Our neighbour planted 3 leylandii on their boundary with us about 10 years ago (a year before we moved here). They don't shade us, fortunately, but they do shade another neighbour's solar panels, so they were 'topped' last spring (i.e. the top one third was taken off the leader, about 15 to 20 feet removed). In one growing season as a result they have increased in width by about 10 feet each. These 10 year old trees are now about 40 feet high and around 30 feet wide and are pushing the old fence over.
The birds love them, they are so dense you certainly can't see through them. But they are huge trees. Where these are it's not a major hassle, we all have several acres of land so really big trees aren't much bother. To keep them trimmed to 'normal' hedge proportions and staying green top to bottom would require a lot more than an annual strim with a hedge cutter.
What about hawthorn with an evergreen clematis growing through it? 'Best4hedging' do sell holly bare root but I've not used them so can't recommend
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
leylandii big thumbs down, if it gets too big it doesn't regrow after a good prune.
why not get a few yew plants and take some cuttings and grow them on (if you are on a budget) and plant them up, its a long term plan but much more manageable
some interesting shapes, profiles can be created too
I always get the feeling leyandi have got a bad press due to people not looking after them, true they can be a thug and do take a lot of nutrients out of the soil and pruned poorly can totally ruin it. But looked after can make a lovely carpet like hedge, far nicer than a cherry laurel hedge.
I like the idea of hawthorn hedge and holly, beach hedges are nice retain the copper leaves for winter, Privets are ideal if your on a budget.
I agree with the above views that laylandi would be a mistake. Coniferous alternatives could be Lawsons Cypress or Western Red Cedar. Both are dense and fairly fast growing which would be good in your situation. However if it were me I would go for a mixed hedge. They are so good for wildlife . Don't overlook the humble Privet. What about a mixed hedge of mainly Privet, say 50 percent and the remainder of aforementioned two conifers, hawthorn, wild roses, holly etc. Holly is pretty slow growing.
i have used both Hedging Direct and 3 FatPigs, both were good and I bought from each several times.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
I don't think that Leylandii has any good features that Yew doesn't do better.
It may be a bit slower to get going, but it doesn't turn into a fifty foot monster as soon as you turn your back on it, and if you do let it get out of hand you can cut it back as hard as you like and it will soon be covered with fresh green leaves. If you try that with Leylandii you're left with dry brown stumps for ever and ever
Last edited: 23 February 2017 07:59:50
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Good old privet will do the job -although not fully evergreen, and easy to maintain. You can plant around and in front of it as it's less of an issue re moisture etc.
I'd personally have Beech or Hornbeam as it can be kept very neat, retains it's foliage over winter, doesn't cause problems with moisture, and you can plant in front or around it. Useful for sheltering wildlife too
A mix of berrying hedging is the best for wildlife, but perhaps not really the most suitable for the OP.
The bare root season is almost over, so you'll need to get in quick! I've used Hopes Grove Nusery several times and they've always been excellent.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I agree with Dove that yew would be great, though it is relatively slow-growing. Thuja 'Emerald' is a lovely conifer growing to 8-12 feet which makes a gorgeous hedge, needing much less maintenance than leylandii and depleting the soil nutrients less (though any hedge makes the soil next to it dry and poor). It's true that conifers are the best at absorbing air pollutants - because they are very dense and keep their leaves all year. Other evergreens like holly and berberis are less good for this purpose - though they make wonderful spiky hedges - because the leaves are shiny.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Correction: It's www.hedging.co.uk that I have used with good results, not Hedging Direct. Sorry. I have no personal connection with any of these companies.
Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
I can understand why Sam wants a coniferous hedge at the front because his priorities are noise and air pollution reduction and conifers are the best at this. As Dove has said the classiest conifer is our native Yew but it is the slowest growing. Trials have shown that if the ground where the Yew plants are to go is well prepared and manured and the young plants given annual fertilizer dressings their rate of growth can be speeded up significantly. If that is still too slow then Thuja plicata [ suggested by Redwing ] is quite fast and definitely superior in appearance to leylandii. None of these [even native Yew] is especially wild life friendly, so perhaps you could compensate by making your hedge at the the back a mixed hedge.
