How to build or purchase planter box for screening in limited space?

[Poppy2023]

We want to plant screeners down the service side of the house where there's limited space (eg about a metre wide). Want the plant to grow above the fence height outside the windows. There's also stairs we need to navigate. Is there a planter we could use for this purpose or should we look into building our own planter boxes. Is there enough space to do this with a thin creeper.

[JacobZ]

Hi @Poppy2023,

Thank you for your question about growing screening plants along the narrow path down the side of your home.

As your planters would be sitting over concrete, anything you use would need to have a bottom to encapsulate the dirt and prevent damage to the concrete.

In terms of premade planters that fit the description, I'd suggest you have a look at the Vegtrug 91.5 x 35 x 223.5cm Natural Partition Planters. They are fairly narrow, raised with a bottom so they can sit on concrete, and they come with a 2.2m tall frame that climbing plants could use as support.

You could also look at using trough planters, which have a bottom and are both wide and narrow to allow for the screening effect you are after.

Using a trough planter, you could then use a technique like the one @Gwandalan_Tales used in their project Star Jasmine fence screening using wire. This would utilise the fence to create a structure for the plants to climb 

Allow me to tag @mich1972, @Noelle and @Dave-1 to see if they have any ideas.

Let me know what you think. 

Jacob

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @Poppy2023 

I think you will run into probelms with the width of space you have to play with, not sure how much year round shade you get down the side either. I was wondering if you could attach a higher screen to the top of the fence for your window sections? colourbond fence extension shows you a range that you could use. You dont need tehm the whole length of the fence, just the windows. I would have a chat with your neighbours as Im sure they wouldnt mind that privacy as well.

If you go the route of planters I like the idea of trough planters but you will still need to add some form of extension to the top of the fence as I think if it was within the planter there would be too much pressure if the wind picks up (at the top) and would tend to tild any pot. A walkway needs to be 800 mm wide at least so you have around 200mm to play with.

Dave