Shrubs with shallow roots will suffer badly in droughts and also be more likely to dry out in places exposed to strong winds and sunshine.
I suggest you give us some ides of colour preferences and then we can come up with suggestions for you. With good planning, they'll give you a long succession of colour form foliage, flowers and fruits and grow to cover up the gravel and leave little space for people to make short cuts. As ever, planting small and well gets faster, stronger results than going for instant size so do be prepared to prepare the planting holes well and erect a cheap, temporary fence to protect the new hedge and or shrubs and to show people where the limits are.
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)."
One more thing - do you know what kind of soil you have? Clay/loam/sandy/stony; rich or poor in nutrients; acid/alkaline/neutral; well drained or moisture retentive?
If you don't know the answers, have a look at the kinds of plants your neighbours are growing and, if you can't name them, post a few pics as these will give us clues. It's important as some plants have specific needs whilst others are not so bothered.
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)."
the soil is neutral (ph7 heading towards 8). The area is just off a river so it can be very windy (as my poor hanging basket found out one day). I didn’t have time to snap any of the (scant) pretty plants in the area before the rain came on. I know there’s a few rose bushes but not sure the exact type.
Probably not much help but the stuff below is absolutely everywhere.
Out of interest, how deep are privet roots (if you kept it at 1m high) - It's always banded about deep/shallow roots but I never really know what size is defined as such...
I don't think Privet will be a great choice. Once they get to the height, you will find yourself pruning 2-3 times a year. You mentioned, white purple and a bit of yellow thrown in. What about foliage that is silvery white with the odd yellow flower if not pruned back? Brachyglottis Greyi can keep within the 1 meter height you need and they can do well in well drained but also slightly heavier soil. I'm sure they can perform fine in soil with not much depth either.
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I suggest you give us some ides of colour preferences and then we can come up with suggestions for you. With good planning, they'll give you a long succession of colour form foliage, flowers and fruits and grow to cover up the gravel and leave little space for people to make short cuts. As ever, planting small and well gets faster, stronger results than going for instant size so do be prepared to prepare the planting holes well and erect a cheap, temporary fence to protect the new hedge and or shrubs and to show people where the limits are.
If you don't know the answers, have a look at the kinds of plants your neighbours are growing and, if you can't name them, post a few pics as these will give us clues. It's important as some plants have specific needs whilst others are not so bothered.
Hi,
the soil is neutral (ph7 heading towards 8). The area is just off a river so it can be very windy (as my poor hanging basket found out one day). I didn’t have time to snap any of the (scant) pretty plants in the area before the rain came on. I know there’s a few rose bushes but not sure the exact type.
Probably not much help but the stuff below is absolutely everywhere.
2. Euronymus
3. Lavender