Trees for privacy?

[G-Force]

Hi there,

Could anyone tell me what the best trees to plant in a garden which is fairly overlooked in an attempt to make it more private please?

Ideally we would want the trees to grow about 8 to 10 metres high 12 maximum and no more than 2 to 3 metres wide and would need them to be evergreen.
We would also need them to be fast growing.

Any suggestions for this would be greatly appreciated.

I reckon we would need approximately 10 to 20 trees and if anyone has any suggestions as good places to buy them where they are young and cheap but again
this is why we need them to be fast growing because we have a small budget.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Brian

[nightshade]

What is your general area? G-Force,broadly speaking
you are going to end up with Conifers
Eucalyptus varieties are evergreen but can bring their
own problems (depending on location)
Suitable shrubs rarely top 15ft

[Gill Catton]

well lots of people hate leylandii with a firey passion, but well, nesting birds love it and it will do the job for you, but you might want to consider where the permenant shadow will fall and be certain it won't upset anyone!

[Tormentil]

Leylandii are fast growing and if you cut the growing tip off about a foot below your required height, I would say these are your best bet.

[smartie]

Another alternative to leylandii, if you don't fancy that, is thuja plicata atrovirens, which grows about 75cm a year and needs to be kept under similar tight control. If you look at this site: Leylandii,Leylandii Hedging,Conifer Hedging,Laurel,Thuja,Specimen Conifers & Evergreen Hedging Plants from Greenshutters Nurseries & Plant Centre it might give you some ideas. Can't recommend the company particularly, as I've not used them myself.

Some of the Chamaecyparis make good hedges, but they aren't as fast growing.

[G-Force]

Thanks everyone for your prompt suggestions...

the Leylandii seems a popular choice - although I shopuld say, we have a fence to perimterise the garden but it's above this height which is overlooked.

So the trees are to be planted in front of the fence in single file rather than as a hedge so would you still advise the Leylandii as conifers? Can you get these in a dark green colour?
Excuse my ignorance please I am extremely new to gardening!

I also like Eucalyptus trees but not sure how lots of these would look.

I should point out that the sides which are overlooked have no adjacent property so the trees spiralling out of control won't be as much of a problem.

Thanks again

Brian

[nightshade]

Eucalyptus can grow to 50ft beautiful white bark dark green evergreen foliage
small rounded new leaves long lanceolate mature leaves.When in flower the tree
is covered in blossoms which bees adore.Nice sound when the wind blows the leaves
eucalyptus - Google Image Search
plenty of images on google

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by G-Force

Thanks everyone for your prompt suggestions...

the Leylandii seems a popular choice - although I shopuld say, we have a fence to perimterise the garden but it's above this height which is overlooked.

So the trees are to be planted in front of the fence in single file rather than as a hedge so would you still advise the Leylandii as conifers? Can you get these in a dark green colour?
Excuse my ignorance please I am extremely new to gardening!

I also like Eucalyptus trees but not sure how lots of these would look.

I should point out that the sides which are overlooked have no adjacent property so the trees spiralling out of control won't be as much of a problem.

Thanks again

Brian

Leylandii is mostly a dark green colour (though you can get other varieties) and they would still be suitable- but again beware even if it's just next doors garden and not an actual building they will shade, you may upset people - especially if they have planted lots of sun loving plants in that area.

Eucalyptus trees are great, very pretty, the foliage smells lovely when crushed and the wood smells good on the BBQ but I wouldn't recommend planting them anywhere near buildings or footpaths as I have heard that they can cause subsidance

[G-Force]

Thank you, looks like I've narrowed it down to two then. Both look good - will probably use the Leylandii but like the idea of having one maybe two Eucalyptus.

The neighbours aren't a problem because it;s just flats that we are wanting to block out not anyone else's gardens.

Thanks again for all the info!

[Kayleigh]

I would consider other tree's or hedges before making up your mind. Here are some helpful sugestions at a very reasonable price. They are a very helpful company you can e-mail any questions you may have.

Hedging Collections from Buckingham Nurseries

[nightshade]

The Eucalyptus won't cast such a hard shade as conifers
and will give a lighter atmosphere,you can also walk under
their umbrella so you keep more usable space

[overgrownbramble]

I'm not certain, but a council inspector told me about a year ago that planning permission is needed to plant Leylandi these days, because of the huge damage and arguments etc they cause. Liek I say, it may not be the case (as I believe they are still freely available!), but worth checking. Especially as the roots go horizontal 1.5 metres for every vertical metre of tree height, so at 15 metres the impact could be substantial.

[badgerwatcher]

Creepers such as russian vine over any tree or fence can give very rapid cover and privacy. The are a great source of insects for birds. My front garden is completely shielded from the road by various trees festooned with russian vine, clematis and winter jasmine, which I wouldn't consider in a small garden, unless you are aiming to hide your house! But extremely effective, and more easily removable if you need to get more sunlight.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by overgrownbramble

I'm not certain, but a council inspector told me about a year ago that planning permission is needed to plant Leylandi these days, because of the huge damage and arguments etc they cause. Liek I say, it may not be the case (as I believe they are still freely available!), but worth checking. Especially as the roots go horizontal 1.5 metres for every vertical metre of tree height, so at 15 metres the impact could be substantial.

I'm not aware of any legislation which requires permission to plant Leyllandii, but law I think was implemented that a hedge could have a maximum height imposed on it, in those neighbourly dispute cases.

Birds like nesting in it, but the downside of the rapid growth is that'll it'll need cutting up to 3 times/year once it has reached desired height. If you cut into old wood you won't get any regeneration + this applies to all conifers except Yew. There are many attractive cultivars of Lawson's Cypress available where you could mix green, gold + bluish foliage or whatever takes your fancy.

