Beech or Hornbeam can be kept very tight. Not evergreen, but retain their foliage over winter. I'd go for one of the Loniceras - nitida or pileata in that site. They don't mind concrete around them, and can be clipped very neatly at any size. They do have small flowers and berries, but they're pretty insignificant. There are several Cotoneasters which work, but the trunks on them can get very thick. You can also use things like Pyracantha as long as you don't mind thorns. Flowers and berries.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You'll need to plant far enough from the fence so that the hedge doesn't push against it when fully grown, and you will need access to trim the other side unless you're expecting the neighbour to do it, so it's definitely a good idea to have a chat with them about your plans first.
An alternative would be to make a wide border and plant a mixture of shrubs. Some would need pruning in time, but nothing like hedge maintenance.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Hi, I'm sure you get questions like this a lot so I'll try to be brief and summarise the research I have already done myself.
I have a border between my small garden and my neighbour's with a low fence (as shown in the photo below) that makes me feel very exposed. My garden doesn't have much greenery in it either so I see this as a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone by adding a hedge.
I'd like a hedge that I can quickly grow to and maintain at these dimensions: 5.5m across, 50-75cm thick, 2m tall (I'm over 6ft myself, so want it to be around my own height so I can't see over it).
I'd like it to be evergreen (to provide thick cover all year round).
If it could have a but of colour (some flowers etc), that would be a bonus, but not absolutely essential if not possible.
As I don't really have any gardening experience, it would need to be quite easy for me to successfully plant once I remove a strip of the paving slabs.
And not too expensive would be great too.
I've been looking around the internet and the hedge I am primarily looking at currently is Escallonia rubra var. macrantha. But I have no idea whether this would be a big mistake or if there are better things that can meet my requirements instead.
Could somebody here with more knowledge than me offer some advice please?
Hi, I'm sure you get questions like this a lot so I'll try to be brief and summarise the research I have already done myself.
I have a border between my small garden and my neighbour's with a low fence (as shown in the photo below) that makes me feel very exposed. My garden doesn't have much greenery in it either so I see this as a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone by adding a hedge.
I'd like a hedge that I can quickly grow to and maintain at these dimensions: 5.5m across, 50-75cm thick, 2m tall (I'm over 6ft myself, so want it to be around my own height so I can't see over it).
I'd like it to be evergreen (to provide thick cover all year round).
If it could have a but of colour (some flowers etc), that would be a bonus, but not absolutely essential if not possible.
As I don't really have any gardening experience, it would need to be quite easy for me to successfully plant once I remove a strip of the paving slabs.
And not too expensive would be great too.
I've been looking around the internet and the hedge I am primarily looking at currently is Escallonia rubra var. macrantha. But I have no idea whether this would be a big mistake or if there are better things that can meet my requirements instead.
Could somebody here with more knowledge than me offer some advice please?
Thank you
What sort of depth of hedge are you thinking of?
Roughly 50 - 75cm. I need something narrow enough that won't get in the way of my patio door opening (the door is roughly where I took the photo from.)
You'll need to plant far enough from the fence so that the hedge doesn't push against it when fully grown, and you will need access to trim the other side unless you're expecting the neighbour to do it, so it's definitely a good idea to have a chat with them about your plans first.
An alternative would be to make a wide border and plant a mixture of shrubs. Some would need pruning in time, but nothing like hedge maintenance.
@NoviceGardenOwner I would go for Contoneaster horizontalis. It grows in a fan shape and if you look around you can buy it for using on a fence. No leaves in winter but a herringbone shape. In spring tiny whitish flowers loved by insects, Green in summer, fiery orange in autum with red berries. Cut back any growth that comes forward. Will need a few wires just to hold it. If the fence panels break tilt it forward and support. Replace panel and wires. Plant 18 to 20inches away from fence in well prepared soil. Fine in sun but will struggle in very wet soil.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
You'll need to plant far enough from the fence so that the hedge doesn't push against it when fully grown, and you will need access to trim the other side unless you're expecting the neighbour to do it, so it's definitely a good idea to have a chat with them about your plans first.
An alternative would be to make a wide border and plant a mixture of shrubs. Some would need pruning in time, but nothing like hedge maintenance.
How far away is "far enough"?
