I stopped nosy neighbors from seeing into my garden with a £7.99 Lidl plant

THERE are times when you thank your lucky stars for your neighbors.

And there are times when you wish your hedge was a little thicker, or that your fence was just a little higher.

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With the cost of new fencing reaching record highs – reaching thousands of pounds for just a few panels – most of us have to make do with what we have.

This often means that you are bothered by noisy neighbors.

Or taking viewings for which you absolutely had not registered when you moved there.

Or it means spending money on last-ditch efforts like shower curtains (please don’t), trellis at the top of your fence, or investing in artificial plant walls.

And who has the time or money for that?

Fortunately, there is a plant that can help you in your search for a natural barrier between you and your neighbors.

It doesn’t cost much at all AND you can plant it now.

Passiflora – originally from South and Central America – is an evergreen climbing plant, better known as passion flower.

Not only do they have super exotic-looking flowers – which bloom all summer through October – more importantly, some cultivars can grow up to 80 feet tall.

That means you can train them to cover any kind of privacy fence, wall, shed, arch or frame.

And if your garden is sunny and sheltered, they are hardy enough to last all year round.

I planted one early last summer, and it has completely transformed my fence, winding around the trellis and creating a very thick sound barrier – which no one, unless they creepily shoved their face right into the branches – would be able to see through.

It cost me £7.99 from Lidl, and although last year it grew almost all the way down my 6 meter fence, this year it is now more established and absolutely thriving.

And not only does it cover the fence, I also managed to train it over a very simple bamboo frame I set up for my kids’ trampoline.

Conveniently, it has tendrils that hold wires, trellises or other plants, keeping it sturdy and self-sufficient.

And although it gets a little stringy in winter, it keeps going all year round.

So instead of looking across the garden and seeing a giant, ugly black bouncer – and an old, worn-out rickety fence – I now see a wall with beautiful flowers and shiny green leaves.

And it is even starting to bear fruit, even if unfortunately they are not the tastiest fruit.

So to cover your fence (or trampoline), increase your privacy and at the same time bring tropical color and greenery to your garden, I highly recommend a Passiflora.

Veronica’s top tips for buying a Passiflora

When purchasing, make sure you check that they are ‘hardy’, meaning they can last all winter.

Ideally, you should plant them in the spring – late May or early June – but you can certainly get them in the ground now, while the soil is still warm. You can always wear fleece in it when the temperatures really start to drop.

Plant the plant in a sunny garden border – against a fence or trellis – or in a bamboo frame if you are starting from scratch. Curled tendrils grow that grab onto everything to continue growing.

Make sure it is in fertile, well-drained soil. You can grow them in containers, but they require a lot more nutrition and water, and they won’t grow as big.

Water well, but from now on you can reduce watering to about once a week – if there is no rain.

Prune back in spring – shorten old stems – although to be honest I have had to prune mine all year round to keep it under control – and it seems absolutely fine.