This is my laurel from the opposite direction. As you see it sits on top of the drive wall so very little soil there. Poor pics, sorry it's chucking it down.
Thanks for all the insight. Very valuable ☺ @Uff raining here too! (yorkshire) thanks for those pictures, very useful to see someone achieve what I originally had in mind. Do you make use of the trimmings or throw them? Read conflicting posts about composting them..
Yes, the danger of cyanide poisoning from cut laurel is worth mentioning. There used to be reports in the press of folk being taken ill when transporting laurel prunings to the tip. I've no idea if they were ever verified, and I'm not a panicky type, but I'd be careful if I were doing it, and keep the car windows open.
As an aside and nothing to do with chris's question, about 18 months ago I noticed, on my way into town, that a high laurel hedge (about 20') that had got completely out of control had been cut back to stumps about 2-3ft high. No green showing whatsoever. At that point, I thought they were planning on digging it out but they didn't. I've watched it regrow and it's now a handsome hedge again.
As an aside and nothing to do with chris's question, about 18 months ago I noticed, on my way into town, that a high laurel hedge (about 20') that had got completely out of control had been cut back to stumps about 2-3ft high. No green showing whatsoever. At that point, I thought they were planning on digging it out but they didn't. I've watched it regrow and it's now a handsome hedge again.
Nature is amazing ey. I suppose if you let your hedge get a bit wild or trunk too thick, it helps to know you can always chop it to the ground and it'll come back anew.
Chucking it down here now so I'll head to the garden centre when it's stopped and look around at all the choice of hedge proposed above ☺
Hi @chris92bellZB39WH8u, I'm a fan of Griselinia littoralis which has a similar look to laurel but it is more delicate in leaf size and shape and it is easily managed. I have a stretch along my back fence which I've shaped to a six foot height and one foot depth. You'll see my neighbour's mature laurel hedge behind my fence in the photo below as a contrast to help you decide. The laurel is mature, woody and almost tree like as my neighbours don't maintain it regularly. It's a bit of a thug, unlike @Uff's nicely controlled young hedge!
I remember many years ago Pa cut a huge overgrown laurel down to the ground ... within a couple of years it had regrown and a few years later, with regular trimming it made the substantial but tidy windbreak we needed at that end of the garden.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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@Uff raining here too! (yorkshire) thanks for those pictures, very useful to see someone achieve what I originally had in mind.
Do you make use of the trimmings or throw them? Read conflicting posts about composting them..
https://www.hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk/knowledge-base/are-laurel-hedges-poisonous/
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
As an aside and nothing to do with chris's question, about 18 months ago I noticed, on my way into town, that a high laurel hedge (about 20') that had got completely out of control had been cut back to stumps about 2-3ft high. No green showing whatsoever. At that point, I thought they were planning on digging it out but they didn't. I've watched it regrow and it's now a handsome hedge again.
Chucking it down here now so I'll head to the garden centre when it's stopped and look around at all the choice of hedge proposed above ☺
Laurel will always come back after serious pruning, unless it's diseased or similar. It takes all sorts of abuse.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.