It depends what you grow and whether you'll be able to access the other side to trim behind the fence. For a hedge that you will keep down to 75cm wide you can plant half that distance away from the fence, but if the fence side is going to be allowed to grow freely you'd need to check the final width. Also if you're going for a flowering hedge, they tend to be informal and not tightly clipped in any case, because regular clipping usually removes the growth where the flowers would form.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
We put this hedge in some years ago, Grisellinia littoralis. It has grown really well from quite small plants. It looks a lot tidier now, as OH has bought a cheap electric hedge trimmer, and gives it a tidy up every now and then. If you do consider it, you might go for smaller ( and cheaper ) plants. We planted three very large versions in another space where I wanted to block a gap, and they’ve taken a long time to get going. I reckon if we had put in smaller plants, they would have established quicker and got to the size I wanted ages ago.
I'm not sure a hedge of any kind would meet your requirements in that space. The far end, where it would meet the raised bed would throw that end of the raised bed into shade and look very odd.
You could put another raised bed against the fence, or a series of galvanized steel planters, planted with bamboo which would fit with the paving, reach higher than the fence and look very elegant. Pinterest has a load of ideas: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/wyrelandscapesu/bamboo-planter/.
This is my six foot Griselinia hedge which is just one foot deep. The plants were placed about 18 inches away from the fence. Having that narrow gap between the fence and the plants is fine for trimming both sides - but it depends on your shape! There's a nine foot laurel hedge in my neighbour's garden just behind the fence and the two hedges seem to flourish without any problems with competition for water or nutrients.
Personally I don't like deciduous hedges - they look sad over winter and don't provide the screening all year like evergreens do. Being in leaf all year, Griselinia can also provide shelter for birds visiting the garden over winter. But, it's a matter of personal choice and all the other suggestions above have their merits too!
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I'd go for one of the Loniceras - nitida or pileata in that site. They don't mind concrete around them, and can be clipped very neatly at any size. They do have small flowers and berries, but they're pretty insignificant.
There are several Cotoneasters which work, but the trunks on them can get very thick.
You can also use things like Pyracantha as long as you don't mind thorns. Flowers and berries.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Roughly 50 - 75cm. I need something narrow enough that won't get in the way of my patio door opening (the door is roughly where I took the photo from.)
How far away is "far enough"?
No leaves in winter but a herringbone shape. In spring tiny whitish flowers loved by insects, Green in summer, fiery orange in autum with red berries.
Cut back any growth that comes forward. Will need a few wires just to hold it. If the fence panels break tilt it forward and support. Replace panel and wires. Plant 18 to 20inches away from fence in well prepared soil. Fine in sun but will struggle in very wet soil.
It depends what you grow and whether you'll be able to access the other side to trim behind the fence. For a hedge that you will keep down to 75cm wide you can plant half that distance away from the fence, but if the fence side is going to be allowed to grow freely you'd need to check the final width. Also if you're going for a flowering hedge, they tend to be informal and not tightly clipped in any case, because regular clipping usually removes the growth where the flowers would form.
It looks a lot tidier now, as OH has bought a cheap electric hedge trimmer, and gives it a tidy up every now and then. If you do consider it, you might go for smaller ( and cheaper ) plants. We planted three very large versions in another space where I wanted to block a gap, and they’ve taken a long time to get going. I reckon if we had put in smaller plants, they would have established quicker and got to the size I wanted ages ago.
You could put another raised bed against the fence, or a series of galvanized steel planters, planted with bamboo which would fit with the paving, reach higher than the fence and look very elegant. Pinterest has a load of ideas: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/wyrelandscapesu/bamboo-planter/.
This is my six foot Griselinia hedge which is just one foot deep. The plants were placed about 18 inches away from the fence. Having that narrow gap between the fence and the plants is fine for trimming both sides - but it depends on your shape! There's a nine foot laurel hedge in my neighbour's garden just behind the fence and the two hedges seem to flourish without any problems with competition for water or nutrients.
Personally I don't like deciduous hedges - they look sad over winter and don't provide the screening all year like evergreens do. Being in leaf all year, Griselinia can also provide shelter for birds visiting the garden over winter. But, it's a matter of personal choice and all the other suggestions above have their merits too!