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Yew Hedge at Back of Border

LarkspurladyLarkspurlady Posts: 1
in Problem solving

Hi,

I own half of an old Grade II listed walled garden. Two sides are bounded by a high wall, one side by my house and the other side is now open (we have cleared all the old plants and dead trees). The stretch is about 25 meters and I'd like to plant a yew hedge because I feel it is in keeping with the setting.

I have been told that not much will grow next to a yew hedge, but the boundary where I want this hedge is basically the back of a large border. Will I have difficulty growing shrubs etc in the border if there is a yew hedge at the back of it?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Annette

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,142

    Hi Larkspurlady image

    Unless the border will be to the north of the yew hedge I can't see a problem.  Christopher Lloyd's wonderful garden at Gt Dixter is chock-a-block with yew hedges with wonderful borders in front of them. 

    Of course the bed needs to be nice and deep and regularly fed and mulched, with lots of room so that your shrubs and perennials aren't actually growing 'under' the hedge ... but you've said it's a large border so all should be fine.  It sounds really appropriate for the setting.  I'd love to see photos - very jealous of a walled garden!


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • MeelyMeely Posts: 79
    I have a yew hedge, probably about 40ft long, 4 1/2 foot tall. It's been in place for at least 40 years. It forms the backdrop to a north facing border although it still receives a lot of sun. We have light clay soil so my plants don't tend to suffer from drought. I do not have a problem planting near to it there were a couple of shrubs near the shady end that have stayed and are doing well. I haven't planted anything nearer than 1 1/2 ft, mostly perennials. The sambucus and cotinus that i put in I particularly choose to contrast with the dark green of the yew. The are doing well a couple of years later. I think in the context you give yew will be a fabulous choice. Make sure you account for the eventual size of shrubs so as to be able to prune the yew properly.
  • lisa masseylisa massey Posts: 252

    Larkspurlady, we are taking up a yew hedge in the near future, there's around 15 plants at 5ft tall, if you are anywhere near North Yorkshire and we can get them out in a reasonable condition, you are more than welcome to have them.

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