What to do with a huge blank wall??

[ninbi]

Our horrible neighbours have just had a kitchen extension built, leaving us with a huge towering blank wall that is 2m wide x 3.5m high, right along our boundary line in our back garden.

We used to have a lovely view of trees and a nature walk to that side so it's deeply upsetting, but it's built now so we're trying to think of what the best use of it could be, or how best to decorate it, especially given how high it is. Is planting the best option or can we do something more imaginative?

[Lindsey<3]

A lovely painting would be nice :)

[tiddles]

a fabulous evergreen climber (clematis almondii) with other flowering clematis that flower though out the summer. I had an almondii on the wall oppo our kitchen down a rather dark alley and it did fantastically well, plus you get delicious white scented flower in the spring/summer

vertical wall garden - loads off different plants in pockets that create a fabulous living wall.

good luck!

[enjoy]

I would try it with a green or living wall, also called vertical garden

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=living+walls&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=d_ieU9u0LILA7AbriYCQDw&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1417&bih=710

[ninbi]

ooh a vertical wall garden sounds lovely. Thanks for that, and for the plant suggestion.

[ninbi]

Thanks Enjoy, that is a great link - lovely.

[inthewoods]

Put some mirrors interspersed with plants to bounce light around and reflect greenery on the other side. Didn't they agree the plans with you?

[ninbi]

They showed us the plans, we asked them to reduce the wall height, they refused. Their own architect asked them to consider reducing the wall height - they refused. The planning officer asked them to reconsider, they refused. We asked again when it went up and we saw how truly awful it is, they refused. Anyway, you get the picture.

So now we're trying to make the most of a deeply disappointing situation. I'm buying bamboo!!

[edanna]

Word of caution on bamboo - it can get really out of control. There may be different varieties but my neighbour planted some a few years ago and they are v tall trees now.

[enjoy]

We have bamboo in the garden - 4m tall, grows like weed,

you need a rhizome barrier to keep it in one place.

[GinaG3]

You can get huge outdoor canvases to use for this purpose. Think beach, woodland, sunset etc. My mum has used them at landscape design shows and they always look great, everyone loves them. Plant alongside with grasses or whatever fits in with the theme. Not too expensive either.

[Convex]

Outdoor cinema!

[ninbi]

Loving the canvas idea. Where does your mum get them from GinaG3?

[ninbi]

And thanks to the person who PM'ed suggestions of painting cricket stumps, goalposts and hanging a basketball hoop on the wall - it's tempting, but maybe a bit too mischievous!!!

[Preston93]

Could paint it with Chalkboard paint, great for kids on sunny days :)

[ninbi]

Great idea, only thing is, what do we do with the rest of it?? It's a ridiculously towering height of over 3 metres - we're not that tall!!?

[KikiMac]

We're just about to get a mural from this lovely lady

http://www.flavourchasing.co.uk/page3.htm

She has designed a dino-themed scene for the wall on our side return which our small boys will love! Very reasonable prices too...

[GinaG3]

ninbi, she uses a supplier in Reading. Their website is www.vgl.co.uk its a family run business but the quality is brilliant. Of course there is a lot of competition out there so you may just want to google search for outdoor canvas printers etc. You can choose stock images or find your own. She's had some outside for 10 years and they are still going strong and look pretty vibrant still.

[MrDude21]

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?28,1301036,1301036#msg-1301036