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laniganv

Good plantings to hide a chainlink fence in zone 5?

13 years ago
We had to install a quick chain-link fence for the dogs when we moved in before winter last year. I need ideas for planting along the fence (which surrounds the whole yard) with focus on the area in the front of the house and gate that has very little room to grow something wide, like arborvitae. I would love to plant something productive, and am not interested in bamboo or other invasive species. We have no luck with Wisteria, as it is too cold. There is lots of sun, almost a full day, and I had thought to plant grapes, but I am unsure that they might be too heavy. Has anyone had any success?

Comments (17)

  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Please define what you mean by "productive". All your suggestions lose leaves in the winter. Is this what you want, or do you want permanent cover all year round?
  • 13 years ago
    I would love permanent cover but understand that is probably not feasible. By productive I was thinking grapes or berries, but I have small children and thorny bushes may not be the way to go by a gate. I will try to post a picture later this evening.
  • 13 years ago
    Burning bushes make great fence cover. They do loose their leaves in winter but are sooo pretty when red like fire in the fall and the plant gets a very lush green in spring and summer.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    last modified: 13 years ago
    You could plant a hedge in front of the fence...if you want to grow grapes you would need a sturdier support structure for them to grow on. You also need to find out if any plants (or their leaves) you are considering is toxic to children and/or animals. You could replace the front part of the fence and gate(s) with one you find more attractive.....
  • 13 years ago
    You might consider ghost honeysuckle; a vine that is hardy for zones 4-8.
    Kintzley's Ghost honeysuckle, Lonicera reticulata 'Kintzley's Ghost' · More Info
  • 13 years ago
    We can not afford to replace the entire fence, and it would look odd to have just part of it a different fence as the whole fence can be seen. I love the idea of large bushes, like the rhododendron, but there is not enough space for large anything. Do honeysuckle lose their leaves in winter?
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    There are some upright junipers that get no wider than 3-5' over a 15-20 year period. There is also a narrow arborvitae that only gets 4' wide but the variety escapes me at the moment!
  • 13 years ago
    grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs, so it's true you have to be careful about any productive plant
  • 13 years ago
    Maybe thuja- 'filiformis' is only 3' wide, 5' high.
  • 13 years ago
    Sweet autumn clematis grows fast and covers a wide area of chain link. Hardy to your zone.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    last modified: 13 years ago
    Honeysuckle does lose its leaves in the winter. I don't know how high you want to go, but a pretty idea is to take two plants with different colour leaves and alternate them:
    Japanese Barberry in Purple will grow up to 1m high (Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea ) but does lose its leaves
    And then put an evergreen in between.
  • 13 years ago
    Check out a plant called Inkberry
  • 13 years ago
    last modified: 13 years ago
    I'm loving the idea of running clematis and twining honesysuckle together - both are deer resistant and follow the 'feet in the shade, head in the sun' dictum, allowing lower plantings anywhere you've room for added depth, and mulch where you don't.
  • 13 years ago
    Here is the offending fence. As you can see the space behind the fence would be eaten up by anything very large, and since it is the only entrance to the house, space is valuable.
  • 13 years ago
    The County Extension Office of your state university will have a list of plants that are native to your area. These plants will need little to no additional water once they are established (usually the first growing season). Learn which plants do well in shade and in full sun. Be prepared to amend your soil before planting.

    Go to your local plant nursery (not national chain). The horticulturalist on staff will be able to answer all of your questions.
  • 8 years ago

    I know its been a few years since this post was active but what did you end up doing?