Hedge suggestions please.

[Colin]

Hi,

Many thanks Verdun.

I've just been browsing Hebe Salicifolia you suggest and also Berberis; it's interesting to see both grow to the same size but the Hebe grows to maturity twice as quickly as the Berberis; the Berberis takes 10/20 years whereas the Hebe only 5/10 years. I really am spoiled for choice.

I've just been up the mountain and claimed back another two square meters of garden ripping out more English Ivy then attempting to turn the soil over but it's more like digging in a rockery the number of stones I'm hitting and pulling out; if I carry on at this rate I'll have enough stone to build a wall?

4:20pm and it's already getting too dark to see the keyboard.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[alp]

Whilst googling, saw this beauty

Do you know what it is, @Verdun ?

 

[Robert Cummings]

A quicker growing Berberis would be Atropurpurea it's thorny but is deciduous.

 

[alp]

@Colin I am pretty sure you don't want a deciduous hedge! LOL!

 

[Owdboggy]

There is always Lonicera nitida. Hardy ,evergreen easily trimmed to a desired height and reasonably quick growing. Cheap to buy too. Easy from cuttings.

 

[Sheal]

Strange isn't it Sheal how we can fancy planting something being totally unaware of future problems

As gardeners we are used to checking plants out before spending out good money, but there are many people that aren't aware of what they are planting and buying because something looks pretty. Plant labels can be misleading, even more so if the plant is wrongly labelled. A bugbear of mine is that labels, particularly on trees, should contain root spread, many aren't aware of how far roots can spread and how much damage they can do.

 

[Verdun]

Colin, it is amazing how differently the "books" describe plant growth etc.

I tend to disregard much of that now.....it depends on climate, even micro climate, clone type, situation and the soil. If the soil is correctly enriched growth will be better too
Here 10 to 20 years for maturity is way over-assessed. Hebe S. or B. Darwinii would.....assuming 60 cm or more at purchase....would be more than triple that by summer 19. Thereafter growing just as fast.
Ditto with pittosporums and most every hedging type shrub.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks Robert for suggesting Atropurpurea which would be suitable but as alp kindly points out I'd prefer something evergreen for year round privacy.

Thanks Owdboggy for suggesting Lonicera; I've just had a browse and "Best4hedges" information state this as putting on 40cm-60cm growth each year which is fine for a rapid hedge and would suit me but I've just removed and shredded a conifer hedge because it is a right pain trimming the top of an hedge here due to the steep slope. We have a huge Honeysuckle to the bungalow front and this puts on lots of growth also it's highly invasive.

How very true Sheal regarding root spread; how many plant a lovely Weeping Willow near their home; these Willow's really do cause lots of damage as I'm sure others also will this is partly why I'm being so picky in choosing what hedge to plant; height; spread; speed of growth; roots and is it invasive; is it going to be bushy and am I going to end up trimming it every year; I'm possibly looking to buy a miracle hedge but with care I might buy a good compromise.

It's mostly the bottom end of the hedge I want to be really shielded to block out our dire neighbours; further up the garden I can plant trees or shrubs of my choice and I'm not in a panic; Bron and I have suffered these neighbours for the last 30 years to the point we now have an open police file on them for harassment; the police kindly suggested we install CCTV which I've just done which hopefully will get them to back off and leave us alone; these neighbours are very well known to the police and unfortunately they live next door to us thinking they are perfect and that anything we have is theirs; we live at #39 they live at #37 and one of their delightful son's burgled #35. Just the two parents now live next door but they are absolutely terrible declaring WW3 on each other the husband who has already suffered a number of heart attacks screams his head off at his wife; why such a couple remain in the same country as each other beats me. Bron and I have put our heart and soul into our home and we refuse to be driven out by such nasty people. I don't like broadcasting problems on the forum but this is just a bit of background as to mostly why I'm being so picky; I do appreciate you all taking your time to offer information and I'm taking every suggestion seriously.

