fast growing hedges

hi all i,m looking to put something up between me and my neighbours ie conifers or anything fast growing anybody any ideas because noseys not the word cheers spademan

 

The obvious one is leylandii. However bear in mind that it will keep growing fast even after it has reached the height that you would like it to stop at. It makes a nice hedge but you really do need to keep in top of it or it will head for the sky. Someone else recently had the same problem and a trellis to increase the height of the existing fence with climbers through it was suggested. This might be better for neighbour relations in the long run.

 

Mmm agreed, I planted about 8 small leylandii in the mother in laws garden and they grew amazingly fast. Keeping them in check is an ongoing problem. One problem is that if you restrict their height and spread all the growth goes into the trunk and eventually you end up with great fat stumps and not a lot of foliage. Trellis and climbers are good for the short term. Perhaps consider planting alternate climbers and your choice of hedging plant. Most hedging will take 3-5 years to properly establish but at least it would be a better long term screen.

I planted 125 "cotoneaster simonsii" about 18 months ago and they are coming on well, but you need to be in it for the long haul with them !

 

I know they say its slow, but I think yew is the best evergreen hedge, and its not really slow once it gets going. It also has the advantage that it can be cut back to brown wood and it will still sprout, something not many conifers can do.