Laurel Hedge and Lawn Grass Seed

LocalLad

Hi, does anyone have any experience of buying any of the above? The best I've seen is £2.99 per laurel plant and £36 per 12.5kg of lawn seed.
Anyone with any experience and/or recommendations.
Thanks

moonpie

LocalLad wrote: »

Hi, does anyone have any experience of buying any of the above? The best I've seen is £2.99 per laurel plant and £36 per 12.5kg of lawn seed.
Anyone with any experience and/or recommendations.
Thanks

I had looked at laurel hedges until I found out they attracted bees and wasps, but if they're far enough from the house they do look well. That seems about the same price I found. I can't help with the grass seed though.

LocalLad

moonpie wrote: »

I had looked at laurel hedges until I found out they attracted bees and wasps, but if they're far enough from the house they do look well. That seems about the same price I found. I can't help with the grass seed though.

I hadn't realised they attracted bees and wasps. It is relatively far from house, about 20 meters. Problem is having to cut grass near them. The main reason for deciding on Laurel was that it is very hardy and I'm told that it was about the only hedge that coped with the severe winter we had, as many people around lost theirs.

Have you got an alternative?

moonpie

No alternatives yet, hope someone else can suggest something.

RTNI

I planted a griselinia hedge back in spring. It is a hardy plant that is not picky where it grows.

LocalLad

RTNI wrote: »

I planted a griselinia hedge back in spring. It is a hardy plant that is not picky where it grows.

I had looked at that but I came across this which put fear in me and put me off!

http://www.growsonyou.com/question/show/15949

jasmin10

Hi, we bought 40 or 50 laurel off someone on ebay when we first moved into our house about 3 years ago. It looks very nice 3 years on, although I do agree about the bees and wasps. it dosent bother me too much but DH does insist on flapping around near them - so his fault when he gets stung, we do also have lots of fruit trees so that probably dosent help either.

I will have a look on my fb from ebay to see if it still lists the seller. From memory I think it cost us about £70, they came very well packed and bare rooted.

Golden_Anemone

LocalLad wrote: »

The main reason for deciding on Laurel was that it is very hardy and I'm told that it was about the only hedge that coped with the severe winter we had, as many people around lost theirs.

Have you got an alternative?

I have several hedges in different parts of the garden and all of them survived the winter - beech (well established), privet (a mix of well established and 3-4 yr old plants) and escallonia (well established).

The best value hedging is bought as bare root plants in the winter. If you want to plant in the summer or autumn you will need pot grown plants which will be more expensive. I bought about 50 privet "whips" for about £30 online a few years ago and they are now about 5 ft tall and bushing out nicely. Obviously different hedges will be different prices.

I don't really like Laurel and its large leaves make it more difficult to trim - unless you don't mind half cut leaves that the electric trimmer leaves.

LocalLad

Golden_Anemone wrote: »

I have several hedges in different parts of the garden and all of them survived the winter - beech (well established), privet (a mix of well established and 3-4 yr old plants) and escallonia (well established).

The best value hedging is bought as bare root plants in the winter. If you want to plant in the summer or autumn you will need pot grown plants which will be more expensive. I bought about 50 privet "whips" for about £30 online a few years ago and they are now about 5 ft tall and bushing out nicely. Obviously different hedges will be different prices.

I don't really like Laurel and its large leaves make it more difficult to trim - unless you don't mind half cut leaves that the electric trimmer leaves.

What kind of privet did you go for? My concern is that given the severity of winter experience last year, if I wait to November to plant, by which time the ground will be freezing, they won't get the opportunity to establish at all. The main reason for my choosing Laurel is that I have been told that it is the hardiest hedge, and we were under at least a foot of snow for quite a long time (rural north).

Old_Git

I have a laurel hedge .It was here when I bought my house 14 years ago .
It was about 6 ft high .However after last winter a 30ft section died .

Golden_Anemone

LocalLad wrote: »

What kind of privet did you go for? My concern is that given the severity of winter experience last year, if I wait to November to plant, by which time the ground will be freezing, they won't get the opportunity to establish at all. The main reason for my choosing Laurel is that I have been told that it is the hardiest hedge, and we were under at least a foot of snow for quite a long time (rural north).

Ordinary green privet. I'm obviously not so far north as you but while we did have very severe frost - as low as minus 16 at night and our main roads were under a thick sheet of compacted ice inspite of gritting for the 10 days up to Boxing Day - our weather was quite mild until late November. I'd imagine Halloween time is ideal hedge planting time.