I recently created an exterior and landscape design for an apartment complex that had an old and unpainted 350' privacy fence abutting a gravel drive and parking lot. To say the least, the view was not ideal... flat, boring and just quite depressing. While the budget did not allow for a new fence, we came up with some great solutions!
The Solution
We painted the fence white, dug out the gravel about four feet off the fence and planted Emerald Green Arborvitae and Ligustrum, built five large planter boxes, painted with Sherwin Williams Perfect Greige (SW6073) and filled them with Rosemary.
Painting the fence white brightened up the space and made the narrow drive and parking area feel larger. The plants (Emerald Green Arborvitae and Wavy Leaf Ligustrum) while they are currently small will grow fairly fast and add much needed greenery. The large planter boxes (24" x 6.5') filled with Rosemary add depth and create a focal point for the fence.
The Plants
Emerald Green Arborvitae
Its gorgeous, glossy green foliage and narrow, pyramidal habit make Emerald Green Arborvitae a top choice for creating privacy screens and windbreaks. Emerald Green grows about 15 ft. tall with a 3-4 ft. spread, and its evergreen foliage stays attractive year-round. Like other arborvitae, Emerald Green is low maintenance and easy to grow. Arborvitae is native to parts of the United States and Canada, and is a favorite shrub for hedgerows. It grows best in full sun to partial shade. Emerald Green Arborvitae is great for a low-maintenance, attractive hedgerow or background planting. Zones 4-8
Ligustrum
The Wavy Leaf Ligustrum is an attractive evergreen shrub with glossy, rich-green leaves. The leaves are oval and 2 to 4 inches long. The tip and the leaf-edges are curved and twisted, giving this plant a lively appearance. In spring it is covered with large sprays of pure-white flowers, making bright show in your garden. Unlike other privets, this is not a large plant that will take over your garden and escape into natural areas. It forms an upright plant no more than 8 feet tall, which if unclipped can become about 6 feet wide. It is an excellent low-care and tough plant for anywhere in the garden, for making a dense hedge, or for planting in a large container as a specimen shrub. It naturally grows dense and full, but it can also be easily trimmed into shape if you want to reduce it size.
Attractive evergreen with deep-green, glossy leaves
Grows about 8 feet tall, and 6 feet wide
Attractive pure-white flowers in spring
Happy in shade, and drought and heat tolerant too
Resistant to salt spray and grows well near the sea
The Wavy Leaf Privet will grow in any soil at all, except for ones that are constantly wet. It thrives in sand or clay, and once established it is very drought resistant. It is also an excellent choice for shady areas, where it thrives, and it is unaffected by heat or cold snaps.
Rosemary
ALCALDE (UPRIGHT)
This variety was originally found growing in a northern New Mexico garden and was brought into cultivation by Charles Martin, an agronomist. In its native habitat, it had withstood years of sub-zero winters at high elevations. ‘Alcalde’ produces pale blue flowers and wide, olive-green leaves. This upright type grows up to 30-36 inches tall and 24-26 inches wide.
ARP (UPRIGHT)
Considered the most cold-tolerant rosemary variety, ‘Arp’ can withstand temperatures down to -10°F. It grows up to four feet tall and about as wide. The slim leaves are gray-green and the flowers are bright blue. You can prune this upright plant regularly to create a denser form, or to create a topiary. You can find the lemony-flavored ‘Arp’ variety available at Burpee.
ATHENS BLUE SPIRE (UPRIGHT)
Discovered in 1998 in a crop sown from a packet of commercial rosemary seeds by a horticulture researcher at the University of Georgia, this variety is still making its way to widespread availability. The researcher culled it for its vigor, cold hardiness, branching, and upright growth habit – it grows to about three feet tall and two feet wide.‘Athens Blue Spire’ will survive temperatures ranging down to -5°F to -10°F
Prostrate rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’)is the perfect rosemary to grow in a pot or raised bed where it can hang over the edge creating extra depth and interest. It has the added benefit of producing beautiful pale blue flowers in winter when not much else is in flower.