Which trees would be best?
Hello everyone. We've just bought a house with a rather large garden which backs on to a fairly busy road. The garden is a bit of a blank canvas as the previous owners apparently had some Leylandii trees taken out a couple of years ago. The noise of the cars doesn't bother me but seeing larger vehicles does!
So I guess I'm looking for some advice as to what trees would be best to plant. They need to be fast growing, tall, dense, oh & not cost the earth! Leylandii seems like the obvious choice but would rather steer clear if we can. The back fence is north east facing so tall trees will only cast shade on the road behind which is good.
I currently have 2 x red maple, 1 x red oak, 1 x Italian alder & 1 x hornbeam that are all 8/10 standard in an online shopping basket. I know these trees won't give us good coverage overnight but i'm hoping they'll grow & branch out well enough in the next 2-3 years, is that realistic enough? Am I choosing the right trees? Enough teees? (It's the middle section of fence that is the most sparse) Feeling a bit out of my depth, so would appreciate any help Or suggestions. Thank you.
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That doesn't sound bad! Personally I'd prefer natives that reflect the nice woodland on the other side but that's just me. Looking at that section I'd imagine three big 'uns, like your oaks, and intersperse some smaller, multi stemmed trees, birches and Amelanchier for example. So there's a range of heights. There's also space for a lovely deep shrubbery to disguise the boundary (and add further separation from the road) as well, but I'm getting carried away now, as usual.
+ If you haven't done so already, I'd go out and visit some gardens and have a look at their tree planting before you make your decision.
Anything that grows as quickly as you'd like will quickly get out of hand. A gardener's best friend is patience. The trees you already have sound good but what you need to do now is place them along your boundary line and then imagine their eventual height and width which will encroach into your garden as well as over the road above the fence and not just along it.
If you plant them well and look after them they'll grow at a decent but not rapid rate. You could maybe add a yew or a holly for some evergreen foliage.
The other alternative is a hedge on stilts which is basically a row of trees whose branches are all trained horizontally along supports. It will give you the height you want without encroaching on your garden space and allows you to plant underneath for more personally interesting plants - flowers, foliage, stem colour throughout the year.
Some pics here to give you the idea - https://www.google.fr/search?q=images%2Bpleached+hedge&tbm=isch&source=iu&pf=m&ictx=1&fir=KQUO6trv8owOjM%253A%252CoD3-tjz3JCNHXM%252C_&usg=__UxgszjMAJZHjSfAYyodEmB_UQuM%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi4g9TtoOvWAhXF6xoKHa4EDMYQ9QEIKjAA#imgrc=KQUO6trv8owOjM:
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
A gardener next door here has just put in Laural bushes for hedging. They are already about 4 foot.
Try a market gardner near you because he got his for £10.00 for two From the market here.
A link about Laural hedging.
www.grasslands.co.uk
Nice garden space btw..
Last edited: 12 October 2017 15:14:02
That's a good point, the height is already there with the existing trees... perhaps what is actually needed is a shrubbery to screen out the lower level... hollies, portugal laurel and a mix of large flowering shrubs.
It looks very nice what the man next door has done. I can get a shot before it goes dark.
I did one to show you elgrouse
Beware. laurel is a thug and looks dreadful when trimmed with shears, electric or manual, because of all the browning leaf edges. Needs doing with secateurs to look good. Nightmare which grows all the faster for being pruned.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Its a problem what to use.
I want evergreen like my neighbour but I also don’t want wind burn. Laural looks good but not for me.
There has to be hedging that is windproof , evergreen, not too fast but not too slow at growth.
Last edited: 12 October 2017 16:18:38
Yew ticks all the boxes.
Thank you for your replies everyone. I've completed my online order & added a couple of Amelanchiers. Will have a look at buying some hedging like Yew or Laurel too!