Hello all and help

[Scar_Magrar]

Firstly hello to one and all

i posted this is the newbie forum, but it was suggested i should also post here...

as a garden virgin ( we lived in a flat for 17 years ) our new council home had trees at the back of our house ( 10 in all ), the trees were around 20 feet high and i beleive they were ferns, the local council granted planning to a company who have knocked down 4 houses and taken down all the trees.

sad as it sounds, the trees were lovely and now all we have is a 12ft fence which looks terrible without the trees

any ideas what i can plant again and what actual trees to plant

excuse my ignorance on the garden matters, but to say we are gutted is an understatement

even the cats are depressed

[Boddie]

Is Scar Magrar some type of martial arts, or a Chicago based detective?

[Scar_Magrar]

Originally Posted by Boddie

Is Scar Magrar some type of martial arts, or a Chicago based detective?

it was one of the many nicknames we gave to the the fella who looked after the park were i grew up as a kid

[Hedera]

Re trees: you say it is a council home, so would there be any restriction on what you could plant? Best check first.
A 12ft fence is a bit daunting to say the least, but depending on soil type, buddleias for butterflies, escallonias which are nice and evergreen, some ornamental crabapple trees and some honeysuckle to climb up that fence are my suggestions.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by Scar_Magrar

as a garden virgin ( we lived in a flat for 17 years ) our new council home had trees at the back of our house ( 10 in all ), the trees were around 20 feet high and i beleive they were ferns, the local council granted planning to a company who have knocked down 4 houses and taken down all the trees.

sad as it sounds, the trees were lovely and now all we have is a 12ft fence which looks terrible without the trees any ideas what i can plant again and what actual trees to plant excuse my ignorance on the garden matters, but to say we are gutted is an understatement even the cats are depressed

Just to be clear - is the fence 12ft wide - or do mean 12ft high ?

If just 12ft wide, then three plants will fill it easily - I'd suggest (I assume you are on London clay) 1.Alder Buckthorn Rhamnus frangula, 2. Crab apple - Malus sylvestris 3. Hazel - Corylus avellana. Certainly add some climbers to the fence honeysuckle and ivy, and if you have room also plant Buddleia and Wayfaring tree - Viburnum lantana.

Don't feel compelled to plant tightly against the fence (other than the climbers) in the effort to create a screening hedge - so long as you have a bit of depth to your garden, you can screen the fence effectively by using the plants to break up the view, by staggering them and bring some forward of the others.

And while you're waiting for these plants to become established you can always plant sunflowers in between them.

CM