Growing a hedge - fast!

[freeman3030]

Good evening all,
I live in an end of terrace house and beside my house is a pathway and next to that is a turning and parking area for visitors and a bit of common land. Currently, the only thing dividing my driveway from the pathway is a small 2ft tall brick wall. Since moving in, I've wanted a hedge instead of the wall to bring a bit of greenery to the front of my house. So I'd like to plant the hedge as I feel quite exposed. From time to time, a couple of kids play football in the turning/parking area, and whilst causing no harm, I don't really want the ball hitting my car and them keep coming into the driveway to collect their ball as the wall is only 2ft tall. SO its spurred me onto doing the hedge, and what better weekend to start!

I like the look of a privet hedge and they seem quite quick growing, so thought it would be a good type, but I don't really know the best place to buy them and whether I could buy established ones so I get a bit of instant coverage?

The driveway is west - north/west facing. Any tips, ideas or suggestions to get some quick coverage would be much appreciated.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Personally I would suggest wisteria on a support of some sort. The flowers are nice and the speed is staggeringly fast compared to privet. The finished look is more leafy and not as traditional though.

 

[alp]

There are wisterias as standalone trees. I saw two huge wisteria trees laden with white flowers yesterday and I climbed up a little brick wall to sniff at the flowers. I was so excited to see them. They were very mature and I will see if I can get some seeds. They are magnificent. But they might be expensive and slow-growing.

Bamboos can grow fast if you water them gallantly, generously, gentlemanly (?) Mine shot up to 8 feet in a few months as I took my kitchen sink water to them nearly every other day. But you might have to use a membrane to stop them spreading too much. All you need to do is to press new shoots onto the ground and bury them, water diligently and daily and you will soon have a hedge. Failing that, privet hedge can be grown rather quickly and cheaply.

 

[Sheal]

The faster a hedge grows means the more you have to work at keeping it trimmed. If you're okay with that then another fast grower is Griselinia.

 

[DirtMechanic]

The faster a hedge grows means the more you have to work at keeping it trimmed. If you're okay with that then another fast grower is Griselinia.

Why are so many plant names like a Grimm fairy tale name? Griselinia. Surely medieval?

 

[alp]

Leylandii, but might depreciate the value of your house!

 

[Sheal]

Why are so many plant names like a Grimm fairy tale name? Griselinia. Surely medieval?

That's not occurred to me before DirtMechanic.