Cotoneaster or totally different hedging?

shegirl

Hi.I currently have nothing to define boundary in my front garden and,rather than fencing it,I want a hedge.

I do love the look of Cotoneasters but am unsure how bushy they are as I'd rather not have too much space (thinking of their width) taken up although it's not a huge deal.

Can anyone recommend a good Cotoneaster that isn't too bushy or droopy?Or maybe similar that produces berries?

Also,how quick do the grow in comparisson to beech and such like?

blossomhill_2

I am a cotoneaster fan but the only ones I have need support against a wall for a few years before forming a thick enough stem to stand up as a hedge - and then need a lot of clipping back to keep them tamed

Have you had a look at pyracantha? You could actually grow some cotoneaster up through it for the lovely autumn colour, and the birds would love you for the berries and spring nesting site (prickly so pretty safe from cats)

Leif

I had some Cotoneaster in my garden. I pulled most out, but left one. I gave it a severe pruning and I was impressed by how well it grew back. Although it can spread, pruning will cure that. Sadly this one was not very tall, maybe 2 foot.

shegirl

Pyracantha looks nice

Just looked at Cotoneaster simonsii aswell and it's meant to be an erect one?Looks lovely.There was advise to try bamboo canes with it aswell.I also see it's insectavorus aswell,didn't expect that!

Any experience of them for hedging?

fwor

Pyracantha looks good, and I planted it at my last place to stop the local brats invading my garden - which it did very well. But it's extremely unpleasant to trim as the thorns are vicious when they grow bigger.

I've started a length of hedge in Cotoneaster Franchetii and so far it's looking promising - much more upright than any other Cotoneaster I've tried, and has berries too.

It's supposed to be able to stay upright without support, though I think it has a tendency to arch over and self-root when at full size (mine's only a metre or so tall atm so I won't find out for sure for a while).

Leif

fwor wrote: »

I've started a length of hedge in Cotoneaster Franchetii and so far it's looking promising - much more upright than any other Cotoneaster I've tried, and has berries too.

I popped into a local garden centre out of curiosity and picked up a C. franchetii, grows to 3m apparently, spread of 3m. It looks rather nice, semi-evergreen, berries round winter, no thorns. I think the birds will approve. And it will fill that hole at the side. How fast does it grow? Hopefully a foot a year.

It might be a bit pricey for a long hedge given that I bought 45 bare root Ligustrum ovalifolium (privet) for £45, whereas this was £4 for one plant.

fwor

Leif wrote: »

I How fast does it grow? Hopefully a foot a year.

I was surprised that they are that fast growing - particularly given the very dry spring here - but that's what mine have done in their first year.

I bought mine bare-rooted at only a quid each, but if you do that, expect quite a high failure rate. I lost around 30%, mainly because they are planted on a high, dry bank. Fortunately I bought many spares, so I have been able to fill in the gaps...

Sambucus_Nigra

http://www.pomonafruits.co.uk/hedging-plants/edible-hedging-mix-18-plants

Edible hedging all the way...

Patchwork_Quilt

I agree with Sambucus Nigra (nice name, by the way). Mixed hedging is the way to go. Otherwise, I would recommend beech, which grows upwards quickly but takes time to bush out, or privet, which smells gorgeous when it flowers. We have planted beech at the front and inherited privet down the side.

I'm not in favour of cotoneaster because it's prickly, poisonous, fertile and impossible to kill when you've got tired of it. Bamboo is even worse, apparently. However, I'm rather bitter, having had to cope with both of these where I really didn't want them. Good luck, whatever you do.

shegirl

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

http://www.pomonafruits.co.uk/hedging-plants/edible-hedging-mix-18-plants

Edible hedging all the way...

Oh I love that idea!Probably better for back garden though,if I wanted to make use of the fruit nuts maybe?hmm

Quite tempted actually,it's a lovely idea

shegirl

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

I agree with Sambucus Nigra (nice name, by the way). Mixed hedging is the way to go. Otherwise, I would recommend beech, which grows upwards quickly but takes time to bush out, or privet, which smells gorgeous when it flowers. We have planted beech at the front and inherited privet down the side.

I'm not in favour of cotoneaster because it's prickly, poisonous, fertile and impossible to kill when you've got tired of it. Bamboo is even worse, apparently. However, I'm rather bitter, having had to cope with both of these where I really didn't want them. Good luck, whatever you do.

Cotoneaster having no thorns is a bonus of it,it looks nice and will feed the birds.I'm not sure how it grows though lol

Not too fussed about poisonous berries,ds is never unsupervised and the only kids are two ickle foster kids next door who wouldn't have access due to my house being a semi with access up the side of the front garden.

If some random muppet walked past,had a taste and got a stomach upset it would be his own fault!