Ligustrum Japonicum can be used for this purpose. From Barcham trees: Ligustrum japonicum is an absolutely superb choice for planting as a raised screen, or stilted hedge, with the crown extending above the fence line and the stems taking up very little space in the garden.
I would never attempt to use conifers as pleached trees - which is effectively what you're trying to do @paulsmith787032824 . They just aren't suited to it, for several reasons, but the maintenance would be extremely difficult. It will be tricky anyway, whatever you choose, as you'll need to maintain the other side of it - the neighbours' side, unless they want to help.... I'd also agree re the soil situation. The best method is always - improve it first before planting anything. Hornbeam is ideal for pleaching, but it isn't evergreen, although it holds it's foliage, so it depends on how you want to use the space- if you aren't sitting out there over winter, it would be fine, and it doesn't mind wetter conditions. Laurel will cope with any amount of moisture thrown at it, and so will those Eleagnus already mentioned, but you still need to improve the area, and you need to consider how you'll maintain it. There are plenty of shrubby plants which could be used, but it always comes back to that maintenance issue. It also depends on where you are - Photinias are frequently hideous all year round if you aren't in a milder area.
A screen with climbers would be much easier IMO, but if you plant anything to reaach that height, it can cause problems for you with the amount of light you'll get. The size of your plot is a huge factor in that.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I would never attempt to use conifers as pleached trees - which is effectively what you're trying to do @paulsmith787032824 .
A screen with climbers would be much easier IMO, but if you plant anything to reaach that height, it can cause problems for you with the amount of light you'll get. The size of your plot is a huge factor in that.
Thanks - my interest was originally to use conifers as clear stemmed for a few metres, otherwise as a standard tree - not pleached. With the growth point cut once the desired height is reached. The trees arent right on the boundary so can be maintained. We have a large plot, 1/3 of acre.
Thank you to others for the varied suggestions including the raised soil to counter the slower drainage. To the poster who suggested Laurels can take damp, very interesting. Otherwise perhaps a mix of soil and rubble could raise the roots and encourage lateral growth.
My challenge with pleaching as the way forward is that the ultimate height is, I believe limited to what you buy and how it is trained. Or can you expect some additional height? My neighbours eyesore wont disappear without some in-situ growth.
It amounts to the same thing - a bare trunk and a top canopy. You'll have to be sure of maintaining them. The ground has to be prepped properly whatever the chosen tree/shrub. There's currently a thread about a laurel hedge, and I explained this morning to the OP that it isn't as simple as digging a hole and sticking a plant [of any kind] into it. That's what's been done. It's false economy, because you simply aren't giving the plants the best chance of thriving. Laurels get huge in wetter parts of the country - they grow several feet a year once established. The last thing you want is lateral growth of roots, if it's without depth as well. Conifers in particular, would be very unstable - they're shallow rooted anyway. Pleached trees are expensive because of the amount of training and ongoing care they get to reach the stage they're often bought at. They don't just stop growing altogether. It also depends on the type of tree being used as to how dense the canopy is
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
I'd also agree re the soil situation. The best method is always - improve it first before planting anything.
Hornbeam is ideal for pleaching, but it isn't evergreen, although it holds it's foliage, so it depends on how you want to use the space- if you aren't sitting out there over winter, it would be fine, and it doesn't mind wetter conditions. Laurel will cope with any amount of moisture thrown at it, and so will those Eleagnus already mentioned, but you still need to improve the area, and you need to consider how you'll maintain it.
There are plenty of shrubby plants which could be used, but it always comes back to that maintenance issue. It also depends on where you are - Photinias are frequently hideous all year round if you aren't in a milder area.
A screen with climbers would be much easier IMO, but if you plant anything to reaach that height, it can cause problems for you with the amount of light you'll get. The size of your plot is a huge factor in that.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thank you to others for the varied suggestions including the raised soil to counter the slower drainage. To the poster who suggested Laurels can take damp, very interesting. Otherwise perhaps a mix of soil and rubble could raise the roots and encourage lateral growth.
My challenge with pleaching as the way forward is that the ultimate height is, I believe limited to what you buy and how it is trained. Or can you expect some additional height? My neighbours eyesore wont disappear without some in-situ growth.
The ground has to be prepped properly whatever the chosen tree/shrub. There's currently a thread about a laurel hedge, and I explained this morning to the OP that it isn't as simple as digging a hole and sticking a plant [of any kind] into it. That's what's been done. It's false economy, because you simply aren't giving the plants the best chance of thriving. Laurels get huge in wetter parts of the country - they grow several feet a year once established.
The last thing you want is lateral growth of roots, if it's without depth as well. Conifers in particular, would be very unstable - they're shallow rooted anyway.
Pleached trees are expensive because of the amount of training and ongoing care they get to reach the stage they're often bought at. They don't just stop growing altogether. It also depends on the type of tree being used as to how dense the canopy is
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
At a third of an acre you can do a lot and helps the nice people here that are trying to make suggestions .