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Ideas for property boundary

Cecelia-LCecelia-L Posts: 120
edited June 2023 in Garden design
Hello all, 

I am trying to figure out what to plant by a boundary fencing.

This particular section is over 100 meters long. The widest part is 35 meters. Handful of mature trees dotted about. 

Condition: 
heavy clay
parts are extremely wet and boggy in the winter. I never realised how wet it is until we removed the huge and hideous Leylandii hedge. 
Baked dry in summer 
not too exposed/windy 
Axis runs south-north. 
Rural, surrounded by farm lands except one neighbour to the other side of the fence who is two hundred meters away. 
Very far from the tap so I will have to drag a hose to water this part. 

There are a handful mature trees, a Leylandii, Oak, willow and Popular x4. 
There is still plenty of sunshine as these mature trees were in front of the Leylandii hedge. 

in the past six years I tried to plant the yew hedge twice. But failed both times. Out of 100 meters only 20 meters of yews survived. The rest have all drowned during the wet boggy winter. 

Ideally I’d like a collection of large trees.  Mixture of evergreen and deciduous. Underplanted with bushes, mostly evergreen and some flowering deciduous slotted in between. Maybe add a few rambler roses for a bit of colour. 


The trees I am considering are 
-little leave lime 
- tulip tree 
- oak
- acer rubrum and various maples 
-Himalayan pine 
- red cedar 
- black locust 
- norther red oak
- English walnut 
- hornbeam 
- sweet gum 
-beech 



Bushes for under planting 
- smoke tree 
- elder 
- Choisya ternata 
- dog wood 
- kolkwitzia amabilis 
- rambler roses 


I’d also like to dedicate a part of it solely to eucalyptus. I am under the impression these are outstanding hardy evergreen trees that can tolerate any condition. Also I could do with more eucalyptus cuttings. 

Looking forward to reading everyone’s comments and suggestions. 

Thank you 
C x 

Posts

  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    An impressive potential collection. But isn't it too much? Many of these trees grow to mega heights/width. I know you have 100m and 35m wide at some point. The tulip tree is a lovely tree but we planted one (at the time in the right place) but we had to remove it when it became so wide that it started to take out our garage. We have since seen specimen ones that are spectacular but enormous. The walnut is also one that we know to grow very high and wide. Maybe I'm not good at imagining the space you have but hopefully the experts on this forum will give you better info.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    The soil will be waterlogging because you've removed the trees which were preventing that.
    You'll either have to improve the soil to make other trees easier to establish, or you'll just have to use a scattergun approach, and hope some of them take. Yew will never be happy if it's boggy when it's trying to be established.
    I'd do it a few specimens at a time, if the soil's properly amended, or buy hedging in bare root season, because many hedges are just plants which will become trees if left, and then it's cheaper if any fail. Hornbeam will cope with wet, but beech is less likely to. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
     Do you have a local  Woodland Trust ?  It could be an idea to have a word with them and ask for some advice ? 
    Given the area you want to plant, the more local knowledge/expertise to hand the better.
    As @bertrand-mabel says, some of the specimens you mention may not be suitable in the long run.
  • Cecelia-LCecelia-L Posts: 120
    I will see if I can organise enough top soil to raise the site a bit and try the yew hedge one last time. It might be the sunshine but I am suddenly feeling very hopeful! 

    Failing that I will try the other hedging varieties next year. 
     @Fairygirl

    @philippasmith2
    good idea. I will ask the village WhatsApp group! 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd use more than just topsoil. Conifers of any kind deplete the nutrients very easily, so you'd be starting new plants off with poorer conditions, and that would be magnified if you intended planting now. Loads of manure and compost as well as soil, is a far better mix as it'll improve the soil structure. 
    Personally, I wouldn't start planting trees or hedging at this time of year though. Terrible waste of time, money and effort in buying and maintaining new trees in less than ideal conditions, when the soil could be properly prepped over the next few months, and then whips planted in autumn when they're much cheaper than potted specimens, and more likely to establish easily.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Agree, now is not the time to be planting trees, you are asking for them to die. Prepare the soil thoroughly and plant in the Autumn.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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