Help with choosing hedging plants please

Hi Guys, I’m new to the forum and a complete beginner when it comes to gardening!

we have recently moved into a new build property and our adjoining neighbours have erected a huge trampoline which is quite invasive. To combat this, we are looking at hedging plants but would like some which is low maintenance if there is such a thing. The area to cover is about 14m in width and about 2.5/3m in height. I don’t mind if I have to prune the height but if there is something that doesn’t grow too wide would be ideal. I’ve been looking at Japanese bamboo but can’t find too many uk suppliers and not sure if they will be fit for purpose!? Hopefully that makes sense, many thank in advance!

 

I would avoid bamboo. It is invasive and does nothing for biodiversity or encouraging wildlife.

I think a mixed hedge would be effective in screening the trampoline, especially if you include a generous amount of evergreen plants. I suggest good old privet as it is quick growing and provides a good screen. You could include holly but it is slow. Lawson cypress (not the dreaded Layland cypress) is fairly fast growing and can be kept in check. Native mixed hedging will encourage wildlife but provide less screening in winter.

 

Hedging of any kind is going to take 2-4 years to get the height you need.

Consider a 6ft fence (legal) to start with and say a 2ft trellis on top of that, which will be a difficult one for them to complain about. That will allow many quick growing plants to climb up them this year while your slower hedging plants get going.

If to your taste, you could put up a garden Sail for instant screening.

Many plants for hedges, Red Robin to 3 mtrs, Leylandii, or more thorny Pyracantha but not child friendly.

Rather than having a hedge from the ground up, consider growing them as Pleached hedges against your fence so you have room and light under them for more attractive pants at ground level.

 

6ft/1.80m is not the max height under permitted development rights, it is 2.0m. And if ground levels vary between gardens, that height is above the soil level in your garden, not your neighbour's.[1]

Any trellis above counts towards the maximum height, so if using 1.8m high fencing panels, only 200mm high trellis panels could be fixed above without the benefit of PP.

Obviously, with a 200mm high trellis above a 1.80m high boarded fence, that would allow any climbers you plant against it to scamble up and be supported to the full 2m height, plus grow another 300mm or so, possibly providing 2.3m height of sceening.

[1] If you can locally raise ground levels within your garden, and then use 150/300mm high precast concrete gravel boards to act as a retaining wall, then you could potentially construct a fence up to 2.3m high above your neighbour's garden level, and still not require PP.

Check it out at the planning portal.

 

Neil... Whether you choose a mixed hedge or not I would include Griselinia. There is a green variety, and a variegated one. If you can, buy the plants small as they will establish much more quickly (whichever ones you decide on) Griselinia is easy to grow, and is soft, so easy to keep trimmed
Of course, if you mix in other shrubs too, it will make the hedge more interesting, and you can include flowers and berries - and anti neighbour prickles as well if you like...

 

Many thanks for all the reply’s. I’m quite concerned about the hedging being too invasive to our neighbours (in terms of growing over our fence and therefore they need to trim and maintain from their side). So I was wondering if there was any hedging that would fit the bill for this?This is why I originally thought a bamboo plant maybe better as it appears to only grow upwards, but obviously after your advice I have reconsidered this. Obviously the other option is going to talk to the neighbours but they haven’t got anywhere else to put it due to decking etc. If I’ve understood everything correctly, am I right in thinking that I can’t have let’s say a row of conifers for example above 2m as it is illegal??

Thanks again!

 

Let’s hope the kids outgrow/get bored with the trampoline soon!

 

Some wrong advice above. As Loofah says, you can grow a hedge any height you like within reason and barring unusual factors. There's no 2m legal limit.

A bamboo would be absolutely fine if you choose a clumping variety. It is running varieties that cause problems.

 

I don`t think the problem with conifers would be whether they are legal or not, but in the long term you might be rather sorry you planted them - especially in a small garden, as they can be a nuisance as they get bigger. Very tall plants create shade too - one side or the other, and I`ve known that to cause all sorts of fights with neighbours.

It seems to me from what you say, you get on rather well with your neighbours Neil, and I reckon your original idea of having a chat with them about the boundary would be an excellent one.

 

Isn`t it a fact that all these ''rules'' came about because of the general nuisance caused by the dreaded Lleylandii blight?
My own lleylandii hedge is kept in trim - once a year is all it takes!