Hedge that likes shade?

[cocolgooh]

What can I plant between my garden and the neighbour's garden that will create a hedge that won't require a lot of sunlight? The part where I need a hedge is between the two houses, on the north side.

A little background to why I need a hedge there... I had conifers there before but the neighbour's 15 year old son cut them all down one day with a chain saw when I was out because he didn't like that they stopped him looking in and coming into my garden uninvited. Yes, really. I was not happy. His parents refused to replace them or even reprimand their son, yet demanded I had to fix it so their other children wouldn't wander onto the road. I put up a fence (which they broke twice subsequently and I had to replace again!) anyway because I have dogs and don't want them to get out onto the road either!

Now they've finally moved, I'm looking for something to replace the conifers with that will provide a thicker hedge preferably but I'm at a bit of a loss for what to put there.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd be open to most things although I don't want anything with thorns as I do have the dogs and wouldn't want them to get hurt by it. Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[Jewell]

Depending on your climate this may or may not be worth considering. This answer is politically incorrect now, but 30 years ago when initially planted it wasn't and I still love my hedges. They are ivy planted on cheap wire fencing attached to metal farm posts. It was cheap took minor training at first and pet proof. I do hedge them once a year to keep a narrow profile on my side of the fence and on both sides on cross fencing. Horrible neighbors are hidden from view. These are older photos from the last two years to give you an idea of what they look like. I have fences from three feet high in the front yard to seven feet high in the back yard. The hedged greens from the ivy we chop with the lawn mower and it makes for superb mulch for beds.

The first picture is in complete shade from a sequoia tree, holly tree and a row of fir trees. The second picture is the front of the house.

 

[Corzhens]

We have here the bush called bougainville (not sure of the spelling). It has wooden branches that is thorny. If you cut it properly, it can serve as a hedge. I have seen one hedge like that with so many flowers. Although the bloom has no scent, the flowers of different colors is a nice sight. Planting bougainville with different colors is one good trick for a hedge.

 

[cocolgooh]

@Jewell That's a great suggestion actually! I should be able to make that work. While it may not be liked much, that I have ivy growing everywhere, there's still a fence there if something like that ever happened again. They could take down the ivy without it taking the entire fence away! Thanks for that suggestion! And I like your yard!

@Corzhens Thanks for your suggestion too! I'll take a look at it!

 

[Jewell]

@Jewell That's a great suggestion actually! I should be able to make that work. While it may not be liked much, that I have ivy growing everywhere, there's still a fence there if something like that ever happened again. They could take down the ivy without it taking the entire fence away! Thanks for that suggestion! And I like your yard!

Just to let you know the rules for ivy growth: first year sleep, second year creep, and third year leap. With intertwining the ivy up a wire fence you can usually get a six foot fence covered by the end of the third year. Since I keep my hedges trimmed I actually don't have any growing on the ground on my side of the fences. I have had other hedges that were a lot more maintenance than the ivy and not nearly as dense. When I hedge now I cut them back hard to the stems, but they only look rough for about a week to ten days before they are leafed out again.

 

[Sheal]

There is a drawback with ivy though, once you've got it - it's almost impossible to get rid of!

 

[Jewell]

There is a drawback with ivy though, once you've got it - it's almost impossible to get rid of!

You know I have heard this repeatedly and simply have not found it to be true. I have had ivy for 33 years and as a full time employed person of 64 years old find it fairly easy to maintain and contain. I just removed another cross section of ivy cross fencing (where we hope to put in a hot tub) with only having to cut the trunks back once. I haven't even had to dig them out and found it much harder to remove the metal fence post. In the past I have simply run the lawn mower over ivy and dug up any persistent roots when I have removed fencing. Since I hedge all the fences once a year, and sometimes only every two years it makes a beautiful, evergreen very narrow hedge/fence.

The new neighbor just cleaned up a long neglected yard full of ivy. Lawnmower did it again with attention to the few more determined roots and more mowing. It is gone and this yard after a decade of neglect is well on its way to being park like once again.

Now I wish I could say the same thing for easy removal concerning bindweed.

 

[DeborahJane]

Your Bougainville hedge sounds lovely Corzhens (my iPad did that spelling for me)!. I know it can be grown further up here in Australia but I planted one when I first started gardening and it didn't make it.I'd love to see photo of your hedge in flower if possible.
Love your garden Jewell. You're ivy fence looks very effective. I have trouble with it growing up trees. It made a mess of a few before I started gardening and keeping an eye on it. I have a very boring wire fence so I could try encouraging it to creep over it.It's a good idea to try to it utilize what you have in your garden rather than waste time trying to get rid of it. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Sheal]

have had ivy for 33 years and as a full time employed person of 64 years old find it fairly easy to maintain and contain.

I agree it is fairly easy to maintain and contain but eradicating it is a different thing. If all the roots aren't removed then it will re-grow and it's very resistant to chemicals.