Trachelospermum jasminoides, the star jasmine would be my choice. Wonderful scented white flowers, evergreen foliage which can turn reddish in the winter. Fast grower so will quickly spread of cover a fence. Frost hardy but requires a sheltered spot and south facing would be great. Can be purchased as a young or mature specimen but I would wait until April when the frosts have passed until planting so it has a long growing period to become fully hardy. OK in tubs but better if you can lift a paving slab or make a hole in the ground to plant.

Thanks so much Jimmy, the Star Jasmine sounds perfect and being evergreen an added bonus! I think I have just enough ground space to actually plant it by the wall too....going to check it out now...:)).

Erm, sorry Jimmy, but Trachelospermum, whilst its wonderful, won't do at all well contained in a tub - the glory that it can be up against a wall or fence when planted in the ground isn't something that happens contained in a tub, as I know from experience.

You've said your neighbour's young, so presumably inexperienced - unless he's been particularly rigorous, its likely he hasn't got out all the honeysuckle roots and it may grow again, but, on the assumption you don't want to wait to find out, I'd go for a bamboo in a large container (eventually, anyway, maybe a smaller pot to start off with). No flowers, but will provide year round privacy, rustles nicely in the breeze, and does well in pots - Phyllostachys nigrescens or aureum should reach up to 9 or 10 feet eventually, in a good sized container, or the shorter Fargesias will do the trick.

Janey: If I were in your position, I would skip the planters and build a garden wall or erect a privacy screen. Just use the planters for simple accent plantings, sedums, pansies or something very low maintenance, unlike anything that would need to grow tall enough to give you privacy, yet only have a limited root system. Just think of the watering schedule.

Ah, now what I should have explained was that the area is backed by a 7ft high wall, the honeysuckle hanging over and hiding an ugly brick shed next door and also the end of an old stone cottage further up. The view is in my eyeline from the kitchen window....in fact I will take a pic and post it on!

How about a couple of potted gardenia trees? Looks like you have a possibility of the right kind of sun and shade for them. Personally, the brick wall has a kind of patina that can be made to look attractive with the right kind of plant or wall art accents.

Why can't you plant another honeysuckle on your side? They will quickly cover the fence. However, I don't think they would do well in pots - they take up too much water and nutrients too quickly for pots.

Oh, that's a very tight space for a large planter. And I can see lots of algae/moss on the patio stones and on the wall itself, are you 100% certain the wall is south facing? I'd only expect that level of algae/moss on something, say, west, north or east facing during winter...

Now I've seen the space, if you can't move the table and chairs further to the right (in the pic) away from the wall, I'd paint the wall white, then maybe add an attractive trellis section, or some decorative wrought ironwork, flat against the wall, so you've got something nice to look at, rather than trying to squeeze in a planter with something in it. Any climber contained in a planter isn't going to provide enough cover for that wall....

Thanks for all the input everyone, all ideas are good ones, and I have a good selection to choose from.

There is a stand tap behind the further chairs, but I think there is enough ground to plant the Star Jasmine, hopefully with a view to training it to the left as well as up.... I think I will plug the wall and screw trellis there, maybe use one tub in front planted with a solanum.

Yes there is a lot of algae Bamboo even though it is south facing....the other side of the garden is walled too so for the coldest months there is no sun that reaches the ground...it will be back middle of March at ground level. I'm not keen on the painted bricks idea as it more than likely will flake off during the damp, colder months. I usually pull the table and chairs more to the right in the summer, so there will be room for a tub.

Paul, yes I could plant another honeysuckle along with the solanum, good idea!

Where the two levels of wall meet is the ugliest part that I want covering again. My next gardening task is to tackle the ivy further up , so hopefully come spring all will blend together again.
The wall itself is very old at least 200 years and behind it on my neighbours side are a series of outhouses. He's intending to take them down but leave parts of their adjoining walls as buttresses for the wall. I only hope he knows what he's doing!

Thanks once again for your time and thoughts.....I'll post a pic in the summer to show you how it turned out...:))

He can leave the " seats " within the outhouses and use them for planters:)

Ha ha I'll tell him a man from America suggested that Loostrife!

Yup. Grew up in a cold water flat and went to the "outside room" to do my business. Seems like there are some commonalities here. Anybody familiar with the the term " saturday night bath"?

Oh yes, only ours was Friday night baths, in the old tin bath that still hangs in Mums shed....she'll soon be 94....4 of us, 2 in together, little ones first...:)) in front of the old fire range. We were lucky in that we did have hot and cold
running water, but in the very icy winters our bedroom windows were iced up on the inside, and me and my sister would kneel up on my bed scratching at the snow flake patterns.
We would all cycle over to my aunties who lived in the country where her "privy" was down the garden, of course we would all giggle as to who dare use it! Then at sundown run as fast as we could up the lane with bats flying after us.......lovely memories....

Was just thinking Janey...why don't you go for annuals there. Not very big root systems. As its south facing you would get some great results...sweet peas perhaps? Andof course you know whats coming next....clematis. Have a look at Taylors website where you can search by height. The Boulevard collection are great in containers, but so are some of the taller ones if you remember to feed and water them lots. I have an evergreen variegated Jasmine. I keep it. In a large pot because it needs shelter during cold winters here...wondering if it might do ok there. If only Scott was there he could make you a good deep wooden trough to sit in front of that wall! I also grow an evergreen jasminum humile revolutum on my south facing wall in a large container. You could try a dwarf fruit tree espaliered! How about a miniature climbing rose..something like 'Warm Welcome'? I grow mine in a large pot. A few ideas...

Well, don't know what has happened there, but thats my comment with Iciars avatar.......very odd!!

Lol...oh no! Not that Iciar again! This happens time to time for a few members....who are you really?! Lol!

Hello Karen, this is Janey but I've got Iciars avatar. Have contacted GoY about it......how weird is that??

Oh...you're back to your old self Janey !lol! Phew!

I've also lived in a house where the loo was outside.....spiders webs in the dark.....eugh! And yes, we had a tin bath in front of a fire. Oh how I wish we had one now...they make great planters!!...oh..how about that Janey, we're back to your wall!

Yay, back again! You have some great suggestions there Karen, I would like evergreen though so I can't see that broken corner that is beginning to do my head in! I do fancy the espalier fruit tree......in fact my malus butterball is in a half barrel....its just dragging stuff into position as I don't have any men! I could really do with your strong Scottish Scott to come and help...lol! And my lovely Japanese cedar is in a barrel too, but can't get that over there either. Do fancy the star Jasmine still.

Mmmm....going to have a look in Mums shed tomorrow now, see if I can find it!

Quince is semi evergreen Janey.

Mmmm....another to think about!

The blossom is stunning! :)

Passion flower keeps its leaves almost all winter too. Sorry, I'll stop now! Lol!

Im guessing most of that algae was under the honeysuckle? It doesnt look like a damp spot.

Another idea is an herb garden. I bet Karen could advise you better on this but herbs might thrive in those planters.

Passion flower....now that would whirl and twine to cover up the corner wouldn't it?, and needs the sun too.....
Yes the green at the top is from under the honeysuckle, but the green below is from winter damp. It's an extreme area, come late spring it will be dry and warm.....

Herb garden would be good Paul, they would have to be tall ones though...ha ha! Think I may have a visit to the GC and have a look at potted trees for instant masking whilst I decide on the climbers.....:))

Thanks so much everyone!