I'm Back - 5 Years

So back in 2007 I posted a thread saying I was hopefully going to be able to start adding some detail to my garden (http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/the-challenge-ahead.25097/)

The clearing up took a little longer than expected but I'm at the point where I can now blast round with the grass cutter in an hour or so to keep on top of everything and have been doing so for a while. Veg plots have been weeded and dug over and all the boundary fencing is sorted. I'm now thinking about adding a beech hedge and would really appreciate some advice and opinions.

The photos below shows where I'm thinking of putting it. My paint skills aren't the best but hopefully it gets the message across.



Ideally the curve around the silver birch would not be there but if the line was any further to the left it would interfere with the position of the back door which is just out of view at the bottom of the first picture. I'm also thinking it may actually add a bit of interest anyway.

Hopefully the hedge will serve as a deterrent for the dogs and keep them off where they are damaging the lawn on the right in one spot and also out of the veg plots. I also plan to place two arched gates and train the hedge over them.

This would also give me 3 distinct areas to the garden for different purposes and eventually when I'm brave enough I'll take the dividing fence down and work back over.

Does anybody see any issues with this plan? At what sort of spacing would I plant the beech? I understand the best time to plant would be October so I'm really just thinking ahead so I can mark a string line out and remove the turf in preparation.

Also I'm seeing conflicting advice about how to care for it in the first few years. Some say to cut off the leading shoots and others say to leave them until they reach the desired height only trimming side shoots lightly.

Any advice or suggestions would be extremely appreciated.

Thanks in advance

- Andy

 

Welcome back

 

welcome back!