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New Neighbours & new hedge?

Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
in Problem solving
Our new neighbours have said they will be planting a new evergreen hedge the other side of our decorative fence down a long sloping drive. At the moment they have some overgrown buddleia, a pineapple bush and several pyracantha bushes. They also have a large walnut tree near the buddleias. If he asks me, (he isn't a  gardener) any suggestions for what I could recommend? I'm really hoping he doesn't mean leylandi but it will have to be something that can be kept very narrow, no more than 6ft high and low maintenance.  I personally think he'll struggle to get anything new established, the soil's heavy clay, faces south'ish and is on a slope. I'm thinking yew preferably but would imagine he would want instant results. I'm a bit stumped.
North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
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  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Whatever they choose, now is not the time to do. They should wait until Oct/November or so when the earth is soft again.
  • WaysideWayside Posts: 845
    I wish neighbours would ask me for recommendations!   Long stretches become price prohibitive.  I think that's why a neighbour has gone all out for English Laurel.  If you do shop around you can get a reasonable deal on young Yews, mine came in around £2.50 a plant at the time.  I'd have thought if there was a decorative fence already there, then the slowish growth of the Yews would go less noticed - I'm assuming the fence is gappy.  Two years after planting bare roots and ours are finally getting to a reasonable size. I can't wait for the end result.  I was really surprised at how quick some deciduous hedging that I planted grew by comparison.  I'd welcome something informal like dogwood if space permitted.
  • blameitonthedogblameitonthedog Posts: 122
    Whilst I do wish my neighbour would take off a bit of its height (it used to reach the top of my 6' fence), their pyracantha hedge is beautiful.  The only slight downside is thorns but it's a very pretty, well behaved hedge and only gets trimmed once a year.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    The 6ft high, narrow, evergreen, low maintenance hedge Is always a tricky one! Leylandii can be kept reasonably near to those bounds but people rarely do because they don’t maintain it. My inherited mess of a hedge is a distressing daily reminder of how not to do it. You could ask him what he is thinking of in the course of being friendly, then say, leylandi can be great, but... and show him some of the pictures of horrible browning hedges on this forum, gently suggesting yew as an alternative because it will grow back. I recall on another post someone suggested Thuja Plicata as another alternative.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    Hedges, even long ones, don't have to be too expensive if you buy bare rooted and are prepared to wait for it to grow.  An instant head is obviously a very different matter.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    A narrow conifer hedge is going to be almost impossible given they don't like being cut back into brown wood.  Yew or pyracantha would be good and also great for wildlife but, as mentioned above, it's best to plant young whips in autumn when soil is warm and moist and the plants can concentrate on root growth over winter.

    They could also try photinia Red Robin which I've seen kept as a narrow hedge in a famous garden in Belgium.  The new growth in spring and after trimming is red which may or may not suit their taste.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904
    Thuja/Western cedar seem to have all the benefits of Leylandii without the downsides. Narrowish habit and can take a bit more pruning but don't get too carried away. they smell of pineapple too. 
  • glasgowdanglasgowdan Posts: 632
    Leylandii would be perfect for this. Why would you think otherwise? Any hedge will become a pest if it's never trimmed
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Thanks for all the suggestions. I know leylandi can be good if well maintained but I fear what might happen if they move out in a few years.  I've actually just realized that our side will have to be maintained too, which will be a pain unless his gardener will do it. I like the thought of Thuja but am not keen on Photinia, don't like the red!
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Leylandii would be perfect for this. Why would you think otherwise?

    We regularly read this forum. Are you trolling?

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