advice on planting conifers

hi id like some advice. i want abit more privacy, so was thinking of planting 2 large conifers here by my fence, has anyone got any advice?
do the neighbours have a say in it? as you can see there are conifers the other side of them ,they not been taken down so surely i can have them aswell?

i know you have too keep trimming them, im ok with that, just want bit more privacy!!

thanks

 

The ones in the distance look like Leylandii. It grows 3' a year, but it keeps on growing 3' a year after it has got to the height you want, so you will be cutting it several times a year which, if it is more than 7 - 8 feet tall, means ladders etc. It is also not possible to cut them hard back - so if they get out of hand neither you, nor your neighbours, will be able to cut back the sides to get it under control.

A couple won't really do the job either. You want to plant two or three per metre to make a hedge of them

Looks like you have concrete right up to the panel-fence by the downpipe? And looks like about 4 bricks width? so that would be about 3' ? If you leave the panel fence in place that's going to be quite a skinny hedge, probably OK though.

Which direction does the fence run - i.e. what direction will the plants be facing? If its North facing that will slow down their progress.

How much height do you want?

 

Woof,
Can I point you towards my thread called Leylandii Thug! please.

It may make you think twice about planting conifers!

 

Why don't you plant a mixed species hedge instead? Much prettier to look at and easier to manage, plus its good for the wildlife!

Also, depending on which direction it's facing, if you plant leylandii and let it grow quite tall, i suspect the neighbours wont be too pleased if it starts blocking out all the light to their garden and sucking up all the moisture and nutrients in the soil :(

From experience, leylandii is just too much of a thug for all but the very biggest gardens. You can get some lovely climbers that will grow along the fence for privacy or you could build a pergola or something which you could train them up?

I'm having to totally plant my garden around the awful leylandii that surrounds my boundary ie, shade plants etc... :(

 

Smoo: The O/P doesn't say they want Leylandii - just "conifers", and there are better behaved ones available of course

 

Hi there, I have planted Cypress conifers along my front boundry. Will grow to 15 feet in the right conditions. They sre north facing and only growing about 10" a year. Will grow much faster in the right spot. Will crop mine back at 6' and leave them at that height.

Regarding your neighbours, don't need to ask their permission but I don't think they will appreciate light being blocked on both sides.