Over the summer our neighbours had a two-storey extension built. It runs almost the full length of our garden so that aspect of our garden is now dominated by a blank breeze-block wall. It is the south-facing boundary. Our neighbours are responsible for the boundary fence and put up a 4ft chain-link fence which does not screen the extension.

We have recently planted 5 dwarf fruit trees along the boundary, hoping that in time these could screen us from the extension, but I have learnt on a different thread here that they may not grow much. They are now 3-4ft high.

I would be grateful for ideas for how we could screen our garden from the extension. The screen needs to be about 15m long. Many thanks in advance.

How much room is there between the fence and your house? If you've got enough room you could plant some trees or tall shrubs. If there isn't much you could use fastigiate (skinny) forms of trees or shrubs.

Thank you, John. The fence runs down one side of the garden. The house is semi-detached, and the fence runs along the border with the house that is attached to us. The garden is wedge-shaped rather than rectangular; it is narrow a the house end and wider at the far end. I like the idea of using trees and tall shrubs to screen. Are there any in particular that you would recommend that would grow reasonably quickly?

For that you'll need a reply from someone on your side of the Pond. I'm about as far from your climate as you can be unless you're in a real desert or a tropical rainforest!

Might try a shade sail or several of them ..... installed vertically they are a privacy screen ...many colors, sizes & shapes to choose from

google > "shade sails" > images

Consider clumping bamboo. Once established, it grows pretty quickly. We use it to screen from a highway. It reaches about 15 feet high and is very dense.

It must be the clumping variety, not running. Clumping varieties will form a tight clump. Ours are about 3 feet in diameter at the top. It of course spreads a little as it grows upward. What we have makes culms (stalks) up to one inch diameter at the base.

You need to find a source that will make sure you match a variety to your climate. There are many varieties from all over the world. Ours handles freezing temperatures and blistering summers, asking only water in the worst of the summer. It's evergreen. And with not too much effort, just some reading, you can easily root cut sections in soil and start more clumps. I cut up a few, got them rooted with about 60 percent success, and have planted them out to fill in a screen where some silverberry bushes died out.

Thank you all for these helpful suggestions.

John, I'll ask around my neighbours for suggestions of shrubs!

I hadn't heard of shade sails and have followed your advice, James, and googled them. I will look into these.

Gerald, thanks for the suggestion of bamboo. A neighbour has some growing in his garden and has invited me to go round to see it. I'll take him up on the offer. Thanks, too, for the advice to be sure to get a clumping variety.

Many thanks to you all.