Sorry, I meant to say when I'd taken the photos. It's quite a grey day here and they were taken about 11ish, garden is south facing so gets sun most of the day (when we have it) apart from the very back which is mostly shaded.
The bushes are all well established privets, which is why I said coloured evergreens rather than green, because I want to see the colour against the privet in winter.
Hope that helps a bit more.
Thanks Verdun, I will look them up and add to the list.....this could be an expensive GC trip!!
Personally, I would suggest caution about planting this close to privet. My dad had a privet hedge and nothing would grow very close, to it, even though, like yours, it faced south. This was because of the fact that it was well established and sucked up everything on offer before anything else had a chance to get going. I suspect that with a border width of 3ft, you might find anything you put there is compromised. It if is a raised bed with new soil or compost in, then something shallow rooted might stand a chance. If I had your garden, I would be inclined to go for much wider borders, plant some colourful shrubs at the back to break up the solid green of the privet, but give them a decent firebreak from the privet roots, then put roses in front, and annual flowers etc. But it depends what you want the lawn for - if it doubles up as a football pitch, other garden users might have strong opinions. If you did buy plants now, and they sulked, would you have somewhere else you could move them to if you had to? I would say I am a middling experience gardener, and there might be someone else who knows of some plants that could survive well in close proximity to the privet, but if you do a search on 'planting near privet' you will see that you do need to go carefully. One site recommends a 10ft distance - which seems excessive, and not close to roses.
I don't think it's as bad as that. Could you move the bed forward a bit, keeping a strip for walking along at the back so that you can cut the hedge easily? If you have already dug the back you could put bark on the walking strip to keep your feet clean. Dig in plenty of compost and well-rotted manure, if you can get it (? local farm, riding stables) as the hedge will steal nutrients. It looks as though your bed is raised, so if it's filled with good soil the hedge shouldn't be a problem.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
We can't move the beds as the sleepers are actually concreted in with posts on the other side. I suppose they are a bit like a raised bed, the top layer of turf was dug up, turned upside down (as recommended by someone on another thread) and then 3 tonne of topsoil put on top. It all needs levelling out yet and compost putting on, I haven't been able to get to it because of the grass being too wet!
I've already thought about that Edd, but thankfully not my problem....OH looks after the hedges The back ones he can do from the other side, the lady that puts her horses in the field said we could go round and the side one isn't that high.
OH now wants a new hedge cutter though that 'bends'!!!
Sorry - I realise my post comes across like a voice of doom, when you have made a lot of effort to prepare the beds. Hopefully, if you are aware of the potential issues, and like the others say, feed and water regularly, the new plants will cope and go on to thrive. And if they seem to be sulking, you will know that there's a good reason, and can do something in time. The further forward you can put things the better. I have to say that I began my gardening activities by choosing plants I liked and putting them wherever I had a space with little regard for prevailing conditions, and learned the hard way, and am desperately keen for others not to be disappointed. I wouldn't want to dishearten anyone!
Posts
Sorry, I meant to say when I'd taken the photos. It's quite a grey day here and they were taken about 11ish, garden is south facing so gets sun most of the day (when we have it) apart from the very back which is mostly shaded.
The bushes are all well established privets, which is why I said coloured evergreens rather than green, because I want to see the colour against the privet in winter.
Hope that helps a bit more.
Thanks Verdun, I will look them up and add to the list.....this could be an expensive GC trip!!
Very, I just impatient and can't wait to see what it will look like this time next year
Personally, I would suggest caution about planting this close to privet. My dad had a privet hedge and nothing would grow very close, to it, even though, like yours, it faced south. This was because of the fact that it was well established and sucked up everything on offer before anything else had a chance to get going. I suspect that with a border width of 3ft, you might find anything you put there is compromised. It if is a raised bed with new soil or compost in, then something shallow rooted might stand a chance. If I had your garden, I would be inclined to go for much wider borders, plant some colourful shrubs at the back to break up the solid green of the privet, but give them a decent firebreak from the privet roots, then put roses in front, and annual flowers etc. But it depends what you want the lawn for - if it doubles up as a football pitch, other garden users might have strong opinions. If you did buy plants now, and they sulked, would you have somewhere else you could move them to if you had to? I would say I am a middling experience gardener, and there might be someone else who knows of some plants that could survive well in close proximity to the privet, but if you do a search on 'planting near privet' you will see that you do need to go carefully. One site recommends a 10ft distance - which seems excessive, and not close to roses.
Great
Not looking very good is it then. They are in now so will just have to make the most of them and keep my fingers crossed.
I don't think it's as bad as that. Could you move the bed forward a bit, keeping a strip for walking along at the back so that you can cut the hedge easily? If you have already dug the back you could put bark on the walking strip to keep your feet clean. Dig in plenty of compost and well-rotted manure, if you can get it (? local farm, riding stables) as the hedge will steal nutrients. It looks as though your bed is raised, so if it's filled with good soil the hedge shouldn't be a problem.
We can't move the beds as the sleepers are actually concreted in with posts on the other side. I suppose they are a bit like a raised bed, the top layer of turf was dug up, turned upside down (as recommended by someone on another thread) and then 3 tonne of topsoil put on top. It all needs levelling out yet and compost putting on, I haven't been able to get to it because of the grass being too wet!
I've already thought about that Edd, but thankfully not my problem....OH looks after the hedges
The back ones he can do from the other side, the lady that puts her horses in the field said we could go round and the side one isn't that high.
OH now wants a new hedge cutter though that 'bends'!!!
Ha ha Edd.....hedge cutter for OH = more plants for me
Sorry - I realise my post comes across like a voice of doom, when you have made a lot of effort to prepare the beds. Hopefully, if you are aware of the potential issues, and like the others say, feed and water regularly, the new plants will cope and go on to thrive. And if they seem to be sulking, you will know that there's a good reason, and can do something in time. The further forward you can put things the better. I have to say that I began my gardening activities by choosing plants I liked and putting them wherever I had a space with little regard for prevailing conditions, and learned the hard way, and am desperately keen for others not to be disappointed. I wouldn't want to dishearten anyone!