I was at college when winter borders were very fashionable and I still love them. You can get some wonderfull coloured stems. Cornus Westonbirt has, in a good year, incredible autumn colour, the leaves are like rubies in the sun. When established it will grow five or six feet in a year and about 45 cm in the first year after planting. I bought Salix Britzensis two years ago but I neglected it and it hasn't established very well. You really have to keep the grass away from the base. I realy can't stress that enough. Dog wood isn't quite so badly affected, I've even lost some willow in the grass. It's probably still alive I've just litterally lost it, I can't remember where I planted it and it now gets mown.
If you drive the main road from Farnham/Guildford towards Winchester, is it the A31?, the central reservation is full of dogwoods of various hews. Drive with the sun behind them and WOW is an understatement, and so unexpected.
Rowan is easy from seed. In 4 years all of mine are over 8ft and thickening out now. Unless you buy an instant hedge then patience is the virtue. If trying for a thick screen hedge then pack the trees in a triangle shape as that gives a thicker appearance.
Box is easy to propagate but slow to grow. You will be dead before it reaches 6ft though!
I have a cotoneaster hedge which is full of berries at the moment... but not for long says the army of blackbirds... easy to grow, fairly quick, easily trimmed and pretty.
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But I don't think box cuttings are going to be screening outbuildings for a while
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I don't think any will do the job quickly, except maybe willow which would give you a new set of problems in the future
In the sticks near Peterborough
I regularly pass a "fedge" which has been made of cuttings of willows with different coloured stems, going through greenish, yellowish, orangeish etc.
Looking here http://www.bluestem.ca/willows-pruning.htm reveals info about techniques and types of willow etc.
IIt's very effective after just a few years, but does require regular maintenance.
More infor here http://www.kingsbarnfarm.co.uk/living_willow_hedge.html
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I was at college when winter borders were very fashionable and I still love them. You can get some wonderfull coloured stems. Cornus Westonbirt has, in a good year, incredible autumn colour, the leaves are like rubies in the sun. When established it will grow five or six feet in a year and about 45 cm in the first year after planting. I bought Salix Britzensis two years ago but I neglected it and it hasn't established very well. You really have to keep the grass away from the base. I realy can't stress that enough. Dog wood isn't quite so badly affected, I've even lost some willow in the grass. It's probably still alive I've just litterally lost it, I can't remember where I planted it and it now gets mown.
If you drive the main road from Farnham/Guildford towards Winchester, is it the A31?, the central reservation is full of dogwoods of various hews. Drive with the sun behind them and WOW is an understatement, and so unexpected.
Rowan is easy from seed. In 4 years all of mine are over 8ft and thickening out now. Unless you buy an instant hedge then patience is the virtue. If trying for a thick screen hedge then pack the trees in a triangle shape as that gives a thicker appearance.
Box is easy to propagate but slow to grow. You will be dead before it reaches 6ft though!
Hazel is pretty quick as well. Hawthorn a bit slow in the first couple of years but then it shoots away.
My box took 20 years to reach about 6 foot
In the sticks near Peterborough
I have a cotoneaster hedge which is full of berries at the moment... but not for long says the army of blackbirds... easy to grow, fairly quick, easily trimmed and pretty.