Replacing fence with hedge: advice please!

[djackso]

Originally Posted by m1.carson

I think your choice of leylandii is not a good one, unless you want a fence incredibly high, I wasn't even sure you could still get them as they cause so many court cases between neighbours.

Max.

I think leylandii can have their place, and can be trimmed if necessary. Start the trimming early in the trees life to prevent irreversible brown patches.

[seamusagleann]

leylandi or thuja ,best if you can get regen ,ask a friendly forester for them, these will give an foot of access at the base and with a mixture of cotoneaster should do the trick .a mix of 40% peat to 60% mineral or sandy loam for good drainage ,is the best growing medium and if your worried about rapid growth after first cut of the year a growth inhibiter ,like "cutless" can be applied by a knapsack sprayer

[hobble]

What a refreshing thread. It seems in the area in which I live people are taking hedges out and putting fences up. This spoils the whole look of some properties where once we could see pretty gardens and neighbours could chat to one another.
I find these big fences wholly inappropriate in some settings and think they should have to have planning permission.
Well done for your great thinking, better for wildlife and far more visually appealing.

[Tracey.A]

Originally Posted by hobble

What a refreshing thread. It seems in the area in which I live people are taking hedges out and putting fences up. This spoils the whole look of some properties where once we could see pretty gardens and neighbours could chat to one another.
I find these big fences wholly inappropriate in some settings and think they should have to have planning permission.
Well done for your great thinking, better for wildlife and far more visually appealing.

My mum had an absolutley beautiful old mixed hedge between her garden and the next door neighbour, well not really mum's, because it was on her neighbours land. This hedge provided shelter and nest sites for all sorts of mammals and birds. Sadly, when new neighbours moved in the hedge was ripped out and an awful ranch style fence put up in its place, it was heart breaking and no longer a haven for all sorts of wildlife. Mum did try to explain why they shouldn't remove the hedge, but as it was their hedge they just tore it out. It was just very sad.

This is why I wish you all the very best with your hedge, as the haven for wildlife that it provides will bring you so much enjoyment. Good luck!

Tracey

[Blackdogjnr]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

I think I'll definitely be going for a mixed hedge now, Last year I removed a tree from outside our bedroom window as it blew dangerously close to the house in high winds.

It'd seem a bit foolish to plant a 'risky' rapid grower like leylandii near to my house as part of the hedge. So, my 3 baby saplings have been positioned at the foot of the garden and I'm gradually going to work back, removing the fence panel by panel as I go.

I like the idea of english holly and cotoneaster as well, definitely going to mix it up!

Its going to be quite costly though! But so much better than forking out for wood panels and slapping evil 'protector' on every season.

[Blackdogjnr]

Originally Posted by Tracey.A

My mum had an absolutley beautiful old mixed hedge between her garden and the next door neighbour, well not really mum's, because it was on her neighbours land. This hedge provided shelter and nest sites for all sorts of mammals and birds. Sadly, when new neighbours moved in the hedge was ripped out and an awful ranch style fence put up in its place, it was heart breaking and no longer a haven for all sorts of wildlife. Mum did try to explain why they shouldn't remove the hedge, but as it was their hedge they just tore it out. It was just very sad.

This is why I wish you all the very best with your hedge, as the haven for wildlife that it provides will bring you so much enjoyment. Good luck!

Tracey

I checked my deeds and the land is ours!
My hedge is for keeps