best fast growing plants to act as hedge/barrier?

judygarland

I need to cover an unsightly boundary fence and don't want to buy Lleylandi.

Can anyone recommend plants or trees that are good for this purpose and will grow quickly. I dont mind having to prune them each year.
Many thanks

Krystaltips

We just planted a couple of Russian vine plants along the fence to our horrible neighbours... We're hoping by next year it will just be a mass of vines and white flowers...

serena

The drawback with plants that grow fast is that they usually don't stop when you'd like them to...they just carry on growing! You may well find a couple of years down the line that you have a massive and expensive problem on your hands, with possibly a boundary fence to replace.

A mixed hedge would look attractive, and usually grows reasonably fast without outdoing its welcome - but would be better planted in the winter from bareroot plants - the cheapest option as well.

I can recommend http://www.hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk/

foxwales

I just recently planted a new hedge of "Box" hedging. They have been down for about 3 weeks now and they have already doubled in size.

Very fast growing and picked up a pack of 10 at homebase for £9.99.

davemorton

:-( I bought some none descript box hedging last year, and it must have grown all of an inch in a year. Just looking at that site mentioned above, may have to buy some Hg BEECH PURPLE from them to replace it.

DKLS

A mix of quickthorn and blackthorn, makes an attractive hedge, if you prepare the soil well, it should only take a couple of seasons to get decent sized plants.

Davesnave

Escallonia are evergreen & reasonably quick. I've used 'Gold Brian' & 'Gold Ellen.' Pittosporum (not the variegated or red types, which are slow) is also good, though it takes a year or two to get going. You could also look at the larger elaeagnus, like ebbingei, which have some nice variegated forms.

Russian vine, as someone suggested above, will certainly make horrible neighbours 'disappear.' Trouble is, your garden will probably go the same way!:rotfl:

jessbob

I planted a Russian Vine a few years ago. Took over the bottom of my garden within a season, even though I tried to keep it under control !!!

Had to dig it up in the end unfortunately. Looked unsightly and I was forever in my neighbours garden chopping it back !!

Won't be getting another one !!!!:rotfl:

Davesnave

foxwales wrote: »

I just recently planted a new hedge of "Box" hedging. They have been down for about 3 weeks now and they have already doubled in size.

Very fast growing and picked up a pack of 10 at homebase for £9.99.

That would be Welsh box then?

My English box was the slowest thing I ever grew, the 'archway' I started having reached almost chest height after 15 years....at which point, I moved.

Box starts quickly (from cuttings) but it slows down. Bit like me, as the day wears on.

Spirit_2

Our Beech hedge planted to screen the garden has been in about 4 years - 6 feet tall and a good screen. Mostly copper with one or two green plants.

Although deciduous the 'dead' leaves stay on over winter and are attractive.

judygarland

Spirit wrote: »

Our Beech hedge planted to screen the garden has been in about 4 years - 6 feet tall and a good screen. Mostly copper with one or two green plants.

Although deciduous the 'dead' leaves stay on over winter and are attractive.

Thanks for that. How big were they when you planted them?