Thanks Verdun; yes there are so many variables when it comes to choosing what to plant making it a minefield for a novice such as I.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Robert Cummings]

Viburnum Tinus

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Excellent suggestion Robert; thank you.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[alp]

You can shape your Lonicera nitida like this

Such fun! Yes, very easy to take cutting ..

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks alp.

I reckon we've enough cats already with all the neighbours cats who visit us every day; Corky; Scampy; Aspro; Dudley; Harvey; Ruby; Gruffalo and Max who is five today and we are throwing a party for.

Once I get the garden tidy and the new compost bins located and loaded I need to settle down with a full list of all your kind suggestions and work through each in turn before making a final decision as to what hedge to plant.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Sheal]

I've been lucky with my neighbours Colin and I hate to think how I would cope with the hassle you've put up with down the years. I admire you and your wife for putting up with it for so long and making the best of the situation.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Many thanks Sheal. Not just our neighbours unfortunately; problems with the bungalow from the day we moved in; we had been here only six weeks when we suffered water ingress to two ceilings; we were fully insured having a maximum mortgage and the insurance loss adjusters told us to get lost the damage was due to lack of maintenance; no money to fight the insurance company and we couldn't borrow more money to repair the roof; it took 18 months for us to save for the materials and Bron and I installed the new roof without any assistance whatsoever. We hate insurance companies with a passion and we soon found out how friends quickly disappear when really needed.

My family are vultures being money driven so I've divorced the lot of them because they only ever caused us distress; at last Bron and I are enjoying a bit of peace; no more family interference and a police case open against our bad neighbours; we've grafted for the last 41 years to attain our now enviable lifestyle and we are no longer putting up with anyone trying to spoil it or come between us. Retirement shouldn't be like this but it's not us causing any trouble so we are now back to back standing firm.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Ixora.
Hebe.
Pottosporum.
Choisya.
Berberis.
Pyracantha.
Fuschia.
Lonircera.
Viburnum.

I've been browsing suppliers of the ones kindly suggested above taking my time.

Ixora unfortunately not suited to our harsh climate especially here on the valley with prevailing breeze.

Hebe I must confess I feel drawn to because it looks wonderful and I know Hebe's grow well here.

Pottosporum is a slow grower?

Choisya is lovely but again it's much too cold and windy here.

Berberis fast growing and a good choice it being hardy.

Pyracantha is an excellent choice.

Fuschia; I always regarded as a pot plant but I know little?

Lonicera another excellent choice it also being the cheapest so far and it provides a dense hedge.

Viburnum pricey but lovely.

I've now installed CCTV and our bad neighbours will have already spotted the cameras which might explain them now leaving us alone at last? If this is correct then possibly a proper hedge might not be needed allowing me to plant an assortment of lower growing bushes which don't take off height wise and need clipping to keep under control saving me work? I've got nine assorted evergreen bushes on order for delivery this month and I might plant these along the new fence then I can buy more for the rest of the garden.

The Snowberry hedge was at one point over 8' tall interspersed with tree stumps and brambles etc making it a right pain to clear but now it's out including the roots.

This morning I finally cleared the last of the Snowberry at the top of the garden so the ground is ready for planting as seen in the bottom two images. the top two images show the original 100' x 8' tall conifer hedge which I removed and what this thread is about because I would have liked a suitable but much more manageable hedge. Our gardens are hard graft but I'm trying my best to tame them.

Having now removed our conifer hedge its uncovered neighbours shrubs/trees and now these can get sunlight I wonder if these will start to grow and provide an hedge without me doing a thing?

I'm not in a hurry and I don't want to do anything silly after all these bad neighbours might be forced to move in the near future; the husband at 82 has suffered a number of heart attacks and is now having great difficulty in walking; I'll never wish them ill but I do believe in what goes around comes around? Bron and I wish to remain good neighbours to everyone.

Thanks once again everyone for your kind suggestions; as I say I've spent ages looking at each in turn and now having taken police advice installing the CCTV things might at last improve for us after all it's only taken 30 years so far suffering these bad neighbours? Just my luck to plant a full hedge then they move?

Kind regards, Colin.