I was going to suggest evergreen viburnums. Then you say about being too bushy so I've found a viburnum tinus grown as a tree, but I don't know if it will get tall enough. Found a pic on Google but have lost it and Internet is being too slow to get it back.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
How much space have you got ... we once planted a similar mixed hedge in an area around 12' long ... we managed the bottom half of it as a hedge and then when it grew above head height allowed it to branch out into more like small trees ... much as you see hedgerows around fields where cattle graze.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I am by no means advocating this as a solution but our neighbour's leylandii are home to dozens of birds. Most of the 'nice' conifers though are either far too big for a normal garden - scots pine, lebanese cedar - or too slow growing - golden larch, juniper - to do what you need.
Conifers get a lot of bad press but I think it's really just that the full size ones are really not garden plants - more parkland or arboretum . They are actually really good trees on the whole - right plant, right place - and have their place in a balanced ecosystem as much as any other type.
Last edited: 27 August 2017 11:27:24
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I'd go for a holly ... they're not as slow growing as people seem to think ... wonderful winter shelter for birds ... as well as the flowers for insects and of course the berries
and you can get fairly decent sized ones from places like Crown Nurseries at Ufford ... if you prepare the site well and give it some tlc it should establish well ... holly is quite tenacious ... although as with all evergreens you need to stake larger ones well until established because of wind rock.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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Pleached trees?
I was going to suggest evergreen viburnums. Then you say about being too bushy so I've found a viburnum tinus grown as a tree, but I don't know if it will get tall enough. Found a pic on Google but have lost it and Internet is being too slow to get it back.
I'd love a hawthorn for the wildlife aspect but evergreen would be better.
I've wondered about viburnum but also worried about height...
(Sometimes size matters!)
What about a mix of hawthorn, pyracantha and holly?
Last edited: 27 August 2017 09:22:31
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
If I had the space down that end I'd love that!
How much space have you got ... we once planted a similar mixed hedge in an area around 12' long ... we managed the bottom half of it as a hedge and then when it grew above head height allowed it to branch out into more like small trees ... much as you see hedgerows around fields where cattle graze.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Only around six feet as there is a photonia pink that has reached the top of the fence already so that will deal with its bit of the fence soon!
I am by no means advocating this as a solution but our neighbour's leylandii are home to dozens of birds. Most of the 'nice' conifers though are either far too big for a normal garden - scots pine, lebanese cedar - or too slow growing - golden larch, juniper - to do what you need.
Conifers get a lot of bad press but I think it's really just that the full size ones are really not garden plants - more parkland or arboretum
. They are actually really good trees on the whole - right plant, right place - and have their place in a balanced ecosystem as much as any other type.
Last edited: 27 August 2017 11:27:24
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I'd go for a holly ... they're not as slow growing as people seem to think ... wonderful winter shelter for birds ... as well as the flowers for insects and of course the berries
... https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=1013
and you can get fairly decent sized ones from places like Crown Nurseries at Ufford ... if you prepare the site well and give it some tlc it should establish well ... holly is quite tenacious ... although as with all evergreens you need to stake larger ones well until established because of wind rock.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Oh, and this specialist holly nursery sells them at 4ft which is a good size and yet young enough to get away quickly http://www.welsh-holly.co.uk/contact.htm
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Holly had crossed my mind cos you can keep the bottom reasonably tightly trimmed for the safety of your eyes but let the top run away, right?