Quick growing hedges

[nookie]

Hi all, my garden is overlooked by a nearby bridge and I want some seeds of quick growing hedge. There is an embankment that i'm thinking of sowing to give us some privacy. Thought of using privet hedge seeds but they seem to need a lot of attention in the early stages and this is a public space. Many thanks in advance

 

[Sheal]

Welcome Nookie. You'll be waiting a very long time if you try and grow a hedge from seed. Why not buy a couple of plants and take cuttings from them?

Griselinia, Hebe and Escallonia are all evergreen and relatively fast growers - Griselinia in particular.

 

[cpp gardener]

You could also plant sunflowers and cosmos to give quick cover. They get real big, real fast and have pretty flowers to boot!

 

[Arden Sage]

May I sound a note of caution before you commit yourself to your final choice?
"Quick Growing" could also mean ... lots of work to keep in check!
If it grows quickly, it will need a lot of regular maintenance, so choose something which will give you good cover, but won't take all your spare time keeping it in check.

Sunflower and Cosmos are annuals, so that would give you some coverage but for this year only.

I have a little experience with Escallonia and Hebe and they do take a little bit of time before they romp away to the height that you may need ( a couple or more years). It appears from your photos that it is height that you are most looking for? If so, are you considering trellis to add height to your wall to give plants something to grab hold of to ensure the height you need to create privacy?

If you wanted an annual to give great height/spread just for this year, you wouldn't go far wrong with a Cobea Scandens - however, you would need trellis and it does only last one year (ergo an annual) and it really only comes into its own later in the year.

A solanum crispum is a semi evergreen climber which, at this time of year is filled with small blue flowers and, once it takes, can reach quite a height. But, it can become a bit of a thug and would need keeping in check (after flowering) every couple of years. Yes, it would need a trellis/strong support because it can become quite weighty.

Do check with your local planning permissions before you plant anything in a public space though; it isn't yours to choose without seeking the right permissions and your local authority may not take too kindly with you planting whatever you fancy. Some species of plants your local authority may not be too happy with you planting. For example, in my country Japanese Knotweed would be a complete No-NO! ;-)

Good luck with making your decision and finding the right thing to give you the privacy you seek.

 

[Rod Hoskin]

Do yourself a favor and stand where you plan on planting anything that may grow tall. Look up. Make sure there are no lines of any kind are up there, especially electric powerlines. I do powerline clearance for a living, and I have had to trim Roses, Lilacs, Sagebrush, vines, plus just about any, and every tree, seemingly known to man.
Long before I started this job I planted a hedge fore the same purpose. It looked good in the magazine and grew well. Our goats kept it trimmed on our side of the fence. We moved and forgot about the hedge. Years later I had to trim the last standing part of that hedge. It was a Siberian Elm that had grown into the lines. Later it was removed.
What Aden Sage said about checking with local authorities can save a lot of time, money, and headaches. Again Good luck!

 

[nookie]

May I sound a note of caution before you commit yourself to your final choice?
"Quick Growing" could also mean ... lots of work to keep in check!
If it grows quickly, it will need a lot of regular maintenance, so choose something which will give you good cover, but won't take all your spare time keeping it in check.

Sunflower and Cosmos are annuals, so that would give you some coverage but for this year only.

I have a little experience with Escallonia and Hebe and they do take a little bit of time before they romp away to the height that you may need ( a couple or more years). It appears from your photos that it is height that you are most looking for? If so, are you considering trellis to add height to your wall to give plants something to grab hold of to ensure the height you need to create privacy?

If you wanted an annual to give great height/spread just for this year, you wouldn't go far wrong with a Cobea Scandens - however, you would need trellis and it does only last one year (ergo an annual) and it really only comes into its own later in the year.

A solanum crispum is a semi evergreen climber which, at this time of year is filled with small blue flowers and, once it takes, can reach quite a height. But, it can become a bit of a thug and would need keeping in check (after flowering) every couple of years. Yes, it would need a trellis/strong support because it can become quite weighty.

Do check with your local planning permissions before you plant anything in a public space though; it isn't yours to choose without seeking the right permissions and your local authority may not take too kindly with you planting whatever you fancy. Some species of plants your local authority may not be too happy with you planting. For example, in my country Japanese Knotweed would be a complete No-NO! ;-)

Good luck with making your decision and finding the right thing to give you the privacy you seek.

Many thanks for your advice