Question
QUESTION: My back yard is long and narrow, with a 7' high brick wall running the length of it.  On the other side of the wall is a church parking lot.  I want to plant something down the length of the wall so that when I sit in my breakfast room I don't see just "wall" and when it grows tall it will mask the roof of the church on the other side.  I live in Houston,TX and any plantings along this wall would have a northern exposure.


ANSWER: Could you please tell me the distance between your house and the wall? Is there a patio? You mention that this is a northern exposure so, of course, it doesn't get much sun. Are there any trees or structures (including your home) that contribute to this shadiness? If you'd like, you can send me a pic at [email protected]

- K


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: From the back of my house to the wall is about 30 feet. My back windows have a southern exposure, thus i said a northern exp. for the wall.(i hope this makes sense!) I have some scattered pine and oak trees in the yard.  The patio is covered and part of the house. We have yet to landscape the yard with a pool, etc. (in the future)It is just natural, with grass growing here and there. We have completed the drainage and there is a sprinkler system.

Answer
Thanks for your answer. Yes, that does make sense :-)

A brick wall can be a wonderful asset to your backyard. It can create a feeling of privacy and seclusion. On the flip side, a big brick wall is dominating and can often feel claustrophobic.

The goal is to break up the stong horizontal form of the brick wall while adding visual appeal. So, three things are needed: vertical objects, texture and color. Vertical objects will break up the massive, dominating form of the wall. Texture will add some depth to an otherwise flat surface. And, color will draw the eye away from the brick wall.

One other important question I did not ask is how wide the wall is. My guess is it's about 20 feet wide since you said that your yard was long and narrow (and the length from the back of the house to the wall is 30 feet).

1. Create a focal point other than the wall. You will need an object that is relatively large enough to see from 30 feet. The choice of object will depend on your style and the type of home you have (ranch, cottage, colonial, etc). Some suggestions are a large fountain, a staggered row of birdhouses of varying heights, an extremely large asian-style pot with a small fountain. Those are just a few of many possibilities. Set this off center to your wall.

2. Break up the horizontal while adding texture. Plant a row of flowering evergreen trees or large shrubs along the wall. Also, using wire mesh you can create just about any design you like with vine - baltic or english would work and grows fast. Unless your brick wall is in poor shape already (specifically the mortar) it will do fine with the ivy as long as you make sure the ivy is kept within the confines of your design and not left to grow unchecked.

3. Add color. A row of flowering trees definitely adds splashes of color to your wall. Green against red looks great anyway during non-blooming seasons. If you go with ivy, mix it up with other types like clematis (there are many) so there is always color as the seasons change. If you choose to use my focal point suggestion, too, create planting beds around it with both evergreens and perennials. Add some annuals for extra color during spring and summer.

4. Adding height beyond the 7' wall. This is tricky because only a row of tall trees or shrubs would really conceal the roof of the church behind you. And, you can do this, of course, but, it will be a few years before you would see a result. There are fast growing solutions, like bamboo, that grow to 40' or more (growing 3-5 feet a season) but I am not clear on how bamboo would do in your climate. Another alternative is to extend the height of the wall by adding a 4-5 ft high trellis. I'm assuming you own the wall? This might actually look very nice and then you would be able to grow an evergreen vine on it. It would drape nicely down on to the wall, too.

What I suggest not to do is draw attention to the brick wall by hanging things on it (like outdoor art) or plant boxes.

I hope this helps! Let me know what you end up doing. I would love to hear back from you.

Namaste,
Kathy