Garden Screening Trees, shrubs bushes

guitaruser

Hi,

I'm looking for the best alround piece of foliage to screen my garden to heights of 6ftish maybe a little higher if the neighbours dont complain.

I have drawn up a list of requirements and hopefully someone with more gardening knowledge than me can help.

Fast Growing
Evergreen
Reasonably priced.

Thanks

Ditto

Conifers meet your requirements, and if they get too big cut the tops off

Feej_2

Hi Guitaruser,
First, a couple of questions:
- in shade or sun?
- self supporting or is there any trellis, fence or other hard landscaping?
- are the neighbours N,S,E or W of you?
- completely maintenance free or willing to prune once a year?
Sorry, that's more then a couple but all info helps.

Look forward to hearing more.

Feej

guitaruser

Hi thanks for reply.

Neighbours are east.

There is a fence.

It will be reasonably shady.

Dont min a prune job, as I have no grass to cut so have to do some garden maintenence.

FWIW there is a big green bush in one corner doing exactly the same job, but I dont know what its called

tanith

How about some Laurel its fairly fast growing and there are some nice different varieties... we have a large leaved ivy on our trellis fence and it perfectly screens us from the neighbours although it needs to be kept in check twice a year...

FirstClassMale

Buddlia is very fast growing and will grow almost anywhere. It has beautiful flowers too which you dont get with conifers.

Not sure if the conditions are right but bamboo can be stunning too and you get the soothing rustling sound of the leaves in the wind. Ok maybe not, I just re read your post and bamboo can be expensive. Buddlia on the other hand can be uprooted from freinds who may have too much of it. They get rid of it, you get free plants! :money:

Feej_2

Hi GU,
Sorry for delay in replying - busy for couple of days.

Based on what you say, you don't want anything in the fast-growing conifer line as they grow VERY tall and will make it very dark for you in the mornings as they'd be on the east side of your property. Also, conifers are most likely to cause grief between neighbours; to be avoided if poss.

Bamboo is a good idea- varieties vary from 2+ - 4+ metres tall. Make sure you get one clump-forming rather than invasive, or you could lose the whole garden. It can be expensive but you can cut one large specimen into 3 (use a saw!) befor planting & it will go further.

There is a variety of laurel called Aucuba, which has a spotted leaf - bright and evergreen and does well in shade.

Also what about clematis? You can stretch wire along the fence and varieties such as Cirrhosa balearica are evergreen and do well in shade.

The hop (humulus lupulus) is a fast growing perennial which you could even use for brewing is it got that big! Prune back once a year to ground level.

There are lots more - but I won't go on. If you want any more ideas, feel free to PM me.

Happy planting!

All the best,
Feej

serena

As someone whose garden has been blighted for years until new neighbours moved in and removed the 30ft tall conifers, please do not plant leylandii. They grow a metre a year and don't stop. :eek:

Yew is classic hedging, clips beautifully, and can be cut back very hard and regrow if necessary. If you prepare the soil well, and water and feed well, then it will grow reasonably fast. It will need cutting once a year, August I think.

Laurel has large leaves, so looks horrible if cut by hedgetrimmers. It is poisonous (but then many plants are).

Holly is beautiful, and wildlife friendly as it is a native plant, but it will drop leaves in the summer, and they are horrible to collect.

It may be an idea to look around at what grows locally. Here in Kent, beech and hawthorn are common.Beech retains its brown leaves overwinter, and glows in winter sun.

guitaruser

Bamboo sounds appealing:

http://www.crocus.co.uk/findplant/results/?ContentType=Plant_Card&ClassID=1632&CategoryID=301

This looks just the right kind of thing.

Feej_2

Try looking at the black bamboo (phyllostachys nigra) on the same site - sorry, I don't know how to do links) which is v. striking but less invasive. With a 10 litre pot you'd get several plants out of it.

Feej