Neighbour's Leylandii may make me change the garden layout

Hi folks

This is a difficult one for me to decide on with a lot of work so I need some opinions.

Our neighbour planted a Leylandii hedge right up the full length of our gardens. He's very precious about it and we get on pretty well, so I don't want it becoming an issue...but I'm aware as it gets thicker it will cause problems for us. I have a small border right along it, which has sort of developed haphazardly, including my middle border.

So...we have been thinking about moving the chicken's pen/run to "run" thin and long up the entire side of the garden. This would mean a lot of reorganising. Lots! The majority of the plants are perennials so they could be lifted in winter/early spring with little effort. But I have a few plants that might be more difficult - a hydrangea and ceanothus that are two years old, an aronia tree that was planted last year for example.

I know that leylandii draw a lot of moisture out of the ground, but that part of the garden is quite boggy so even now after a week of hot sun, it's still moist (without watering). A lot of the perennials I have growing there have been chosen for dappled, damp shade - astilbe, rodgersia, dicentra, hostas, mint, ferns - all of which are thriving, despite the leylandii.

Lastly, ironically, the hedge is quite sparse at the bottom, so the morning sun "dapples" through and in the afternoon, the sun is on our side. So lack of light isn't a problem! Lack of moisture might not be a problem. Uprooting a lot of plants in winter will be a problem (especially as I've worked hard to create this garden). On the plus side, I would gain another 8 foot of sun drenched border by moving the henhouse and run.

What do you all think?

 

A Leylandii hedge to, say, 6 feet and clipped regularly to look smart is OK by me - but I very rarely see them looking like that. And, generally, I hate them with a vengeance!

Even a well maintained Leylandii hedge will steal more than its fair share of water and nutrients.

Personally I would offer to pay for a replacement hedge of something more appropriate - Thuja plicata Atrovirens, for example.

I don't think you will have any problem moving your 2 year old Ceanothus and Hydrangea. I would "root prune" them now by just sticking the space in and cutting their roots at the size of a reasonable rootball to move this autumn. This will cause the plant to make new, fresh, roots, so when it is moved it doesn't suffer to big a shock of having to make new roots.

Use Bone Meal in the bottom of the planting hole when you move them in early November, and you could consider the beneficial fungus that promotes "amazing root growth" at that time. Myzo-something ... I'll look it up.

 

Is the hedge a problem for you at the moment Sussexgardener or are you just thinking it will become a problem ?
Maybe your neighbour will be responsible about the hedge and it never will be a problem.
I would hang fire and wait and see what happens.

 

Thanks for the comments so far. Kristen, this hedge is his pride and joy (god only knows why - its scraggy and ironically, looks better on our side than his!). It's already 6foot tall, but not filling out very well. Long may it continue. Thanks for the advice on moving the shrubs though - will file it under "things to remember" as I am forever moving plants around

Alice, it's not a problem at the moment. In fact the perennials I have chosen that grow under it are thriving, especially the ferns, because of the damp and dappled shade conditions. And I have an angelica growing right next to it that's almost the same height, despite me constantly hacking bits off!

Maybe hanging fire would be best. As I said, the damp soil and sunlight might counteract the problem.

 

If it aint broke, don't fix it

 

If it's any help, here a pic of the aforementiond hedge.



Note the angelica in the distance!

 

The Leylandii aphid bug will probably get it ... there is a (dare I say "lovely") leylandii hedge near us, 6' tall, always beautifully clipped, must have been the owner's pride & joy ... now 200 yards of brown dead bushes :(

I think you need to clip your side to tight shape - the fence netting may not enable that?

 

The fence netting is his - he put it up when it was planted to contain it on our side (he's very good that way) and offers me the hedge shears when he trims his. I think it's patchy because he doesn't cut it properly.

I think some of it has the aphid bug in places already - some of it is brown and patchy. I know what you mean about a dead hedge though - there is one not far from here, planted as it should be, along a road not offending anyone that is 99% dead and brown now. I keep waiting for them to remove it.

 

"The fence netting is his - he put it up when it was planted to contain it on our side (he's very good that way) and offers me the hedge shears when he trims his"

Excellent! Although I think it would be easier for you to keep it looking smart without the netting ...

 

I also think it would probably be better if he allowed you to remove the netting so that you could shape it better your side. It looks a little squashed in some places ?

Has your neighbour mentioned how high he is intending to grow them ? It might be worth asking and voicing your concerns about lack of light etc for your own plants and then maybe he will at least keep them to a decent acceptable height so that you dont have to move all your plants ?

Kristen = thanks for the usefull tips about moving shrubs. Aaron, I keep moving mine also !! Handy advise to know, so thanks

 

I would Stick to your original plan, To gain 8ft of sundrenched border is a bonus and what if in a few years time he gets bored of the Leylandii ! Also the fence needs to stay if you put your chicken run there.. Dee..

 

I think you like nothing better than a project Aaron, and this seems a good one to me. As well as gaining perfect conditions you also get a very good opportunity for some propagation as you do it-division, basal cuttings etc, and enything that increases stock at a cost of nothing is a good bargain. Also, I imagine, the ground that becomes vacant will have been weeded to within an inch of its life by the chickens.


What considerate pair of neighbours you both are.

 

Hmmm. The wire fence is in two parts. The lower half is boundary so it can't be moved, unless we put something up together. The upper half is his. I would be happy to remove it and will suggest it, so we can cut it back properly, but I need to find the right phrase and words to convince him.

My main reason for not doing it is the upheaval. Apart from lifting all the perennials which are suited to dappled shade and damp (where would I put them in a sun drenched border?), there is a raised bed to move by the patio (could be moved along a bit), a path of stepping stones to lift and reposition (up the side the new hen house and run) and the shrubs to move. This is the first year the hydrangea will blooms too :(

I am also concerned having the run up the full length of the garden will make the garden seem really narrow. Its only 15 foot wide now and the run would have to be 4 foot at least. I can still divide the garden into segments though (love that look). And yes Claire, weeds are non-existent in the chicken run. They've been on that area for 2 years so it's well fertilised too, but I lime it once a year to sweeten the soil.

The garden wasn't planned, it sort of happened piecemeal, otherwise we would have done this idea from the beginning. OH also told me he wishes he'd accepted the neighbour's suggestion of going halves on a proper fence! Arghhhh!!!!

 

Also to add - timing of it would be difficult. In order to move the hen house and run, the plants would need to be moved out of the way. All of them. I haven't the space to create a holding pen for them and would need to prepare the new border created by moving the hen house. There are a lot of plants! There isn't the option to move them in stages either as the chicken run will take up the whole area they would previously have occupied. Chickens like perennials. And shrubs. And ferns.

Maybe I should poison the leylandii hedge instead. But that's illegal :(

 

Ya know, I was just wondering where you would put the shade plants if you went ahead with the project!! I know you would gain a full sun border but then obviously you would loose the shade border and the plants you have there already.

I would honestly express your concerns to your neighbour and ask him how heigh he is planning on growing it. You might be able to come to an arrangement where he keeps it at the height it is now so as not to block your light anymore ...... tell him it will make it bushier or something :hehe:

And yes its illegal if you get caught :wink: