Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Help! Hedge/ tall shrub - what to plant

TSMTSM Posts: 41
edited November 2021 in Problem solving
Hi All,
The front is almost ready to plant! I put 2 fences in. We want total privacy here. Hedge? Tree and shrubs? It’s not too wide but neighbour ok if I prune his cypress hedge back to our boundary… I hate those hedges, so want to plant our own to hide it, and go higher. Ignore the continus,  it’s filling a gap temporarily. could plant hedge? a nice tree in gap between hedge and fence? Evergreen preferred Ideas Please. Thank you :) 
«13

Posts

  • PianoplayerPianoplayer Posts: 624
    Hi - I'm with you in hating those type of hedges!

    I don't have any good ideas on plants, but it is important to note that whatever you plant will be in competition with the hedge for water and light, and so might struggle to get established. From the photos it looks very shaded - is that correct?

    I wonder if you could put in a tall post at either end with some rope between, and grow a climber across it - this could be as tall as you need. You could then fill in the gap with lower plants.

    Hopefully others more expert than me will have further ideas/comments.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117




    I don't think you have a lot of room there. Viburnums would be fine, assuming there's enough moisture for them to get well established. Or almost any Eleagnus. Berberis would also be fine, although they're prickly so you may not want that. 

    If you want a hedge, I'd go for beech or hornbeam. Both can be clipped tightly. Beech would possibly cope better because the soil might be rather dry due to the thuja hedge already there. 
    I'm not sure where you mean you want a tree. 

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • TSMTSM Posts: 41
    Thanks both. It’s about 3.5 ft depth. The teee idea was to go where the continus is something slim like a cherry? I will chk
    out beech. I have a hedge growing opposite in ligustrum . Would that work? It’s not too dry it does get rain there, in front of the thuja? Hedge but we can cut that back to our boundary line. 
  • TSMTSM Posts: 41
    If we didn’t have a hedge what else could we do? Thinking a row of something with big height. Around 6ft but dense for privacy. 
  • muckyhandsmikemuckyhandsmike Posts: 239
    Escallona is evergreen and produces pretty red flowers and can grow quite high in the right conditions - makes a great hedge but I’m not sure if there is enough room .. but worth investigating imho
  • ErgatesErgates Posts: 2,953
    Depending on your soil, you might consider camellias? Glossy evergreen, with the bonus of flowers in the spring. We have a row of them that have grown into a decent ‘hedge.’
    Ill take a picture tomorrow.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think you'll have to be very vigilant with watering until you get anything established, whether shrubs or hedging, and then you'll have to keep an eye on it. The existing hedge will make the area quite difficult, unless you're in a very wet area.
    Whatever you plant, it would be beneficial to add a lot of extra organic matter to help that, and regular mulching.  
    There aren't that many evergreen trees. I think there's a few if you're in one of the milder southern areas, but the exposed looking spot could be a factor in the decision.
    I'm not sure why you feel you need an evergreen though, when there's all that evergreen hedge. One of the vertical cherries might be ok, and there are also vertical Amelanchiers, but a couple of shrubs, plus that, would fill the space. You'll need access in behind to trim the hedge back too, while anything establishes. 
    Again, you'll have to consider the conditions, and it looks as if you also have a climber at the fence, which needs consideration for moisture and nutrients. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • parrotfeather*parrotfeather* Posts: 188
    This is a very inhospitable spot for a second hedge...I understand that you do not like your neighbour's hedge but since it is already providing the privacy you want why not just trim it and grow some perennials in front of it to provide a alternative focus of attention and some colour and scent?  You would need to enrich the soil with some compost and keep them well-watered but it would be easier to work with some of the less-fussy perennials that trying to grow a new hedge so close to the existing one and the results would be quicker and more interesting.
  • TSMTSM Posts: 41
    Hi All,
    Thank you for all the comments. I am looking for low maintenance but agree maybe another hedge is wrong! i an now thinking a row of standard trees - not sure what, any ideas? Salix ? so the heads are above the neighbours thuja hedge, underplanted with euonymus? or i like the idea of the camellias or the escallonia i just did a bed of camellias other side of the fence. 
    it gets full sun in the mornings...until around midday 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If it's sunny in the morning, Camellias won't be happy, especially if you get lots of frost. They need plenty of moisture in late summer too. 

    Personally, I'd have a simple screen and plant a climber.  Far easier to maintain, and would give access to keep the hedge in check. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Sign In or Register to comment.