Alternative to hedge along a fence to provide extra height
By Drewm
Glasgow,
United Kingdom 
Hi, I have a 5' South-facing wooden fence between my house and neighbour's garden. I want to plant something evergreen that would give me an extra 1' to 2' of height. Could plant a hedge (eg privit) but wonder if there is some sort of climber that could do the job. Any suggestions welcome. Regards.
2 Jun, 2009
Answers
I would be tempted to grow Lavatera "Barnsley" you may get that extra 1ft after just 1 year they grow really quickly, they are semi evergreen and produce masses of flowers all summer long, treat as a shrub and trim as necessary. One drawback is because they are so prolific they dont live forever and you would probably have to replace them in about 4 years, easy to grow from cuttings. There are other varieties available but I think this one grows the tallest.
2 Jun, 2009
i am planning on doing a similar thing, and growing clematis, passionflower,rambler rose & jasmine to cover the trellis.
2 Jun, 2009
A neighbour of mine solved a similar problem by attaching a length of 2 ft high trellis to the top of her fence then growing a clematis over it. Privet will suck all the moisture and nutrients out of your soil.(And you have to trim it)
2 Jun, 2009