Shrubs / Trees to block out bright lights?

[jak2002003]

My neighbour has installed several extremely bright florescent lights which shine right into my patio and living room at eye level.

 

I like to sit outside in the evening to relax, but now am blinded by the lights.

 

Any of you gardeners know of some quick growing, easy care plants / trees I can plant that will black out the light with dense foliage?

 

They must be 'evergreen' so they don't drop the leaves in the dry season (I am in Chiang Mai).  

 

I know I DON'T want any bamboo as its so messy dropping leaves.  

[drtreelove]

bananas

[Oxx]

False Ashoka Tree (Polyalthia longifolia).  Readily available here.  Evergreen.  Tough.  You will need to chop the top off them to stop them growing too tall.

[jak2002003]

1 hour ago, Oxx said:

False Ashoka Tree (Polyalthia longifolia).  Readily available here.  Evergreen.  Tough.  You will need to chop the top off them to stop them growing too tall.

Thank you.  That tree is very nice looking and smart... I have seen it often here... but never knew the name!  I am going to get some of these for sure.... but I am going for informal look to the garden... so still would like to know a few other trees / shrubs I can mix in with them.

 

Thank you!

 

drtreelove, thanks for the suggestion of Bananas, but I am not a fan of the plant... because it looks rather tatty and gets messy as it gets older.. and smelly.. I helped a friend cut one down from his place. and the rotten base and water in it stank!!    Unless you know some variety that is more ornamental?  Here in Chiang Mai these plants always look tattered and floppy to me.... not like the ones I saw in the South a hotel gardens.  

 

 

 

[drtreelove]

1 hour ago, jak2002003 said:

Thank you.  That tree is very nice looking and smart... I have seen it often here... but never knew the name!  I am going to get some of these for sure.... but I am going for informal look to the garden... so still would like to know a few other trees / shrubs I can mix in with them.

 

Thank you!

 

drtreelove, thanks for the suggestion of Bananas, but I am not a fan of the plant... because it looks rather tatty and gets messy as it gets older.. and smelly.. I helped a friend cut one down from his place. and the rotten base and water in it stank!!    Unless you know some variety that is more ornamental?  Here in Chiang Mai these plants always look tattered and floppy to me.... not like the ones I saw in the South a hotel gardens.  

 

 

 

You asked about "quick growing, easy care plants / trees I can plant that will black out the light with dense foliage?"  

 

Bananas may not be for you, but I have cultivated them at several different properties we've lived at in Thailand, both for banana crop production, and for screening, or just as a beautiful, useful plant. 

 

• With good management you can have 3 meter high total screening within a year.
• You can alter the height and the density by pruning.
• They are cheap, or free.
• The awesome green color of healthy plants is deeply nourishing to me.
• All parts of the plant are useful. The leaves especially, some people use them to wrap food or to serve food on. I use the cut leaves for mulch and weed control. 
• And then there are the amazing flowers, and of course the bananas.  
• But I manage soil fertility and water, and I prune them weekly to thin, remove dead and tattered leaves, crowded and senescent stalks and excessive or undesirable offshoots. 

The attached photos are at a house we lived in Mae Jo, Chiang Mai. The nam wa banana plants went in as small offshoots, and here they are less than a year in the ground and fully achieved screening of the house next door, and producing big clumps of fat sweet bananas. 

No standing water, nothing stinky, except maybe the manure I fertilized with occasionally. 

 

https://dokmaidogma.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/grandpas-banana/

 

Ashoka trees? I love all trees, but this one is kind of an oddity to me. And you have to plant them unnaturally crowded together to get screening; and then wait, for how many years before your complete screening is achieved?  And as they mature they start to become overcrowded. If one dies you have a gap that takes years to fill with a new tree, unless you have deep pockets for a large replacement. And no fruit, or any other side benefits that I can think of.  Oh well, each to his own, something for everybody. 

 

 

[jak2002003]

2 hours ago, drtreelove said:

You asked about "quick growing, easy care plants / trees I can plant that will black out the light with dense foliage?"  

 

Bananas may not be for you, but I have cultivated them at several different properties we've lived at in Thailand, both for banana crop production, and for screening, or just as a beautiful, useful plant. 

 

• With good management you can have 3 meter high total screening within a year.
• You can alter the height and the density by pruning.
• They are cheap, or free.
• The awesome green color of healthy plants is deeply nourishing to me.
• All parts of the plant are useful. The leaves especially, some people use them to wrap food or to serve food on. I use the cut leaves for mulch and weed control. 
• And then there are the amazing flowers, and of course the bananas.  
• But I manage soil fertility and water, and I prune them weekly to thin, remove dead and tattered leaves, crowded and senescent stalks and excessive or undesirable offshoots. 

