in a gabion or other installation, it is easy to bring a vegetal touch of great beauty just with a few houseleeks, or by opting for hanging plants. Ferns, sedum, ivy, yellow corydalis, wall bellflower, creeping phlox or moss phlox, small-flowered periwinkle, wallflower, silver basket, valerian: all these marvels have incredible charm and completely change the look of the garden hitherto disfigured by a very ugly wall.