Bushes for screening

hi all! I have a question for you. We're about to dig up our crazy growing bamboo and hopefully save some of it to go into trench pots against our neighbours see through fence to hopefully give us some privacy. I'm also looking for some nice evergreen bushes (possibly flowering ones) that will grow at least a metre high. I had looked at dogwood and Viburnum but these are deciduous and I want something that still has it's leaves in the winter. Would really appreciate some suggestions! Maybe even some tall grass would do the job, but I'm not sure this would survive a winter in London.

 

For a colourful evergreen hedge you could go for Elaeagnus 'Gilt Edge' or Euonymus japonicus. Both have green and gold varigated leaves.

 

How about Photinia "Red Robin"?

 

How about some Escallonia? as long as you don't have strong dry winds it would be beautiful and comes in lovely colours that flower from June to October

 

Thanks guys, just going to google your suggestions! :thumb:

 

Viburnum tinus is evrgreen and can provide flowers throughout the winter and is fast growing. Choisya.
Mahonia Japonica - spikey leaves - great winter scent

When I was in London - Chingford was in Essex

 

I like the look of the tinus. I think people still think that Chingford is Essex. It's E4, classed as east London. Kind of on the border I guess!

 

I took a photo of our escallonia just the other day, looks lovely this time of year.

 

Walthamstow was in Essex when my grandfather lived there, my wife came from Leyton which was also Essex. I think the River Lea was the county boundary.

 

Some excellent suggestions there. Escallonia in particular makes a great hedge and looks good all year round.

 

Yes I adore that escallonia, deb yours looks wonderful! AND it looks like you have it next to some bamboo which is exactly what we're intending to do! Spooky!

Really, Walthamstow was Essex? I'll look that up, I should learn more about the area I live in!

Many thanks guys :thmb:

 

As well as the Viburnam tinus I would also suggest Daphne odora.

 

Isn't Daphne odora rather slow to grow? I think V. tinus is a good choice for winter colour. Choisya might be good too.

 

do you think escallonia would cope with semi-shade?

 

Eleagnus, the plain silvery green one will tolerate shade. It's evergreen and if you trim early in the year produces very tiny flowers that you might miss visually but the perfume is so so stromg. It's is glorious. The foliage is nice and sivery