Plenty of advice on choosing shrubs here already @staceyrose5 , but whatever you choose, make sure to plant it far enough from the fence so that it has room to grow and mature. New shrubs often look tiny and it's tempting to plant them close to the fence, but it's best if you can check their mature spread and plant half that distance away from the fence. You can always use something temporary, bedding plants or annuals from seed, to fill in the space for the first few years.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Plenty of advice on choosing shrubs here already @staceyrose5 , but whatever you choose, make sure to plant it far enough from the fence so that it has room to grow and mature. New shrubs often look tiny and it's tempting to plant them close to the fence, but it's best if you can check their mature spread and plant half that distance away from the fence. You can always use something temporary, bedding plants or annuals from seed, to fill in the space for the first few years.
It's always a balancing act.
Yes you don't want them too close to the fence, but neither too close to the edge of the border. as our azaleas and rhodos grew they began to shade the edge of the lawn, so I sometimes get a bit of moss in a couple of places. It's a case of training some branches to grow upwards rather than outwards, or in some cases pruning a few off.
We have some cyclamen between the roots of the shrubs and the edge of the border, they do quite well there.
Good advice @JennyJ. It tends to spoil the natural shape of shrubs if planted too near a fence or wall. Fine if it's merely for hedging, but not if you want the shrubs to actually look right, and enhance the space. It's also worth spending a little more and getting good quality plants, from a good supplier. Avoid those dodgy offers you sometimes see. Shrubs are an investment, and cheapo offers are rarely worthwhile. A plant in a pot of at least 6 to 8 inches will establish and grow well. Anything smaller [certainly at this time of year ] isn't much more than a cutting and will need potting on before planting out.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Ideally the border should be at least the mature spread of the shrubs that are going in it, plus a bit more if there's going to be planting in front when the shrubs are mature. Spring bulbs always look good among deciduous shrubs - they do their stuff before the shrubs come into full leaf, and then the shrubs mask the dying foliage (not tulips though, most of those need a summer baking).
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
If you have got the ground to grow Hydrangeas and rhododendrons bear in mind they grow very big. I don’t usually put picture of my garden on other people’s threads but just wanted to show the sizes of the mentioned shrubs, This hydrangea is 6’ tall and at least 12’ wide and the rhododendrons behind are also very large. Seems the more you cut them down the bigger they grow. Just something to bear in mind when you buy these little plants in pots and plonk them in.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
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It's also worth spending a little more and getting good quality plants, from a good supplier. Avoid those dodgy offers you sometimes see. Shrubs are an investment, and cheapo offers are rarely worthwhile. A plant in a pot of at least 6 to 8 inches will establish and grow well. Anything smaller [certainly at this time of year ] isn't much more than a cutting and will need potting on before planting out.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I don’t usually put picture of my garden on other people’s threads but just wanted to show the sizes of the mentioned shrubs,
This hydrangea is 6’ tall and at least 12’ wide and the rhododendrons behind are also very large.
Seems the more you cut them down the bigger they grow.
Just something to bear in mind when you buy these little plants in pots and plonk them in.