A pack of morning glory seeds are all it took to turn this chain link fence into a narrow, blooming hedge for the summer. Source: Kelly Crocker, pinterest.ca
A chain-link fence (Frost fence) is strong, long-lasting … but not very attractive, especially when it begins to rust. Often the owner will plant a hedge in front of the fence to hide it, but what a waste of garden space! In addition, wire mesh behind the hedge makes pruning the hedge difficult. And let’s face it: hedge plants are expensive and you need lots of them.
Yet it is possible to convert a chain-link fence into a hedge very quickly and at a low price: just let annual climbers such as scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) and morning glories (Ipomoea nil and others), or perennial vines, such as Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) or grape vines (Vitis spp.), cover it.
Simply sow annual climbers at the bottom of the fence (one seed pack will probably be sufficient) and let them grow. They climb all on their own, wrapping their twisting stems around the wire mesh. You’ll probably have to buy perennial vines in the form of plants, but you’ll need only one quarter the number of plants as a hedge would have required. And they too will cover their fence all on their own. You’ll end up with a hedge as high as the fence that completely hides the view of the yard next door, but that is extremely narrow, taking up little garden space …and this is one hedge that self-prunes, as climbers will stop growing in height once they reach the top of the fence.
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