Planting a hedge

The garden is bare at the moment well not strictly lots of weeds but am starting from scratch.
Back garden is south facing and one of my plans is to plant a hedge at the rear not decided what but a dense quick growing plant and certainly nothing that resembles a conifer (sorry one of my pet hates)

Once i decide whats going down is it too late/early to plant my hedge as we are now approaching summer (with a bit of luck) any advice would be grateful.

Cheers

 

Hedges can be excellent but in a small garden a fence can be the preferred option as you can plant close to it, the fence can support climbers and its instant.

Will the hedge be your boundary and if so is it what your neighbours want.

Also as your garden faces south and your prposed hedge will create a shade area - so you should consider its height and how you intend maintaining it.

Spiney hedges are great untill it comes to trimming time.

 

Thanks for the replies

As regards to the neighbours they have a row of conifers against the bordering fence so it won't be a problem
Garden does face south but its at least 18 metres long so any shade should be minimal as it will be just at rear and i plan to contol the height Will probably look at a variety of colours

 

Whatever you decide to get, congratulations on NOT wanting the dreaded Leylandii conifers!

I love Beech hedging, especially as it looks good all year round, even when the leaves are dead but still clinging on to the branches, but it is slow to establish.

 

Sussex
Thanks one of my pet hates ex next door neighbours planted them years back.

As the best time to plant them is autumn gives me time to prepare the ground (lots of work to do) and to make my decision

 

Peony,

Will you be planting your hedge into the shade of the conifers and or fence.

Hedges normally require open ground on both sides plus plenty of light

 

Has Bean Counter Neighbours trees are on the other side of the fence though there is plenty of room my side. How much space away from fence will i need do you think?

Plenty of light that side so least i've got that side covered

 

Why dont you go for a range of wildllife friendly shrubs instead of a hedge. This can include Berberis, Viburnum, Cotoneaster, Elder, Euonymous (European).

Or just a range of shrubs that grow pretty quickly. You can then go for a range of colour throughout the year from leaves, stems and flowers and sometimes berries.

You can grow a hedge against a fence but I dont really see the point.

If you give yourself 6-8' of depth then you can vary the height and increase your range plus add some spring bulbs at the base -daffs (dwarf please), snowdrops etc

 

When i say theres a fence its not like your typical fence of panels basically its sticks held together by wiring so rather basic looks ugly IMO but don't have the funds to errect a proper fence as i would call it otherwise i would do that.

 

Minimun of 4' to allow room to grow and room to access your hedge and trimming back the neighbour's conifers.

The soil near the conifers will be very dry and you could find the conifers' roots on your side.

I would still go for a shrub border with emphasis on those that can cope

fast growing are elder, buddleia. work in plenty of compost