The attached photos are at a house we lived in Mae Jo, Chiang Mai. The nam wa banana plants went in as small offshoots, and here they are less than a year in the ground and fully achieved screening of the house next door, and producing big clumps of fat sweet bananas. 

No standing water, nothing stinky, except maybe the manure I fertilized with occasionally. 

 

https://dokmaidogma.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/grandpas-banana/

 

Ashoka trees? I love all trees, but this one is kind of an oddity to me. And you have to plant them unnaturally crowded together to get screening; and then wait, for how many years before your complete screening is achieved?  And as they mature they start to become overcrowded. If one dies you have a gap that takes years to fill with a new tree, unless you have deep pockets for a large replacement. And no fruit, or any other side benefits that I can think of.  Oh well, each to his own, something for everybody. 

 

 

Your banana plants look really healthy!  

 

I think you have changed my mind... maybe the banana plants I have seen have not been cared for properly.  I have plenty of fertilizer... from my chickens and pigeons, so they should look nice a green like yours too.

 

I recon I will plant the Ashoka trees in an informal wobbly line at the back and put in some banana trees in between them.  

 

I like that peacock tail tree in your front garden.  I had one at my last house.. but it was very ol old and tall.. beautiful tree... but does not have a dense enough canopy to keep out the light I think.  

[sometime]

Lettuce Tree

Pisonia alba

[LawrenceN]

On 8/16/2017 at 7:26 AM, Oxx said:

False Ashoka Tree (Polyalthia longifolia).  Readily available here.  Evergreen.  Tough.  You will need to chop the top off them to stop them growing too tall.

I have them, in Sansai. I bought mine waist high two years ago. The tallest one is now about five meters tall. They're a little hard to find. I got mine at the KhamThieng Market. The place is off that potholed road that goes toward the city. On your way out of the plant market, look toward your right, and make the first (2nd?) right. It's one large lot off of Pothole Road.

[r136dg]

Do they need a lot of sunlight? I'm looking for something similar, more on the lines of privacy without the obtrusive block wall. Climbing plants on a fence is an option also, if any of you are aware of anything, much appreciated. Some quick growing astetically pleasing greenery that can get along with only 2-3 hours of late afternoon direct sunlight in the area.

Thanks!

[Lucky mike]

Lilly Pillies, tough fast growing....or some varieties of clumping bamboo ( don't get running !)

[jeab1980]

On 16/08/2017 at 9:18 AM, jak2002003 said:

Thank you.  That tree is very nice looking and smart... I have seen it often here... but never knew the name!  I am going to get some of these for sure.... but I am going for informal look to the garden... so still would like to know a few other trees / shrubs I can mix in with them.

 

Thank you!

 

drtreelove, thanks for the suggestion of Bananas, but I am not a fan of the plant... because it looks rather tatty and gets messy as it gets older.. and smelly.. I helped a friend cut one down from his place. and the rotten base and water in it stank!!    Unless you know some variety that is more ornamental?  Here in Chiang Mai these plants always look tattered and floppy to me.... not like the ones I saw in the South a hotel gardens.  

 

 

 

I use Bannana trees to block the sun on our exposed side of the house. I make sure any dead leaves are pruned off correctly. Once the tree has fruited (by which time several other tree's have sprouted up from the origional) and the nanna's have been cut off. I cut that old tree down to about 4 inches above ground level. Put some concrete powder on the top and cover with plastic bag. Leave it like that for a couple of weeks remove bag  concrete powder has set but with a green  colour to it. No smells from remains of tree and its soon masked by its off spring trees anyway. I tend never to thin them out and just let them grow.  Must have had at least 15 new trees out of the origional and then more from the offshoots. Luckily its a large area so they can grow without causing any hassle.

Edited September 3, 2017 by jeab1980

[jak2002003]

3 hours ago, jeab1980 said:

I use Bannana trees to block the sun on our exposed side of the house. I make sure any dead leaves are pruned off correctly. Once the tree has fruited (by which time several other tree's have sprouted up from the origional) and the nanna's have been cut off. I cut that old tree down to about 4 inches above ground level. Put some concrete powder on the top and cover with plastic bag. Leave it like that for a couple of weeks remove bag  concrete powder has set but with a green  colour to it. No smells from remains of tree and its soon masked by its off spring trees anyway. I tend never to thin them out and just let them grow.  Must have had at least 15 new trees out of the origional and then more from the offshoots. Luckily its a large area so they can grow without causing any hassle.

That is a novel idea. Thanks.