I like Eucalyptus- some have great bark, juvenile/adult foliage, but they do remove a lot of water from the ground + can start lifting paving, etc with their roots.

[Susie]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Birds like nesting in it, but the downside of the rapid growth is that'll it'll need cutting up to 3 times/year once it has reached desired height. If you cut into old wood you won't get any regeneration + this applies to all conifers except Yew. .

Tell me about it. There are conifers around both sides and the end of my garden. They were 25 feet high when we viewed the house and provided a sound break from a busy main road nearly but when we moved in they had been trimmed down to nine foot and are now hideous brown mangled things that aren't going to regrow attractively.

[smartie]

Originally Posted by Susie

Tell me about it. There are conifers around both sides and the end of my garden. They were 25 feet high when we viewed the house and provided a sound break from a busy main road nearly but when we moved in they had been trimmed down to nine foot and are now hideous brown mangled things that aren't going to regrow attractively.

Take a look at mine For complex reasons we had to cut the huge conifer hedge of which this is a part back 18 months ago. It is regenerating, as you can see in the picture, but very slowly, especially given the drought we had last summer. I know it will improve eventually, as the neighbours on the other side of the hedge attacked theirs about 4 years ago and it looks OK now.



The birds love it, though. Lots of places to perch, show off and visit the feeders. We're growing things up it to disguise the worst of the ravages (ivy, honeysuckle, an attempt at a rose which might survive the dry conditions under the hedge) while it tries to regenerate.

[Treehugger]

Please not Lleylandii! They will grow out of control within a really short period and could make your life a nightmare.

I underestand your desire for privacy but do you really need cover all year round? - after two years a native broadleaf hedge I planted in my front garden provides fantastic cover from spring through to Autumn and food for a wide range of native wildlife - and it's beautiful.

(I used a mix of hawthorn, dogwood wild privet (semi-evergreen), field maple, wayfaring tree and guelder rose)

[Susie]

I admire your patience, Smartie.

The ugly conifers along two sides are going today and will be replaced along one fence by five fruit trees and climbers on the other - can't wait to see all the insects they will attract in the spring.

[Seajay]

[quote=G-Force;97014]Hi there,

Could anyone tell me what the best trees to plant in a garden which is fairly overlooked in an attempt to make it more private please?

Ideally we would want the trees to grow about 8 to 10 metres high 12 maximum and no more than 2 to 3 metres wide and would need them to be evergreen.
We would also need them to be fast growing.

Any suggestions for this would be greatly appreciated.



I don't think tall trees are the answer if you require them as you are overlooked. Remember they are neighbours and have rights to light etc and you need them as friends. If my neighbours suddenly planted tall trees such as Eucalyptus (which around here is a thug) I would not be a happy bunny! My garden would be strangled due to lack of light. Why not a small mixed native hedge such as Hawthorn, Rowan very beautiful trees and layer some of the branches. Great for wildlife! Great for your neighbours!

[nightshade]

I do not think that G-Force has neighbours: Quote;
I should point out that the sides which are overlooked have no adjacent property so the trees spiralling out of control won't be as much of a problem

[Tormentil]

Originally Posted by badgerwatcher

Creepers such as russian vine over any tree or fence can give very rapid cover and privacy. The are a great source of insects for birds. My front garden is completely shielded from the road by various trees festooned with russian vine, clematis and winter jasmine, which I wouldn't consider in a small garden, unless you are aiming to hide your house! But extremely effective, and more easily removable if you need to get more sunlight.

Your right about Russian Vine BW. You can almost see it growing!!! I planted some for quick coverage several years ago. Boy was it quick and covered everything! It was outed after a couple of years. Got fed up with always having to cut it back which seemed to encourage it be even more rampant.

[badgerwatcher]

I've always hated it, in my tiny concrete square of a back yard, but now I have the space, I can see it is very beautiful. When I'm fed up with it, I'll have to hire a team of tall men with machetes! Very effective in a lace curtain sort of way, though!

[Seajay]

Originally Posted by nightshade

I do not think that G-Force has neighbours: Quote;
I should point out that the sides which are overlooked have no adjacent property so the trees spiralling out of control won't be as much of a problem

Yes, thankyou Nightshade, so I see now I've read all the posts. However, Cupressocyparis leylandii is NOT the answer for a person of little gardening experience. It is not a matter of cutting the leader off at the required height because it will be replaced by several leaders in approx 3 months! Any gardener will face a constant battle to keep it within bounds. The roots will run just under the surface and rob a considerable part of the garden of nutrients and moisture. It also means keeping the top cut whilst working at a considerable height. Believe me - it will beat you! If you have a large garden then plant a screen of small, native trees on the boundary, have an open space and plant a screen again., then open garden again. This way you will create several micro-climates, catering for a wider species of plants and consequently a more diverse environment for wildlife. If you like conifers plant specimen plants in the screens alongside plants like the Rowan, Hawthorn, crabapple, dogrose and whilst your at it throw in some nettles in large pots! To create the right environment wait for approx. ten years but in the meantime have a wonderful time enjoying your garden and it's visitors, learning how to garden as you go. Enjoy!

[Susie]

And trying to get rid of conifers are a nightmare. I've been digging off and on all afternoon and I still have loads to do.

When I think of Russian Vine I just think of railway embankments completely taken over by the stuff. I can't see anything attractive about it.

[Kayleigh]

There is a beech hedge at the bottom of my garden the bloke that owns it don't touch it. We get the tree menders in every three years to cut it back at £100 a time. It blocks all the light from my greenhouse

Lleylandii grow a lot faster than this so will get out of hand and Eucyliptus extract a lot of water out of the ground. They also grow 6ft a year over 50ft in total unsuitable for gardens in the UK. I had one and dug it up before it got too big.