Hedging

stifz

Need to plant hedging on a 3/4 acre site in Kildare Both sides 75m each making 150m in total. I plan to plant 2ft apart.. Anyone any idea's what to plant? I was looking at Laurels but read they can get out of hand quite easily.. My first choice was Grisilenia others have said use Escallonia.. Any idea's or advice would be greatly appreciated as i want a nice looking hedge but easy to maintain unlike lelanies etc..

thanks

Macy

I'm not sure Grisilenia is that hardy. I suppose it depends on your microclimate I suppose. I wouldn't have thought Laurels were that bad to keep under control tbh, but I think they're poisonous to animals so I don't know if that's an issue.

Other options would be a mixed native hedge. Went for this myself down one of our sides - 4:1 whitethorn: blackthorn mix. Easy to maintain, and even if you miss a year, whitethorn will grow again if cut right back to the stump. It can look attractive if left to flower and produce berries (sloes off the blackthorn for the gin!), plus it's the original stock proof boundary, so good for security too.

I got the hedging (and load of trees) bareroot from Coillte Nurseries.

stifz

Cheers Macy.. does that hedging not cut the arms of ya when trimming?! I like the idea of some sort of flowering during various months. nicer to look at than a standard hedge. I need to look into the laurel being posinous.. i have two dogs with a taste for flower heads and grass? Bizarre... but they can't get enough of bedding plants only to spit them back out!!

Coillte Nurseries - carlow?

towbar

We had Escallonia at a previous house just a small hedge and so are going for it again on similiar area you described. Its pretty vigorous and flowers - will need cut twice a year once established.

Personally would like whitethorn but with kids playing ball around not really pratical.

looksee

Do you want a formal looking hedge or informal? Do you know what sort of soil you have. Do you have to keep cattle out? For a semi-suburban situation Escallonia would be my choice - cut it down well the first couple of years or it can be leggy. Please don't use Grisalinia - its about as appealing as leylandii, and it is a bit tender. There is a spirea (dainty foliage and white flowers) that you can use as hedging. Rosa Rugosa is lovely - a rose hedge, very prickly, lovely flowers and huge seedheads (hips) but is a bit sprawling. If you were doing the field hedgerow suggested, you could perhaps consider including a small tree - mountain ash (rowen), holly, crab apple, at intervals. You can use holly for hedging as well, though its a bit slow, and has to be cut carefully (as does laurel) or you just end up with a lot of mangled leaves. Pyracantha is another possibility (firethorn) spectacular berries, though I've never grown this one as a hedge myself, only on a wall, but I believe you can use it as a hedge.

davidoco

see this thread

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=250665

updated pictures from my post no. 14 of porteguese laurel. slow growing and evergreen.

prospect

I am having hedging done in my place next month. The landscaper is using Hornbeam!

garyh3

Hi all,


Just as an FYI Lidl are selling both Privet (Ligustrum) and Laurel (Prunus Rotundifolia) today 19th for 2.99 each. They are also selling a large selection of fruit trees

Garyh3

NextSteps

What about beech? Looks great summer and winter, and fits in better with the landscape.

stifz

davidoco wrote:

see this thread

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=250665

updated pictures from my post no. 14 of porteguese laurel. slow growing and evergreen.

I think my mind is made up. The laurels are lovely looking in that photo. Think thats the one's for me. I noticed there was a black covering under them. Do you have to put this down or is it optional?

davidoco

stifz wrote:

I noticed there was a black covering under them. Do you have to put this down or is it optional?

The “weedblock” was put down to save weeding for the first year or two. After that the laurels tends to block out the light beneath them so you get no weeds as such.

I had intended to put bark on top of the “weedblock” but didn’t bother in the end for cost reasons. A pebble to set off the laurel would be nice but would cost about €4 per metre.

A good laurel plant 300 – 500 mm high costs between 5 and 6 euro.

Dug hole 2 spade tips square (ie 2x2x2x2) for each one and used only compost for backfill.

Sonnenblumen

Olearia Hasstii/ O. Macrodonta make superb evergreen hedges. Plant 1.0m-1.5m apart

walshglenvar

stifz wrote:

I think my mind is made up. The laurels are lovely looking in that photo. Think thats the one's for me. I noticed there was a black covering under them. Do you have to put this down or is it optional?

Portugese laurel is a good choice as is photinia.
Sap Nurserys in Cahir, Co.Tipperary have all the expertise and stock available you`ll ever require!

wonni

can any one advise a decent nursery to buy some 2 foot hedging. either grisalinia or laurel, somewhere in dublin or not too far from there

Lex Luthor

I've got grislina in my house in Kildare and it grows well. It might not suit well in really frosty areas as its only semi hardy, where the laurel would be better.

I think for the distance you want to cover, the laurel would be better. The Photinia is also one to consider. Red/Green leaves that look good all year round

wonni

do you know where is best to get it?