Best for hedging, conifers or bushes?

cazbust01

I would like to plant something to create a hedge out the front of my house - it is a smalll but long area - just to make it a bit more private - people tend to walk across the area and kids jump the small fence to get to the grass beynod, just want easy caring fairly cheap and not to grow too high ? cheers

COOLTRIKERCHICK

if you do go for conifurs make sure they are not the laylandi sp? ones and htey are the tree from hell if you dont keep them in check, but if i remember rightly they are the cheapest option

stilernin

Another consideration to think about is how wide do you want the hedge? At a previous house, my neighbour planted conifer 'whips' on the boundary line, wouldn't listen to sense, so I spent the next twenty years cutting it back to the trunk. My neighbours lost 3' of their garden.

The roots of conifers also take a lot (almost all) the moisture out of the ground for some distance too, so growing anything nearby can be problematic.

Have a walk around your neighbourhood and see what others have done and how it looks.

choille

Something jaggy perchance? Rose, hawthorn, berberrus.....

Sunnyday

Only yesterday i was wondering how big rosemary bushes will grow. I am thinking about planting them as a hedging plant as they are so lovely smelling. Does anyone know?
If they grow big enough they may be an option for you.

SD

Forgetful

i have the same problem... so I have planted a few conifers and with a rose bush in between and some other plant...dunno wot

Sunnyday

I`ve discovered that some rosemary bushes can grow up to 5 and 6 feet high.
If you like the smell then this could be an option.
I`ve bought a small bush and potted it for the time being which will restrict it. The next one that i buy will be going straight into the garden where i have a gap to see how it grows.

HTH

SD

linni

I have planted Photinia 'Red Robins' for my hedge and it looks fantastic, especially this time of the year. They can grow quite big but you can trim them to keep them smaller. I have seen some shaped nicely into a round ball at the top.

sweetserendipity

We have 2 different coloured bushes x 2 at the side of our house (so 4 bushes ) Not sure what they are called because we didn't plant them but they are lovely.

One is spikey with red leaves & is just about to flower with little orange buds.

The other is spikey with green leaves & is covered with little orange 'flowers' at the moment - could be berberis family??

Both about 5-6 feet tall.

I would like to re-create the look at the front of our house, as we have the same problem as you, so will try to find out what they are & report back. Might attempt a photo as well to give you a better idea.

Joolzr68

Hi,

I alway have liked Spotted Laurel for hedging, it looks very attractive and has bright varigated glossy leaves with lovely red berries (harmful if eaten by children though!) in the autumn/winter. It's an evergreen too so looks attractive all year.

http://www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/acatalog/spotted_laurel.html

Good luck in choosing.

brownfrog

choille wrote: »

Something jaggy perchance? Rose, hawthorn, berberrus.....

Definitely best choice for deterring people from walking across. Rosa rugosa makes a good spikey hedge, and looks and smells gorgeous in the summer. Pyracantha is another possible choice, although I personally don't like the smell of the flowers.