Privet or box?

Hi,

We are wanting to plant a 2ft high hedge to "dress" where the house meets the ground, so it'll be about 4 ft away from house.

We'd like it to be box or privet - a small leaf robust evergreen. We want to do 2 sides of the house but one of them is on the north of the house.

Which one is going to survive best on the north side? Which should I go for?

Thanks

Gary

 

Agree with Loofah, but I have a hedge of lonicera nitida, and it needs clipping about four times a year just to keep it in bounds.
I'd go for box if you only want 2ft high.

 

Blight would be my worry with Box ... you can plant Japanese Box instead to avoid that (Ilex crenata - its actually a holly, but looks like box). Both are slow though ... and expensive (plant spacing will only be about 6", maybe 9", and they are probably £3 each - don't buy tiny plants, you'll wait forever ...)

When you plant it I recommend: you make sure you a) plant it dead straight and b) you get the plant spacing spot-on. Because the plants are so close together you will see any slight mis-alignment for years to come and it will bug you (well ... it would me!!)

I think Privet is rather vigorous for a 2' high

You might get away with Yew, although I think it would be happier waist high. It will only needs cutting once a year.

 

Thank you for the thoughts. The hedge we were hoping to be 18" wide, 2 to 3 ft high. It will be planted 3ft 9" away from the wall to leave a clear passage between house and hedge for trimming. Does this change anything?

I love box but am slightly wary as I have lost a few in perfectly decent borders where nothing else died. Not sure what the signs of box blight are.

Am lurching towards privet I think but ill take a look at the lonicera. Yew is a good suggestion. I like it.

 

Have you considered cotoneaster, fast growing, clipable and a food source for wildlife.

 

That looks really good. 6" really? Wow. Went on open gardens tour yesterday and unfortunately my mind is made up now. It has to be yew. I know it'll bankrupt me and I'll be dead long before it reaches size but its the look I want. We have free draining soil and are prepared to go up 3 ft high so I think it should be ok. Just need to find some expensive antiques at a car boot now for 50p!

 

How long did that take to grow Shiney?

There are some nice "buttresses" at East Ruston Old Vicarage. I assumed they were Variegated Box so discounted them on the grounds that they would take a lifetime to grow (or a Lottery Win!!) but they may be Euonymous, either way depending on speed I might be up from some Euonymous features

 

Indeed, leaf looks smaller I think? But after your posts I think Euonymous would make a suitable "buttress", only faster its something I hadn't considered before, as I'd only considered Box and thought "Too slow for me"!

That's very kind, thanks.