Screening

Welsh Lamb

Hi Everyone

My first posting and hoping someone might be able to offer some wise suggestions!

 

We've recently replaced an unsightly old boundary fence between our property and the neighbour. Being an old cottage - we re-built a dry stone wall along the footings of what would have been here many years ago.

We're really happy with it and its a lovely feature, however, it does not offer enough privacy (we get along fine with our neighbours, but we all need our seclusion!)

I'd planned on erecting a trellis that would have been fixed above wall height - but wifey isn't too keen on this idea.

She is keen for a line of small ornamental trees spaced every metre or so and high pruned so as to keep the wall a feature.

I've been looking in books and on-line and am struggling to think of suitable species. I'd thought of malus/prunus but am unsure as to how they'd cope with regular pruning as we wouldn't want the trees to be more than 2-2.5m in height and, we'd need the crowns to offer enough screening (though it needn't bee like a floating hedge).

We're both keen on Viburnum Carlcephalum but would this be more of a shrub and obscure the dry stone wall?

Any suggestions of suitable specimen would be appreciated. Our garden is south facing, but in an levated position of 1000ft so we do get clod windy winters. Sorry for the ramble of a first posting!

 

Ceres

Viburnum tinus can be trimmed into a small tree.

Dovefromabove

I think crab apples (malus) would work nicely

We had a similar query not long ago (but for SW France) - there were several suggestions made here http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/garden-design/tree-recommendations-for-my-site-please/621496.html but certainly malus was considered suitable, and could certainly be kept to the height you want.  If crab apples are happy in your area then I'd go for it!  Sounds a lovely idea

pansyface

Pleaching is a technique which would look good, but is time consuming.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=155

Blue Onion

Ohh.. pleaching is what came to my mind first (just didn't realize there was a term for it. Of course there is!).  Could you do it with hawthorn?  Beautiful blossoms followed by berries.  And the trees are rather dense, so you'd still have a measure of privacy in the winter (but a brighter yard than you would if they were evergreen).  Or maybe beech, that would keep winter leaves?  

Obelixx

In Belgium I've seen pleached hedging made from hornbeam, catalpa, tilias and photinias.   I believe it's possible with pear too and I've seen a copper beech one at Chelsea Flower show - 

It will take some time to grow and you will need a wooden framework for the initial training till it grows and supports itself but a well made frame is attractive in itself. You can buy the trees already started from specialist nurseries which would speed things up but probably cost a lot.

Welsh Lamb

Hi Peeps



Many thanks for all your suggestions. It is appreciated.



Love the look of preached trees but I think it might be a bit too formal for our garden - not to mention the fact that we've young twin girls . I reckon most of our training will be towards them rather than branches!



If we were to go for a more natural (rougher!) look - then crab apples would be OK to be kept to a shortish height? Was worried they may be susceptible to disease or affect flowering.