How to fill a patchy Forsythia hedge?

I’m separated from my neighbours by a several decades old Forsythia hedge, turning into privet one later on. At the near end it’s perched upon an improvised retaining wall (their land being about a metre higher than ours) made from the odd breeze block and broken up old concrete patio chunks like a crude dry stone wall. It gradually becomes more soil and less rock etc as it progresses away from the house. Our soil quality is excellent and most things grow fast.

The Forsythia‘s always been thin at the near (rockier) end. Our old neighbour had a conventional wooden fence panel the other side of it, not sure if this was just a boundary marker, or to hide the Forsythia’s gappyness (caused by poor soil/rock mix) or whether the heavy shade from the panel & our kitchen extension caused the Forsythia not to flourish here.

Anyway, this didn’t matter until our new young neighbours removed the old leaning fence panel, replacing it with a wire mesh fence and privet twiglets which they neglected to the point of death. We’d like to fill the large gap they don’t care about.

The most immediate thought was new Forsythia plants, though we’re not sure how well they’ll fare in the imperfect soil/rock mix and partial shade.

Another idea was to plant a shrub. English Laurel is the commonest suggestion, but one many regard as a potential fast growing monster, poisonous to anything around it. Electric trimmers (I use these over a very long length & width of privet hedge) are said to leave an untidy sight with English laurel’s larger leaves. Whatever shrub I choose will get zero maintenance from our young neighbours’ side.

Portuguese Laurel is considered less invasive and easier to trim, at the price of slower growth & higher cost.

The wedge shaped patch of rock/soil to span is about 8 foot long, just a foot wide at the near end but 2 or 3 foot wide at the further end. I had considered a conventional fence panel as a privacy screen, but the uncertain nature of this retaining wall’s construction & difficult access via the old Forsythia hedge makes this rather unpredictable.

I’d appreciate opinions on the above, or new ones, on how to recreate privacy in this short awkward stretch.

 

I think I'd go for the English Laurel as a reasonably quick fix they seem to grow anywhere

 

Thanks for the reply. Monty Don said 'Avoid the poisonous, aggressively invasive cherry laurel, and go for the beautiful Portuguese variety'; Another USA website declared planting English Laurel 'An act of war against your neighbours'!

Now I'm no gardening expert, so how much of a problem might it be? Would it be a quick fix but trouble in future?

 

I don't think so Roy,it's just a case of keeping it in check as you'd do with any hedge

 

I've never had a problem with Cherry Laurel (which is the one that most people would think of as "Laurel"). It grows wide, so keeping it narrow (in a hedge) is the biggest challenge, but I've never had it march off across the countryside ...

Its a thug, similarly to Leylandii etc., but it will grow quickly, makes a nice evergreen hedge, and if clipped regularly will be absolutely fine.

In fact even if not clipped regularly, but "Murdered" periodically, it will be fine (do one side, leave it a year or two until it has recovered fully, and then do the other side).

@shiney had some tree surgeons in to murder his recently - there's a thread on it someone on this forum. Reduced from 12' high and 12' wide to 6' high and 4' wide ... or something like that.

And ignore the poisonous thing too - well, don't "ignore" it , but beware that many/most of the plants in your garden are "poisonous", but that anyone, or a pet, dying from eating them is incredibly rare. Poisonous plants, in the garden, aren't THAT poisonous, and usually taste foul so people / animals don't make a meal of them. Apple Pips have Arsenic in them ... that doesn't kill many people either (but deliberate suicide has happened, and you would have to eat an AWFUL lot of them) and as a kid I was far more worried that an Apple Tree would grow in my stomach!!

There I am ... rabbiting on again!!!

 

Dear Kristen & shiney,

Many thanks to you both for your thorough & well informed replies. I do feel reassured reading them!

To answer you both at once: No I'm not North American continent, I'm Midlands! Any oddities in my naming is a combination of inexperience & surfing websites all over the world. Yes it's Prunus laurocerasus.

I wasn't worried Laurel re being poisonous to people especially, I was thinking more towards other plants, especially the Forsythia it would be growing amidst (assuming it will?) and the nearby Privet. I wasn't planning on burning it (not really an option with my Privet hedges) though it's interesting to know I could do given precautions. If the neighbours take to chomping on it, that could solve two problems at once.

I'm a reluctant gardener, having bitten off more than I could chew long ago when I unwisely took on a large mature garden with zero experience whilst not even middle aged; my gardening style is therefore 'Military', having long ago abandoned learning different types of pruning cut & their timing, and realised that it was 'kill or be killed' with a large area of mature tree, shrubs & hedges that almost laugh at you after a day spent hacking them back.

Trimming both hedges (40 metres length either side, about 7ft tall and 5 or 6ft wide in places) is now my sole duty, having ended up with neighbours both sides who will not touch them: one neighbour too old too care (if he ever did); the other younger ones rather keener on chilling out than sweating.

So the hole openened up by the fence panel's removal is an unwelcome extra problem. The younger neighbours will certainly never touch their side of any Laurel I may plant, though I can trim my side and top it off, electric trimmers not pruning note. I'm taking from the lovely pictures that this will be OK, treating it like Privet and cutting it start/mid and end of the April to September period?

I'd like to put some plants in very soon, are 2 to 3 ft wise for better/faster screening, or would you use the ones under 2 ft? What planting density would you recommend? I'm no gardener but do try to give things like this a head start, e.g. with Privet plants 2 years ago clearing the ground of stones etc, a little bonemeal mixed deep down below, 'Rootgrow' fungal powder under each plant, weekly watering & feeding. If there's any other advice on timing or preparation please let me have it. I just want the things to grow well & quickly.

 

There's also Escallonia, it's evergreen and thrives in dry free draining soil. It has a smell of citrus when cut.

 

Only other point to add to @shiney's growing suggestions is to make sure the area under the plants is kept free of weeds / grass. I would put down some woven (that's important - e.g. Mypex or equivalent, UV stabilised) weed suppressing membrane - that will deter weed growth, and keep moisture in.

 

Sorry lost my reply somewhere, an annoying rule about having to 'Like' first before being allowed to post then a Save Draft option that doesn't offer to load it again later!

To be brief, can I use architectural fabric instead of the Mylex brand stuff? Did you mean to say the stones must not form a solid barrier? And can I trim the Laurel at similar times to Privet without injuring it?

Thanks for the excellent advice,

Roy22.