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Fence Hedge

dolores.tiltmanyfTg2tY6dolores.tiltmanyfTg2tY6 Posts: 4
in Problem solving
I would like to ask if planting Griselina Littoralis or Portuguese Laurel very close to newly laid porcelain paving is ok please?  I am concerned that the roots may damage/lift the paving.  The plants would be planted about 8 inches from the paving.  The border where I’m hoping to plant the griselina or Portuguese Laurel is only about 19 inches wide, so not much room.  The length of hedge area is about 56 feet long but only about 19 inches wide.  Thank you.

Maria
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  • dolores.tiltmanyfTg2tY6dolores.tiltmanyfTg2tY6 Posts: 4
    dolores.tiltmanyfTg2tY6 said:
    I would like to ask if planting Griselina Littoralis or Portuguese Laurel very close to newly laid porcelain paving is ok please?  I am concerned that the roots may damage/lift the paving.  The plants would be planted about 8 inches from the paving.  The border where I’m hoping to plant the griselina or Portuguese Laurel is only about 19 inches wide, so not much room.  The length of hedge area is about 56 feet long but only about 19 inches wide.  Thank you.

    Maria
    dolores.tiltmanyfTg2tY6 said:
    I would like to ask if planting Griselina Littoralis or Portuguese Laurel very close to newly laid porcelain paving is ok please?  I am concerned that the roots may damage/lift the paving.  The plants would be planted about 8 inches from the paving.  The border where I’m hoping to plant the griselina or Portuguese Laurel is only about 19 inches wide, so not much room.  The length of hedge area is about 56 feet long but only about 19 inches wide.  Thank you.

    Maria

  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Assuming that the soil in your border is of good quality and you don’t get severe winters where you are, I’d choose Griselinia.  It is an easier plant to control with pruning and can be easily contained in a narrow space which wouldn’t suit Portuguese laurel.  I have two hedges of Griselinia in my garden, both just a foot in depth and six foot high.  One is alongside my patio and makes an excellent screen.  Provided your paving has been laid well with a hard core bed and the correct mortar mix, your hedge won’t be a threat to it if you keep it well trimmed. 
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • Robert WestRobert West Posts: 241
    Portuguese Laurel is pretty vigorous. Can't imagine it could easily be kept to one and a half feet? I don't know the other shrub you mention but I'd bet it's a better option than PL.
  • dolores.tiltmanyfTg2tY6dolores.tiltmanyfTg2tY6 Posts: 4
    Thank you so much for your quick response.  I live in North Yorkshire, do you think that’s ok weather wise?  Our intention is to perhaps grow the griselina about 7/8 feet high to provide privacy from an outside fence. Soil is ok and patio had just recently been laid and yes it is on a hardcore bed and confident that it’s the correct mortar mixture.  I used to have ivy on the old fence but don’t really want that again.  I like the look of Griselina but would you know of another suitable hedge plant bearing in mind the narrow border between pavement and fence (19”) and of course the paving to fence (8”)?  Thank you. 
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    I'm trying to visualise the space in which you'd like to plant your hedge.  Will it be planted in the 19" gap between the pavement and the fence, or in the 8" gap between the porcelain paving and the fence?  And what sort of fence is it - including height?

    Could you post a photo?  If you click on the "landscape" icon this will give you instructions.  There's a bit of a glitch in the uploading which means your photo needs to be reasonably small, and will load sideways unless you crop it a bit.  Worth a try, I think.   :)

    There are lots of griselinia hedges around here, most of which are gigantic - it is fast growing in the right conditions.  I'm concerned that - if I'm right - you're talking about planting your hedge in the 8" gap in front of the fence, where I fear it wouldn't be appropriate...
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If it's that narrow, and you're worried, you could use beech or hornbeam.
    While not evergreen in the true sense, they both retain their foliage over winter, if kept below around twelve feet. 
    P. laurel can actually be kept quite tight, but you'd need to be trimming and maintaining it from the word go, and it wants to be a broader hedge than a couple of feet  :)
    I have no experience of Griselinia - it isn't used much round here, so I'd go with the advice given re that  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • dolores.tiltmanyfTg2tY6dolores.tiltmanyfTg2tY6 Posts: 4
    Thank you. 
  • Arthur1Arthur1 Posts: 542
    Griselinia is not the most hardy shrub especially when both cold and wet. I'm West Midlands based and they are not hardy here, wet poorly drained clay plus occasional cold winters.
    Where they thrive,  they are wonderful. Some Euonymus would give a similar effect?
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    dolores.tiltmanyfTg2tY6 said:
    Thank you so much for your quick response.  I live in North Yorkshire, do you think that’s ok weather wise?   

    Hmm, I'm not sure that Griselinia would grow well in your location, it's fine here but we have relatively mild winters.  For the length and size of hedge you are planning, a more robust species would probably be better. Beech or hornbeam might suit as suggested above, or if you want an evergreen, Thuja plicata performs well.  It's a conifer but nothing like the thuggish Leylandii.  It can be kept very neat and regenerates if you need to cut into old wood, unlike most other conifers.

    If there is a good garden centre or hedging specialist near you, I'd contact them for local knowledge and appropriate recommendations as it is going to be a big investment of time and money for you to establish a hedge of that size.  It is also very important to prepare your soil well in advance of planting by incorporating plenty of organic matter in the form of garden compost, farmyard manure or soil conditioner.  Also consider the size of the plants you can afford, bare roots are available now and are a cost effective option.

    There are many hedging specialists online, this is just one which I find useful for pricing and for care and maintenance information, they are northern based, but there are many others!

    About Hedges Direct Ltd | Hedges Direct UK

    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I've just noticed @Liriodendron's comment re the space. I think I missed that bit about 8 or 9  inches from the paving. As long as there's plenty of access to the soil around and under where you plant, and you're really vigilant about establishment of the plants, it should be ok, but a lot will depend on the soil quality and moisture retention/drainage etc, as well as where fence posts are located - especially if they're concreted in.
    It's always worth spending some time and money on ensuring the soil's decent, as it pays dividends with the health of the plants. Mulching afterwards with more organic matter [compost, leaf mould, manure etc] is also beneficial.
    Yew is also good as a hedging plant, and you can get columnar varieties which might suit.

    A photo of the site will certainly help though @dolores.tiltmanyfTg2tY6   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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