Hedge help!

Total gardening novice here! We have a London terrace with a small south facing front yard that currently has some very dead looking hedging plants in planters which we inherited from the previous owners. We really need to replace the plants for something that looks nice, provides a little bit of a screen and is very low maintenance (and can survive well in narrow planters). I'm thinking an evergreen would be the best bet, but can't really decide which one. I don't love traditional looking "hedges" (e.g. laurel / box) and have no clue how to prune anything! Are there any suggestions out there?! Thank you!

 

Not sure what you mean by, don't love traditional hedges.
Is it just the plants you are not keen on or the way they are clipped.
Do you want something informal.

 

Photo of current, sorry looking plants is attached!

Yes I think I mean informal...nothing very dense that grows quickly and needs frequent clipping/shaping.

 

Had the existing plants been watered?
They look dead maybe or possibly still alive just suffering badly.

 

Yes we have watered and added fertiliser over a couple of years, but to be honest the current plants have never really thrived, and we are keen to replace with something that will do better (even if the current plants are not totally dead)

 

Next question, is it sunny or shady or a bit of both.
I'm sure someone will be able to come up with something suitable, not really something I like advise on in general.
What I would say though is nothing will be low maintenance growing in containers over the summer months, they will dry out very fast if the plants are doing well.

 

Thank you! South facing and sunny, no shade. We are fine to water frequently, it's more the pruning / shaping that we would struggle to keep on top of.

 

Thank you, appreciate the suggestion and will check it out

 

My suggestion, seeing as you want to avoid pruning, is planting something that naturally stays small like Pittosporum Tom thumb.

Happy gardening!

 

As its London, and a sunny spot something different, Dwarf Pomegranate, small red flowers followed by small pomegranates.

A bit drought tolerant as well.

 

I'd go for Pittosporum, but tenuifolium variegatum or one of it's hybrids. They withstand hot sun and even drought, and form an attractive cone-shaped shrub without any pruning.