You may find that as it is a front garden in a newish house, there is a clause in your house titles that stipulates the height of hedges or dividers in the front garden. I would check first before going any further.
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
I agree as well. It looks from the photo that your neighbours have planted some shrubs their side (maybe euonymus or variegated laurel) to shield them from you! You just need to wait until their shrubs grow a bit and the job's done. If you don't want to wait, then I would also suggest a trellis fence (small size diagonal would look good) and grow an evergreen climber up it. A matching shorter trellis fence across the front would help stop the debris blowing in.
Another vote for adopting a less thuggish solution than leylandii, et al. Why? Those two manhole covers in the front lawn suggest you’ve got both foul and surface water drainage running close by to your proposed taller hedge. Especially in a dry summer, trees roots look for moisture and there doesn’t have to be much damage to the existing drains for tree roots to cause future problems, blockages, etc.
Takes chartered surveyor’s hard hat off, gardener’s cap back on....
thanks to all who’ve replied and offered some very much appreciated advice... I think the lelyandii is now off the agenda!
ive never appreciated all the negative aspects of introducing this in our garden.
as i have an issue with the actual border line, and so the existing hedge and as we still want/need to quickly increase the height of this border, i was wondering if I could plant a few Laurel hedge plants of my own, within / right in front of the existing hedge?
would the laurel plants take, so close to the existing box hedge?
if so, i can keep existing hedge, but eventually increase hieght of the border and continue the line of the existing Laurel at the same time?
im hoping this will be a workable solution, providing incan plant new laurel hedge so close to the exisinting hedge?
The problem with doing that is the roots of the box are fairly shallow rooted and extend sideways under the lawn as far out as they are tall e.g. if the box is 2 ft high then the roots will roughly be 2 ft out (they will also extend out the other side as well. Therefore if you plant a laurel hedge (and they can also get very big and vigourous), you would need to leave at least a 2 ft gap between the box and the laurel, otherwise you are likely to kill the box. I expect this is not what you probably wish to hear. Can't you just ignore the neighbours or attempt to get on with them better?
Letting the existing hedge grow will probably be the fastest route to the privacy you want, unless you ripped it out and bought quite pricey mature hedging to replace it with.
Why not use some planters while it grows, with climbers on cheap obelisks in them, or in a new flowerbed, to give you a bit more privacy? Even ivy on an obelisk could be a good stop gap.
Hedges planted on top of hedges will be tricky, and look weird, plus probably creating even further future boundary uncertainty.
I've used Pittosporum tenuifolium successfully as a hedge. It will grow to ten feet or so, so you would have to plan on cutting it each year. Does your neighbour cut his side of the existing hedge?
Are there any restrictions, in the deeds, on the height of a hedge that you can grow at the front? My parents had a house where hedges at the front were limited to three feet.
Posts
If they are shrubs you might find they grow and do the job for you, but on their side? I'm just guessing they are shrubs, I cannot make them out.
I would try and ID them because it would give an idea of why they had been planted and you may not have to change anything on your side.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Takes chartered surveyor’s hard hat off, gardener’s cap back on....
ive never appreciated all the negative aspects of introducing this in our garden.
as i have an issue with the actual border line, and so the existing hedge and as we still want/need to quickly increase the height of this border, i was wondering if I could plant a few Laurel hedge plants of my own, within / right in front of the existing hedge?
would the laurel plants take, so close to the existing box hedge?
if so, i can keep existing hedge, but eventually increase hieght of the border and continue the line of the existing Laurel at the same time?
im hoping this will be a workable solution, providing incan
plant new laurel hedge so close to the exisinting hedge?
thanks again
Mark
Why not use some planters while it grows, with climbers on cheap obelisks in them, or in a new flowerbed, to give you a bit more privacy? Even ivy on an obelisk could be a good stop gap.
Hedges planted on top of hedges will be tricky, and look weird, plus probably creating even further future boundary uncertainty.
Are there any restrictions, in the deeds, on the height of a hedge that you can grow at the front? My parents had a house where hedges at the front were limited to three feet.