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Our neighbour planted 3 leylandii on their boundary with us about 10 years ago (a year before we moved here). They don't shade us, fortunately, but they do shade another neighbour's solar panels, so they were 'topped' last spring (i.e. the top one third was taken off the leader, about 15 to 20 feet removed). In one growing season as a result they have increased in width by about 10 feet each. These 10 year old trees are now about 40 feet high and around 30 feet wide and are pushing the old fence over.
The birds love them, they are so dense you certainly can't see through them. But they are huge trees. Where these are it's not a major hassle, we all have several acres of land so really big trees aren't much bother. To keep them trimmed to 'normal' hedge proportions and staying green top to bottom would require a lot more than an annual strim with a hedge cutter.
What about hawthorn with an evergreen clematis growing through it? 'Best4hedging' do sell holly bare root but I've not used them so can't recommend
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
leylandii big thumbs down, if it gets too big it doesn't regrow after a good prune.
why not get a few yew plants and take some cuttings and grow them on (if you are on a budget) and plant them up, its a long term plan but much more manageable
some interesting shapes, profiles can be created too
cheers
I always get the feeling leyandi have got a bad press due to people not looking after them, true they can be a thug and do take a lot of nutrients out of the soil and pruned poorly can totally ruin it. But looked after can make a lovely carpet like hedge, far nicer than a cherry laurel hedge.
I like the idea of hawthorn hedge and holly, beach hedges are nice retain the copper leaves for winter, Privets are ideal if your on a budget.
Last edited: 22 February 2017 23:26:12
I agree with the above views that laylandi would be a mistake. Coniferous alternatives could be Lawsons Cypress or Western Red Cedar. Both are dense and fairly fast growing which would be good in your situation. However if it were me I would go for a mixed hedge. They are so good for wildlife . Don't overlook the humble Privet. What about a mixed hedge of mainly Privet, say 50 percent and the remainder of aforementioned two conifers, hawthorn, wild roses, holly etc. Holly is pretty slow growing.
i have used both Hedging Direct and 3 FatPigs, both were good and I bought from each several times.
I don't think that Leylandii has any good features that Yew doesn't do better.
It may be a bit slower to get going, but it doesn't turn into a fifty foot monster as soon as you turn your back on it, and if you do let it get out of hand you can cut it back as hard as you like and it will soon be covered with fresh green leaves. If you try that with Leylandii you're left with dry brown stumps for ever and ever
Last edited: 23 February 2017 07:59:50
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Good old privet will do the job -although not fully evergreen, and easy to maintain. You can plant around and in front of it as it's less of an issue re moisture etc.
I'd personally have Beech or Hornbeam as it can be kept very neat, retains it's foliage over winter, doesn't cause problems with moisture, and you can plant in front or around it. Useful for sheltering wildlife too
A mix of berrying hedging is the best for wildlife, but perhaps not really the most suitable for the OP.
The bare root season is almost over, so you'll need to get in quick! I've used Hopes Grove Nusery several times and they've always been excellent.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Isn't berberis evergreen? https://www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Berberis_darwinii_Darwins_Barberry_.html It can be very dense and pretty. My neighbour has some in a hedge about 6 ft high. Don't know how long it would take to get there though.
I agree with Dove that yew would be great, though it is relatively slow-growing. Thuja 'Emerald' is a lovely conifer growing to 8-12 feet which makes a gorgeous hedge, needing much less maintenance than leylandii and depleting the soil nutrients less (though any hedge makes the soil next to it dry and poor). It's true that conifers are the best at absorbing air pollutants - because they are very dense and keep their leaves all year. Other evergreens like holly and berberis are less good for this purpose - though they make wonderful spiky hedges - because the leaves are shiny.
Correction: It's www.hedging.co.uk that I have used with good results, not Hedging Direct. Sorry. I have no personal connection with any of these companies.
I can understand why Sam wants a coniferous hedge at the front because his priorities are noise and air pollution reduction and conifers are the best at this. As Dove has said the classiest conifer is our native Yew but it is the slowest growing. Trials have shown that if the ground where the Yew plants are to go is well prepared and manured and the young plants given annual fertilizer dressings their rate of growth can be speeded up significantly. If that is still too slow then Thuja plicata [ suggested by Redwing ] is quite fast and definitely superior in appearance to leylandii. None of these [even native Yew] is especially wild life friendly, so perhaps you could compensate by making your hedge at the the back a mixed hedge.