recomandations please

HI

I want to plant a prickly hedge at the front of my property for security, can any one recomend one that is faily fast growing but not to intrusive and easy to care for. I was thinking about hawthorn but would value anyones opinion. the front ov the propety is south faceing and gets full sun nearly all day but also its quite a windy spot at times.

Cheers Ian

 

Pyracantha, great for birds to nest in and they eat the berries, has nasty spikes and you can cut into it hard in the future if it gets too big and it will re grow with ease. You can get an assortment of colours for the berries, orange red, yellow and now some disease resistant varieties. Got it in my garden and it looks lovely, it's evergreen also so you will have colour all year round unlike Berberis which is lovely but deciduous.

[ 01. January 2006, 07:15 PM: Message edited by: lisa0307 ]

 

Thanks Lisa will take a look at them

 

you dont need to have a formal hedge to deter intruders, a dense shrubbery of prickly shrubs and conifers might do it
depending on your garden of course
you can also consider a mixed planting,of hedging plants, holly are slow growing and can be v attracive, also some of the conifers are capable of detering intruders but i agree, all in all the pyrocnatha are probably the best bet, they will need pruned, but will never grow massive

 

Have just found PYRACANTHA - VICTORY RED on Ebay and orded 7 plants for under �£19 including first class recorded delivery :D

 

Not bad I think

 

Thanks for all your hellp, I dont use this forum much but whenever I have you have allways hellped Thank you :D :D

 

Hi Madrat
There are some evergreen Berberis also which would work - Berberis darwinii has orange flowers in the spring and tiny holly like leaves, would look good with the Pyracantha. Or Berberis julianae which is also evergreen with abundant yellow flowers in spring, and the evergreen leaves are tinged purple in the colder months - it has evil thorns!!! Pyracantha isn't particularly fast growing, & if the plants are small, may take a while before you see flowers & fruits - a sunny site is best. However, it is a nice easy doer, but watch out for Pyracantha scab http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0502/pyracantha_scab.asp although Pyracantha koidzumii 'Victory' is quite resistant, though more susceptible to fireblight http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0700/fireblight.asp and needs more sheltered conditions as it isn't quite so cold hardy. Cut it back in March if you want flowers & berries, Lisa is right - watch the blackbirds go crazy for the berries!

 

Thanks Bayleaf

I will plant the victory red and see how they go, I will then maybe grow somthing elce amongs them. I have made a note of the plants you recomended. thanks again

 

Do you think somthing like a clematise wold suvive growing amongs an established Pyracantha?

 

Yes, thats a nice idea, my friend has done just that but wait until your Pyracanthas have grown alot before you think of doing that.

 

Yes I will do, was just thinking into the future

 

You've picked the same ones that I have grown in my garden, they are really vibrant, well done lol

 

I would let your new babies get established for a few years first before trying to grow any climbers, through/over them. I've not tried clematis with pyracantha myself, and my instinct would suggest that the soil may be too dry, unless its something vigourous such as Clematis montana (which can be just TOO vigorous!!!) You could try something like a passionflower (I have planted both Pyracantha "Orange glow" & Passiflora caerulea on a west facing wall in a client's garden, though not growing together yet, they like it fine & look good & happy!) You could try a perennial sweet pea = Lathyrus latifolius, which dies back every winter but comes back every year, and won't mind the drier soil due to the pyracantha's roots.

 

A pashsion flower would look nice, but yes I will wait a few years first.