Best evergreen for privacy

Wavey

Afternoon all,

My back garden is bordered a 6 foot wall that backs onto public ground.
I want to increase the level of privacy by planting some evergreen trees or hedging that will grow above the 6 foot.

I wont want them to encroach too far into the garden so I will want to plant them as close to the wall as possible and keep them trimmed back.

I was thinking of planting Leylandii and keeping them trimmed to 10 or 12 foot.

Does theis seem like a good idea. Is there a possibility of the roots damaging the wall if I plant them 2 foot from the wall?

Is the Leylandii too big? the garden would be about 150sqm.

I have also read that the Eucalyptus gunnii would be good.

What sort of spacing should these be planted at?

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks,

Wavey.

finnbob123

I personally would stay away from the Leylandii as not only does it need a lot of work to keep it looking good it will damage the wall as it tends to have big strong roots also it can turn brown very fast if exposed to cool winds(e.g. above the top of the wall) or shade.
Eucalyptus gunnii does make for a great hedge but would take a lot of time and also it would never thicken out and you would always be able to see through it. also it can be very costly.

I would recommend a simple griselinia hedge its not the best looking but is by far the cheapest and best for this area I think. it will grow fast to about 12ft. (I have one that's 23ft high)so just let it grow to the height you want it and keep it there. also it would not damage the wall I have seen one planted an a raised bed about 3ft and about 2inchs from the brick and done no damage. it does grow fast and requires cutting maybe once or twice a year. you could plant them anywhere from 1 to 3 foot apart but for privacy I would recommend 2 foot apart as they will grow into each other and create a good tick bush.

also you could try laurel hedge its pretty much the same care wise but has bigger and shinier leaves and makes great privacy screening. it is slower growing and slightly more expensive.

if you would like something more unusual you could try bamboo plants but have to be very careful as they would quickly take over the garden and you would soon have a bamboo jungle. but look and sound great when there is a breeze. they make great height and eventually create a tick wall of tall bamboo stakes. (if you message me I will give you advise about planting this as it will take over if not planted properly.) also this would be more expensive then the others.

if you would like any other suggestions just ask.
these are just my opinions and experience.

Wavey

Thanks for the reply Finnbob.

I might go for a mixture of griselinia and leyland cyprus.
Do you know if the leyland cyprus is the same as a leylandii?

Is it possible to speed up the growth in the first years with fertilizer? Or is this a no no.

Thanks,

Wavey

looksee

A lot of griselinia was killed a few years ago by the very cold winter, so you would need to consider where you are and how cold it gets. Yes, leyland cyprus is the same as leylandii, and for all the reasons given by Finnbob you should avoid it. And finally, no you cannot force a hedge to grow faster by using fertiliser, you would do more harm than good.

A couple more possibilities for a thick hedge - privet, not glamorous but easy and manageable. Another one is the small leaved lonicera nitida looks very much like box but grows much faster. Again easy to grow and very easy to propogate, but you have to keep it trimmed or it can get straggly.

finnbob123

well technically you could speed up growth with fertilizer but you will end up with tall stringy plants which would look horrible for years. or you could kill them with over fertilizing. what I would recommend is planting the hedge leaving it for about 6 months to root in and develop good growth and then apply chicken manure(pelleted is best as less likely to carry diseases) to the base of the plants but be careful as not to apply to much. also I would recommend digging manure or compost into the ground before planting the hedge, also if you are using manure make sure it is well rotted as if not it could be very acidic and burn the roots.
also as suggested by looksee privet would make a good privacy screening and I agree even dough it is cheaper its not the prettiest to look at.
I hope this helps.
finnbob.