it would help if you included pictures

Get grape vines (not native) or Passion fruit vines to climb the fence.

Plant American Holly in front of it.

Pant a row of Eastern Red Ceder.

For your own good, as well as that of your local wildlife, how about a mixed hedge of native plants, with some native perennials or bulbs for intermittent color (and seeds for wildlife) throughout the seasons.

A mixed hedge (polyculture) will be more resistant to insect and disease problems than a row of any given plant (monoculture), will support a greater diversity of local wildlife (birds, beneficial insects, toads, and the like), and will provide an ever-changing tapestry of textures and colors as the seasons progress.

With good morning sun, you should have lots of options, especially if you don't have to select deer-resistant plants.

Yes photos would have been helpful :-) see attached.

The tree is out and thank goodness! Our yard is opened up and looks and feels so much better. I love a good shade garden but that tree made it feel like the depths of winter in the middle of spring and almost impossible to even plant a violet!

Agardenstateofmind::::That's helpful, yes a mixed hedge seems like a great idea. I did plant 3 large foxgloves and 3 calamagrostis today as i really could not bare to look at that fence anymore; but this is truly just the beginning.
Any suggestions of plants that could layer in and around?

To the left of the fence there is the roof runoff from the garage so monitoring that area to decide if a rain garden would work well right there.

To the far right there is another norway so not planning on getting my hopes up of growing anything but moss and rocks under there!

We also got a eastern forest pansy for same area but to be planted further from fence.

There are lots of beautiful native vines you could consider growing along the fence. Scarlet honeysuckle, clematis Virginiana, Trumpet creeper, are only a few. I just discovered Brushwood Nursery Yesterday. They specialize in vines of all kinds, and they feature a section solely on native vines. Check it out! I am looking for a vine myself, but it would have to be small and most of the natives are a little too large for the space I have in mind. However, I have many feet of dog fencing and I am sure opportunities will present themselves to cloak them in something beautiful and native.

Honeysuckle - be sure you get a native, non-invasive variety.
Clematis virginiana - although native, some, including Cornell U., consider this plant "weedy and invasive"
Trumpet creeper - I'd stay away from this one - take a look at the USDA/NRDC fact sheet before buying:
http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_cara2.pdf

Be prepared to control any of these assertive vining plants, including the passiflora incarnata (passionflower vine, a/k/a Maypop) ... I have one and it spreads underground, popping up all over, even 8 feet away from the parent plant.

What I see as missing is some year-round interest. How about some deciduous and evergreen shrubs (either needled or broad-leaved), spring bulbs, fall color? There are so many; just a few: Leucothoe is a native broad-leaf evergreen with small flowers similar to those on pieris; it is available in green and variegated varieties. Fothergilla, deciduous, early spring small white bottle-brush flowers, bright yellow fall foliage. If you have enough sun, winterberry holly will provide bright red berries for your visual enjoyment and the birds' sustenance through winter. You'll need male & female plants, unless someone in your neighborhood has a male plant. Ninebark (physocarpus) 'Diabolo' has deep red leaves that would echo your 'Forest Pansy' redbud.

Digitalis is a biennial, so will die after its second year (or so they say ... I swear mine lived three), but will re-seed if it is happy.

Herbaceous perennials, it's sooo hard to choose. Tiarella is one of my favorites, available in many varieties, some with red markings on the leaves; attractive leaves long after the delicate flowers are gone. Lungwort (plumbago) will form a nice groundcover in a shady spot; some varieties have silver-speckled leaves to brighten the shade; spring-blooming flowers start out pink and open blue, though some varieties will stay pink. Dicentras also - d. eximia is fern leaf bleeding heart, reblooms at end of summer when weather cools down; d. cucullaria is Dutchman's breeches. If you have at least half-sun, purple coneflower will give a decent bloom season and if you don't deadhead, birds, especially goldfinches, will really appreciate the seeds. Whatever they don't eat will sprout next spring. Native ginger also makes a nice groundcover in shade, and has the most interesting (if well-hidden) little flowers.

There are so many to choose from - we are truly blessed here in the Garden State - I shouldn't even get started. I've left out tons of wonderful plants ... explore the web, local nurseries, public gardens (Mt. Cuba in Delaware and Bowman's Hill near New Hope PA are just two that focus on native plants). If you're anywhere near Monmouth County, stop in at Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown and check out the second largest horticultural library in the state (while you're there, ask for a copy of the list of Native Plants That Thrive in Monmouth County ... oh and the NPSNJ native plant list is printed out, arranged alphabetically by common name as well as by scientific name). I realize you want privacy, but try not to rush it - enjoy the process.

The Native Plant Society of NJ has plant lists on their website - npsnj.org

The NJ Invasive Species Strike Team has lots of information about all kinds of invasive species (plants, insects, mammals, pathogens) and a "Do Not Plant List" ... with so many invasives available commercially, I wish everyone had a laminated copy in their glove compartment!

On his website, Doug Tallamy, Professor and Chair of the Dept. of of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, U of Delaware, has lists of the top beneficial plans for various regions. He also has an excellent essay on the importance of supporting wildlife through our gardening/landscaping efforts.
bringingnaturehome.net

P.S. Deep Cut Gardens is a county park, so no admission or parking fees.

This post was edited by agardenstateof_mind on Fri, May 24, 13 at 19:18