What to plant?

AndyT678

Hi

I currently have a Leyland Cypress hedge that's about 30 ft long, 12 ft high and 5 ft wide. I want shot of it because:

1. I hate maintaining Leylandii
2. It's ridiculously big and I want the space back.

Once it's gone I will be left with a fence (my neighbour's) which is not very high and, I suspect, not very pretty to look at.

So what can I plant that will give me back a bit of privacy in a few years and is relatively easy to maintain and nice to look at?

Thanks

Andy

I_have_spoken

Chances are your neighbour will also be delighted these trees will be going!

Ask them if they have any objections to you running trellis along the top of the fence, then you have options for climbers as well as shrubs where the Leyland Cypress was.

The soil is likely to be awfully depleted, so be prepared to add compost before replanting.

Need to know more about which way the plants will face and how cold it gets with you before recommending plants

AndyT678

Neighbour will be very happy to see the back of it!

Not sure what the state of the fence is - I can't really see well from my side. I think there might be a mixture of panels and chain link. I could talk to my neighbour about replacing some of it if necessary or maybe put something inside my boundary.

The hedge is on the right hand side of a south eastish facing garden so faces east - north east. I'm near Bristol so fairly southern and reasonably sheltered.

lostinrates

What do you want from the replacements?

We removed a huge leylandii screen about four years ago, and while its an improve ment in many ways waiting for the replacement screen to plant and grow is a little sad.

So far we've planted mainly deciduous trees and we're getting ready to plant some evergreens. We already have holm oak and holly, a couple of eucalyptus. Next we're adding some olives and then some clumping bamboos ( less for look than for the lovely noise).

AndyT678

I appreciate that anything I plant will need some time and the area will look a bit sad for a couple of years. Don't want to have to wait too long though.

I'd like to end up with something that I can easily keep between about 5 - 8 ft high that won't encroach too far into the garden.

Edit: I planted an olive in my last house and while it survived it was not exactly shooting upwards.

Davesnave

Do you want a mix or something plain as a background?

We planted a beech hedge between us and the neighbours about 3 years ago. It's already up to 5' in places and it hangs onto its leaves for much of the winter. Just a quick trim in spring so far.

Hornbeam will do the same as beech, but it comes into leaf a bit earlier. Planted a hedge of that between us and another neighbour last winter.

Fast growth means higher maintenance. I use Cotoneaster or Laurel for a fast screen, but not where I will have to trim them a lot. They are on field boundaries with commercial or unpleasant neighbours!!:rotfl: