Moss. Preferably the thick dense dark green kind of moss that looks like a carpet that grows on the north side of embankments where little sun reaches. How close is your nearest state or national forest or, in the alternative, the nearest dirt road with an embankment that gets little if any sun because of shade trees. Take a drive and/or walk and see what kinds of moss you can find and take some pics. A dozen or so pieces would likely be all you need to get it started because, with the right conditions -- shade and moisture -- it spreads. (Ferns like shade but usually do better with drainage. Moss likes damp but will not grow in a puddle.) Where you have windows, you could create a "view" : With a concrete planter (or on concrete pavers set a large clay planter) with a trellis with English ivy. Alternately, you could buy your own pieces of exterior grade plywood and use deck screws to affix them to the fence posts and horizontal supports of the fence and decorate them w/paint and/or planters and/or metal sculpted art --- get creative.

I'm a first time gardener and taking on an orchard no less : o I want to plant our own trees and have decided that espaliating them would be our best option. Does this look right though : 3m between rows of trees. 3m between individual trees in the rows. Can I group all the same trees next to eachother or are there any trees that should NOT be planted close to any others ? Also, we have clay soil so I will mix in gypsum with the compost and make a "doughnut" of straw around the raised base. Anything else you can think of ?

I'm a first time gardener and taking on an orchard no less : o I want to plant our own trees and have decided that espaliating them would be our best option. Does this look right though : 3m between rows of trees. 3m between individual trees in the rows. Can I group all the same trees next to eachother or are there any trees that should NOT be planted close to any others ? Also, we have clay soil so I will mix in gypsum with the compost and make a "doughnut" of straw around the raised base. Anything else you can think of ?

We have removed 3 large cherry trees on our side of the fence to the right hand side of the driveway. At the moment the grass area inside the front fence is approx 6 metres. (measured from the fence to the driveway by the garage) The long term plan is to widen that part of the driveway by 2 metres. This will leave a remaining 4 metres for grass & 2 - 3 large trees. For the meantime we have put down a roll-out lawn and we plan to plant trees along the fence line within the 4 meters. Hoping to be able to purchase some well established trees for instant privacy. (The Rhodo will go once there's more privacy from the new trees - whether we plant something else along the angled side fence??? Ideas here also please) The trees need to be able to handle salt spray and a lot of wind (we live in South Taranaki). We don't want something that has flowers that cause allergies. Nothing that drops messy berries like the cherry trees that used to be here! Thinking something similar shape to the tree in the last picture. Suggestions welcome :)