good hedging plants?

[Two_Sheds]

I am hating our dilapidated fence panels, so am planting hedges instead - though it'll be some years before they get to fence height

I've put pyracantha (red firethorn) at the back, and just got hold of some variegated holly for the front.

It's called Silver Queen ... which is male (so no berries)



I can't find out how far apart to plant it ... one site said 3 plants per metre, another said 50cm apart, and the label on the plants says one metre apart.

Any advice, Grapes?

[Finedon.Dandy]

TS - just a thought.... three plants per meter would be one at 0cm, 2nd at 50cm and then 3rd at 1m, so thats 50 cm between. With regard to the instruction to plant 1m apart - I think I would prefer a quicker knitting together and always plant things really close (rare you see soil in my garden!) for a better fuller look. However this of course would be unwise if conditions are poor to start with as they would be fighting for nutrients etc.

[lynda66]

dunno if it helps any, but my hawthorn hedge are all planted less than a foot apart, that way they all intermingle and produce a nice thick branching system. my parents had pyrocantha, and that was all planted very close too, never had a holly hedge though.

[Stacey Steve]

Pyrocantha, evil hedge to prune. The thorns on those things have gone right through my boots on occassions.

Mind you the small birds in our garden love the stuff, they all rush there when the hawks attack. We watched a sparrowhawk trying to get into the Pyrocantha but was unable to reach the little uns.

[Finedon.Dandy]

Pyrocantha, evil hedge to prune. The thorns on those things have gone right through my boots on occassions.

Mind you the small birds in our garden love the stuff, they all rush there when the hawks attack. We watched a sparrowhawk trying to get into the Pyrocantha but was unable to reach the little uns.

Thats just why I wanted ours planted - trying to make up to my birds for hvaing two cats! They have only been in a year but have already put on good growth and the berries look glorious. I am hoping they are going to cover the ugly brick wall of my neighbours garage - its all the eye can see when looking from the house out onto the garden.

[Tam]

Cotoneaster makes a super bird/bee hedge quite quickly. The bees go crazy for the nectar in the insignificant little flowers and the softbills love the berries.

[Glutton4...]

Have you considered a climber to cover the wall?

If you plant a pretty variegated Ivy, and prune off the excess growth with a hedge-cutter once a year, it will do no harm. You could also grow Clematis up it for some flowers intermingled with the Ivy. The insects will love it.

If you put up a decent trellis but leave it so it undoes at the top, you can unhinge it periodically to make sure it isn't damaging the surface of the wall.

Failing that, try Berberis also for spikes and colour, or Escallonia for beautiful little 'Apple Blossom' type flowers.

Now you've got too many to choose from

G4...X

[BrideXIII]

erm, i am no expert with hedging plants, but i am a dab hand at rosemary, does that count?
i give them a foot apart, and let them grow into it, once they start growing into each other they get chopped together at trimming time.

[rustylady]

Holly has the potential to become huge trees, so I would be wary of planting too close, especially if you want them to produce berries.

[burnie]

Depends on what you want your hedge to do,if it's a proper boundary then close together and dense.If it's for wildlife then variation is the key,include a hazel for nuts, elder for wine(you'll have to share the berries with birds) as well as your ornamentals.

[nick the grief]

well If one says 18" (50cm) and one says 12" why not split the different and go for 15" apart Yews good as well TS and is capable of about 10" a year so it's not a slow growing as you think and it will regrow from old wood if you cock up plus it will give some shelter to the sparrows and other small birds. If you look in the garden mags there are a few places that sell hedging and you could have a nice mixed hedge which will appeal to all sorts.

Just remember that you need to let it grow to about 9" taller than you want it and then cut it back to about 9" shorter than you want it then you can get a nice clean flat top on it.