Bushes for privacy

ljhoward84K3PNC6zY

Hi all,

Relative novice here after a bit of advice.

We have just bought a new house which has an open fronted wooden gazebo style building at the back of the garden. 

Behind the back wall of the gazebo it is an area of no man's land around  1m wide and 6m long between the back of and gazebo and rear fence.

I'm looking to plant something that grows to around 3-4m high in this gap for privacy from the houses behind. 

We' also like a bit of noise deadening so something that grows quite dense. We're not too fussed what it looks like. Anything natural is better than nothing! Just needs to be something that doesn't need regularly cutting back due to access so no to conifers (I assume?)

The soil is bit rubbish (stony and clay) and the area doesn't get much in the way of direct sunlight.

Thanks in advance 

Fairygirl

Hi @ljhoward84K3PNC6zY - do you mean you don't want hedging? There are plenty of good choices for that, but if you want shrubs which are more 'stand alone' then there are lots of choices there too.
It will depend on the soil condition and your general climate [ie dry, wet , cold, warm, windy etc ] but things like Berberis, Ilex [holly], Eleagnus, Viburnum, Pyracantha, Mahonia and even boring old Laurel, will all establish and grow well. The last will get big and dense, so you may not want that. The others are pretty easy and some are thorny which is a good deterrent against intruders, some are evergreen, and most are great for wildlife as they produce flowers then berries. 
It will always be beneficial to create a proper border, improve the soil, water very thoroughly after planting, and add a mulch afterwards to keep weeds down and preserve moisture. That's particularly important if you're planting from now until autumn, and even more so if you're in a dry-ish area 

ljhoward84K3PNC6zY

Hi thanks for replying. I don't mind hedging, just something green which will fill the space and not need much in the way of care (cutting back).

The gazebo is just over 2m high so we want something around 3-4m high that will help block the line of sight from the houses behind.

Watering will be a bit of a problem as there is no access behind the gazebo except for at one end which is already blocked by a big bush. Unless I climb on the roof and water down the back of it! 

Fairygirl

You could always lay a piece of perforated hosepipe along the length of the area. That will mean you can water more easily. You can even set timers etc if necessary.
Many of the shrubs I mentioned will get to around 3 metres or so, if they're well established, but they will take quite a few years to get to that size.
Alternatively, look at something like Beech or Hornbeam as a hedge. Neither need a huge amount of trimming, and will fill the space back to your fence. If kept at around 3 metres, they retain their foliage through winter. Beech is very tolerant of drier conditions once established. 
If you have a photo that will also help with further advice