Whats the best looking and quickest growing hedge

Hi all, this is my first post and would like assistance from the best. I need to seperate my garden from my neighbours, at present there is an eyesore of a fence between us (one of those old ones where there are stakes and wire on a role) which is falling over in places and in the wrong place apparently. What i need to do is move my boundary line onto my neighbours by about two foot which is not disputed by him. In fact the two foot of garden (which is roughly sixty foot in length) he allows to overgrow and refuses to touch. So to save cost I would like to plant a living fence, therefore what is the best hedge to plant and how far apart would I need to place each one to stop his dogs getting onto my property (they are medium sized dogs by the way, size of an collie) and how long will it take to grow so the dogs can't jump it.

I await your replies with eagerness and let me thank all in advance.

 

Hedges: Evergreen or Deciduous?

For evergreen my choice would Thuja plicata atrovirens - doesn't grow quite as fast as the dreaded Leylandii, but is still pretty quick; will allow you to cut it to a really smart hedge (think of "poor man's Yew" in terms of how smart it will look) - once a year will normally be enough. It can be maintained narrow (which things like Laurel can't). If you miss cutting it one year you can usually cut it back [into old wood] which you can't with Leylandii (it doesn't regrow). It should grow 1' - 2' per year (but will grow less in first year whilst getting established). Depending on your budget you could buy plants that were 3' - 4' tall. Plant 2' apart (but check with supplier for exact planting distance). Alternatives: Privet of Box (but that is a bit slower)

Yew is smarter, but slower growing and more expensive to buy.

If you can wait until Autumn you can buy bareroot plants which will be cheaper and will normally establish more quickly.

Deciduous: Heaps of choice. Things like Beech - which keeps its brown leaves though the winter, so is not completely see-through (but grow Hornbeam instead of Beech if you are on heavy clay soil).

For cheapness Hawthorn, or a mixed hedge (but the various varieties will grow at different speeds, and they never look "smart"). If you choose Hawthorn make sure you pay attention to cutting it back properly for the first few years, otherwise you will have gaps at the bottom that the dog will be able to push through (this applies to some other deciduous hedge varieties too).

Flowering plants, for example Escalonia (which will always look scruffy, compared to a smartly clipped hedge, but it looks nice when in flower), or colourful leaves - Copper Beech, or Phototinia (sp?)

If you put in plants which are 18" - 24" (which would be "Normal" size for hedge plants) you're looking at 5 years before you have a half-decent hedge. It will get to 5' - 6' within say 3 years, but will still have gaps (although they may be too high up for the dog to push through). You could put some chicken wire along the hedge when you plant it, to stop the dog pushing through, but it will need to grow some height to stop the dog jumping over. If you can afford it you could plant 4' plants, they will take about 3 years to make a decent hedge, and after 5 years should be a fully formed hedge - i.e. that looks like its always been there. That's assuming you water and feed it, and look after it well

Or you could put up a panel-fence with some trellis along the top and grow a climbing plant along it. The fence would be an "instant" barrier for the dog, and stop people looking over (unless they are tall, or have raised decking etc.). Or you could just put up some sort of trellis-frame for some climbers. They will grow quickly, cover it, flower and look nice. You could vary the plants along the length to have things that flower at different times - climbing Roses, Clematis, pretty much any climbing plants that you like the look of really.

 

Even on a full grown mature hedge, a German Shepherd sized dog can easily squeeze through underneath (I know this from experience in my last garden) so you would need a barrier along the bottom. Perhaps some chicken wire or some sort of fencing on a roll

Do you want a formal clipped hedge or an informal hedge?

I like Viburnum Tinus for a less formal hedge. Elaeagnus x ebbingei is the fastest growing shrub I've seen, or good old Cherry Laurel, which is also fast growing. All three of these are evergreen so you'd have year round screening.

I wouldn't use Escallonia this far north. Although they are pretty when they flower, I bought several last summer and they didn't over-winter well, even on a fairly mild winter and they also got Escallonia leaf spot because of the wet.

 

I'd go with Kristen's idea of a fence with creepers .... that will keep the dogs out and may not be much more expensive than buying loads of large shrubs for planting a hedge, especially if you can erect the fence yourself

 

I have Viburnhum tinus and the Laurel as hedges, they both grow wide (or I have never properly tamed them!). Just mention it in case you want a narrow hedge.

Good point, I'm a Soft Southerner who didn't bother to read the O/P's Location!

 

Obviously the more you can spend the bigger the plants will be and therefore the quicker the hedge will be effective BUT if you want it to keep dogs out it has to be full enough at the bottom to stop them pushing through and high enough to stop them jumping over.

I have an old hawthorne hedge, I don't know how long it took to grow as it was established when I came here but it's as good now 30 years on as it was when I arrived. lDogs don't like pushing through it because the branches grow at all sorts of angles (and it has thorns too), it gets cut once a year and it's stayed at a comfortable 4ft high and is dense. It also reliably flowers in the spring and has berries in autumn. Birds love it.

For my purposes it would be perfect except that cats couldn't care less and seem to get through it no problem.

 

Well I am most grateful to all who replied to my post. I have decided I will re-erect the existing fence myself in the correct area giving me time to sort out the strip of land. I'll have to attack it like Indiana Jones with a machete as it's so overgrown. But once it's dug up, weeded and levelled I'm looking at Kristen's recommendation of Thuja plicata atrovirens for the hedge as it looks the kind of hedge I had in mind. Once again thanks for all your replies, oh by the way I will be back for more ideas when I have finished this little project.