Hiding a bare leylandi hedge
When we moved to our house we cut back the laurel hedge bordering our neighbours as they had grown upto 20+ feet into messy trees spilling out in every direction. We then discovered a row of leylandi behind it which were obviously totally bare and at least 20 feet high also. We were trying to grow the laurels back into a neat hedge and also hide some of the bare leylandi. The laurels were growing nicely and had reached about 3 foot when the neighbours razored them down and put up a 6 foot fence. We now have this fence and above it the awful bare branches of leylandi. The fence follows the slope of the garden but the leylandi have been cut totally square at the top so the leylandi hedge seems taller one side than the other. My question is what can I plant in front to hide the bare stems. It is a very narrow clay area with not a lot of good soil and gets about 2-3 hours of early morning sun. I don't think a climber would work as the neighbours are funny about stuff trespassing their border. They also refuse to cut the height down.
Posts
These websites should help
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=408
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/9411/highhedgescomplaining.pdf
I agree. Put up your own posts and trellis on your side of the fence and thus on your land. Widen your border if you can but certainly improve the soil with loads and loads of well rotted manure/garden compost/soil improver - available in bags from good DIY stores - and then plant a new hedge of your choosing or maybe a mix of roses/clematis/honeysuckle for colour and perfume and attracting wildlife.
As Buttercup says, there are rules about hedge heights between neighbours so follow those links.
Good luck.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Thanks for the information. The neighbours actually look at the green side of the leylandi and the fence is behind the trees so they do not see any of the bare branches or the fence. We will certainly try to improve the quality of the soil but will the leylandi roots make it too dry for anything to grow well. Unfortunately we have been embroiled in an old boundary dispute that went to court by the previous owners and our attempts at conversation are in vain but we will persevere. We just need something that can hopefully grown quite tall at a decent speed to detract from the unsightly mess.
Grow a strong growing rose such as Rambling Rector up into the stumps or/and a vigourous clematis Montana over them.
When we moved in the neighbours at the two other gardens involved planted B leyandii. that was about 29 yrs ago. The newer neighbours on the right have just cut back his leylandii to about 5ft above our existing fence. Because the garden dips at the bottom on bothe sides this is reasonable and we are really pleased. There is now a lot more skylight for both of us.
These trees are really an abomination in any urban garden and I feel for you. I am now growing the trees named above into the stumps. We cleared the over hang on our side to replace some fencing and cut down all the overhang. Gulp!
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
I certainly think so - I would either put all my efforts into friendly overtures with the NDN in order to come up with a solution agreeable to all
OR
Erect a sturdy fence on your side of the boundary and move on.
Good luck
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Further to my previous post up thread on Leylandii in August. The neighbour on the left side of the bottom border have just had their leylandii reduced about 5ft to match the ones on the right of the holly tree.
I heard a chain saw powering up as I left to do my shopping and when I had got home I saw they had been reduced most of their hedge as well. I sat on my garden bench and watched the transfomation. I have been smiling all afternoon.
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'