Opportunity to change the hedge, but what should I do?

Due to construction work on the hill behind my house the scrub that was growing on the other side of my fence has all been cut down and dug up. My hedge is looking rather sparse but it seems like a good opportunity to do some rejuvenation while it has good sunlight. Eventually a mixed native hedge (hazel, hawthorn, various kinds of rose, etc) will be planted on the other side but they will take some time to get going.

The existing shrubs are Ribes sanguineum, some kind of philadelphus and weigela, cotoneaster planted by the birds, ivy, and something that I know as snowberry. Until last week the other side of the fence was densely covered in scrub so my hedge hardly got any light and the plants are a bit leggy.

I plan to drastically cut the ribes though I might wait until it has flowered in spring. The Philadelphus never flowers despite several attempts to rejuvenate it. I've got two clematis plants which are struggling in pots which I might plant in there for colour, perhaps also a flowering quince that I propagated for fun last year.

I am also pondering digging them all up and planting something evergreen but that feels like a lot of work. Perhaps an evergreen climber on the fence? Maybe try to encourage the ivy that's already there?

Any thoughts?

 

I would (and have in previous garden), rapidly contact site agent of the construction and convince him that your requirements are simple, and that they will be able to do it consecutively with their own project. Give him a list of your choices and (even) offer to pay for them if it helps him.It should before they start construction, while they are friendly rather than after when they think they have finished.Good luck.

 

I can't see why the developers should do anything, they have already cleared the scrub behind the hedge free of charge allowing extra light in and are putting a native hedge later.
I'd wait until spring to trim the flowering currant after flowering and probably cut the Philadelphus back at the same time, with luck the extra light should encourage the Philadelphus to flower in 2026. I'd stick the clematis in and see how they go.
Whatever is planted remember the native edge will be competing for light and water, once it gets going.

 

Looking at the picture I'd be inclined to leave well alone, or only do a small amount of cutting back, the building looks fairly high and will overlook your garden.
I'm sure your existing plans/shrubs will grow thicker now they have full light.

 

Yeah I'm not going to try and get them to do anything on my side. I don't have a problem with their hedge plans, I just thought that the fact that there is more light getting in would be an opportunity to revive what I've got. Sadly I'll be completely overlooked once it's built but I would have to have a 10m hedge to block the view

 

It might not be as bad as you fear, especially if the contractors put in a native hedge and then don't maintain it. Hazel grows extremely quickly and can become a tree if left to its own devices, I speak from experience!

The trick is to wait until the construction is finished, make a note of which windows annoy you most and then aim to block those ones if you can with an upright small tree, perhaps nearer to the house. The cherry tree 'Amanogowa' is a goodie.

I think a lot of us are going to be in your situation sooner or later.

 

If you like the existing shrubs then wait and see how they respond to the extra light and then prune them to create a denser screen. If you keep them, perhaps consider removing the snowberry as it can become invasive and difficult to control. The new native hedge on the other side sounds attractive. If you can be patient, that might be worth waiting for. Alternatively, if you want a change and are prepared to remove some or all of your current planting and renovate the ground, there are many hedging options or perhaps small trees to consider. Details of your soil type, location and climate will help for suitable recommendations.

 

As you have ivy, that would rapidly cover any fence, assuming it's one of the more vigorous ones, so you'd need to consider that if planting the clematis, although it also depends on what types they are as to how/where you site them.
The Philadelphus may not be flowering well due to pruning at the wrong times. Most of them are happy in shady sites, but it's hard to say without knowing more about it's care up until now.

As said, once there's another hedge in place, there'll be competition with your shrubs - although that will largely depend on how far away it is, so it might be worth working on improving the conditions yours have - bigger/wider border, more organic matter added etc. The paving may cause a problem with that, but doing a bit of clearing and mulching will certainly help.
Once the new hedge is put in, you could take another view on it all then, and make changes at that point. Your site will probably become shadier again eventually, but that will also depend on how the new hedge is maintained - if at all. Everything you already have in there should be fine with plwnty of shade though. They all grow in shade here.