Bushes for screening
I have just had 8 conifers removed (hooray!) Unfortunately i have lost all privacy from the house behind me, which is a lot higher. They can see right into my lounge from their bedrooms.
Can anyone suggest something quick growing, preferably evergreen, which could reach a height of 4 metres? I don't really want to put trees in, as i won't be able to maintain them. As i am in my senior years , i need something low maintenance.
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Hi Lisa. What about a laurel hedge. Not sure how quick they grow though.
Yes, that's one that i could look into, thanks. I'm also thinking of Lilac but don't know how high they grow. The 'gardener' who took the conifers down, planted 3 Acer Crimson King trees, assuring me they don't grow very high! I looked them up on the internet ( a bit late ) and found that they can grow up to 12metres tall! And the same spread. I have a small garden, I whipped them out within days ( money wasted but better out now than in a few years time) so am in a bit of a fix now.
Lilac can be kept within the bounds you require. Not evergreen though but mine looks and smells lush at the moment!
Laurel is probably the best option - they can grow 12-18 " easily in a year once established. Therein lies the problem, as they'll need trimmed regularly. They get huge if left unpruned. Anything quick growing will also get big quickly so it's a balance.
A hedge of something like Beech or Hornbeam might be easier to keep as, although not evergreen, they maintain their foliage if kept under about 10 feet. Privet is semi evergreen but needs more clipping.
Do you have a fence there? That may be the best option to start with, then you can plant a mix of shrubs - evergreen and deciduous, and it won't matter quite so much if they take a few years to get to decent size.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
What about Berberis julianae? Solid evergreen, yellow spring flowers and stops at about 12 ft and also keeps burglars out with its spines. Reasonably quick growing.