Hedge For Privacy and Windbreak Advice

Hi, Newbie gardener here! I have just built a decking area at the bottom of my garden. It gets quite a bit of breeze there and can be seen by a few of the neighbours which I would like to remedy. I would like some kind of hedge which would act as a windbreak but also provide privacy too say reaching 5-6 feet in height. Following a bit of research privet hedge seems to fit the bill. When is the best time to start planting a hedge and is it better to buy a established plant, is the bigger the better? Do I need to prepare the soil with anything in advance to planting? Any advice would be appreciated or if anybody has any better solutions or tips to help me. I will repeat I am a complete novice at gardening, I think the last time i grew anything was watercress in a cottonwool filled eggshell,aged 7 - thanks

 

Hi and welcome to GC.

A couple of key questions are:
1. How quickly do you want to achieve the desired result?
2. How much are you willing/able to spend?

Cheapest in general is to get bare root shrubs in autumn/winter. However that's probably the slowest way to achieve the result. (I don't know if you can get privet as bare root plants, but you can get most hedge plants that way).

Most expensive way is to be a ready grown hedge. There are suppliers that sell them, then they bring them on a lorry, and just stick them in the ground, thus making a mature hedge in a day. Very expensive but not insanely so.

Then there's everything in between. Potted plants at various stages of maturity, with the more mature ones being more expensive.

Remember the number one rule of commerce. If there is someone that wants it, there's someone that sells it. This is as true for hedges as it is for anything else.

 

I do not know if you can swear on here
Have you looked into Leylandi, You must cut the top off at desired height though or it will be 20' high and blocking not only YOUR privacy BUT ALL your neighbours light in a couple of years
What about a larch lap fence if you are not into GARDENING

Jack McH

 

Well i'd go for Box hedging as its slower growing than privet and much more controlable.

But i'm definately trying the Watercress in an eggshell bit tomorow

Got loads of Watercress seeds now

 

Hi thanks for the replies. I want to achieve the hedge as quickly as possible. I need to hedge approx. 18m length and want to spend around £200 - £250 max? Is this unreasonable? Just to clear things up, Jack McH from Fife, I said I was a novice and not that I wasn't into GARDENING, I am on here for advice on how to improve my knowledge in the subject.

 

We have a lleylandi hedge at 1 side of the garden.
At the back of the garden we have Thuljas growing. I have to say that the Thuljas are growing ALOT faster than the lleylandis.
Our lleylandis are a nicer looking green to our thuljas which are a bit of a greeny/yellow colour. We wanted something that would be quick growing and to stop nosy neighbours peering in.
We bought our Thuljas roughly 2/3 ft tall. Withing 2yrs they are not 6/7 ft tall.

 

One option that is within the budget you set and will mature quickly is a 'fedge'. As its name might suggest, its a cross between a fence and hedge, made of a hybrid willow bred for speed and straightness of growth.

Basically, in autumn/winter, you buy a load of willow poles. You push them into the ground so that about 1ft of each pole is in the soil. You do this at 45 degree angles, all leaning the same way. Then you push another load in at 45 degrees the other way, and sort of loosely weave them together.

A very good proportion of them (usually close to 100%) will root very quickly, and by the following spring will green up.

Maintenance consists of trimming it occasionally, usually in autumn/winter, and then using some of the trimmings to thicken up any sparse patches.

If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, you can weave the sticks into more elaborate structures, as the young willow poles are very flexible.

If this sounds of interest, have a google for 'willow fedge' or 'living willow sculptures' or similar search terms.

 

Hi, thanks again for the replies I will follow up the suggestions and let you know. If I did go for Privot when is the best time time buy and plant the hedge has anyone any suggestion on suppliers? -cheers

 

Hi, have a think about Potruguese Laurel, I love the plant (rather than the more common cherry laurel); it grows easily to the height you desire, is evergreen and dense in habit with lovely dark green leaves and scented flowers, it's also not that fussy about soil conditions, although som preperation before planting would ensure a good start :thumb:

 

Griselinia

Before you decide on the privet also have a look at griselinia. It makes a good hedge for privacy at any height you like, its evergreen, grows quickly is dead easy to manage and propagate.