Hedge advice, please

Treehelpplease

Hi

I'm looking for an evergreen hedge to be planted at the rear of my garden. I'd like it to grow to about 6 feet tall (it can grow taller, just be able to handle being pruned to 6ft once or twice a year) and be able to pruned back (the width) the same amount of times a year. It is being planted on top of a bank/ditch and if possible, flower at some point during the year (but not necessary) and be thick enough to not be easily seen through. We were looking at bamboo but I feel it will look sparse, be hard to maintain and it doesn't flower. does anyone have any suggestions, please? not grislinia, have that already

Reckless Abandonment

viburnum tinus, would work well

looksee

Whatever you choose, do not let it grow to 6ft before pruning it. You need to cut off some of the precious new growth each season to make it into a thick and sturdy hedge, otherwise you will end up with straggly top-heavy bushes. Agree with Viburnum, or maybe Photinia Red Robin - but you MUST cut it back right from the start. No flowers but you get the red leaves.

billyhead

A Holly bush/tree might suit.

Hibernicis

I'll offer a less conventional approach. The above are practical suggestions and will meet your stated objectives. I find single species evergreen hedges very boring, especially the ones that look more or less the same 365 days a year (Greselinia, privet etc) and laborious to maintain. Take a look at some of the pages here for some alternative ideas. I particularly like the fruiting and flowering mixes as these are great for wildlife and most vary with the seasons. And don't be afraid to use close growing deciduous plants, some will afford a lot more privacy than you might expect (eg densely planted white/blackthorn). Pyracantha are another favorite if thorns aren't too much of an issue and the birds love them. Or even beech. And for most of these looksee's advise about early and annual maintenance is spot on. Otherwise you'll end up with the growth 6 feet in the air and big gaps beneath.

(I'll mention that I have no connection with the website I linked to, but have bought bare-roots there on a number of occasions over the last 25 years and found both the stock and the advice to be good.)

looksee

Future Forests are staples of this forum, and I have had excellent stock from them. However at the moment trying to order in half an hour on a Sunday evening is not practicable, and a good deal of what they are offering is not available. Its too late for bare root this season.

Treehelpplease

billyhead wrote: »

A Holly bush/tree might suit.

We have had holly trees for 25-30 years. However, after the snow in 2018 they began to die and now only a few are still standing, mostly rotten. So sad to see. We're getting them all cut up soon sadly, as even new shoots die quickly as well new saplings that grow.

Thank you all for the other suggestions ! Any opinions on bamboo? I'm not a fan of it but others in the house are. thanks!

macraignil

Treehelpplease wrote: »

We have had holly trees for 25-30 years. However, after the snow in 2018 they began to die and now only a few are still standing, mostly rotten. So sad to see. We're getting them all cut up soon sadly, as even new shoots die quickly as well new saplings that grow.

Thank you all for the other suggestions ! Any opinions on bamboo? I'm not a fan of it but others in the house are. thanks!

Have seen examples of where it has spread in a garden and sprouted up in some awkward to deal with positions and with the way it spreads by underground sideways growing stems I'd be very reluctant to plant some in my own garden.

macraignil

macraignil wrote: »

Have seen examples of where it has spread in a garden and sprouted up in some awkward to deal with positions and with the way it spreads by underground sideways growing stems I'd be very reluctant to plant some in my own garden.

Sounds like running bamboo. A clumping bamboo like Fargesia won't do that.

Wyldwood

Clumping bamboo gets middle-age spread and after behaving nicely for a number of years it starts to spread outward and becomes very difficult to control. Wouldn't recommend any bamboo. I think Photinia makes a beautiful hedge.