Semi Mature trees for screening
Discussion
I am looking to place some semi mature trees at the back of the garden to act a a screen from the house opposite which has windows facing our garden. Has anyone done this themselves? I have no idea about the kind of trees I should be planting, but the idea is that they should be fairly quick growing to cover the boundary.
I have looked at some of the offerings on net advertised nurseries but can't seem to get a real feel for pricing?
Any thoughts, recomendations?
I have looked at some of the offerings on net advertised nurseries but can't seem to get a real feel for pricing?
Any thoughts, recomendations?
I've not used them myself but these guys are supposed to be good and should be able to advise: http://www.majestictrees.co.uk/
As TSS says, go somewhere for good advice.
Your options are hedging, a row of trees, or perhaps a pergola of roses. You need to know how high it will grow/need to grow, how much effort you are prepared to put in, what type of screen you want (is it just light/visibility, or woud you like security/thorny?), and also how good a screen you want (some are thicker than others, deciduous obviously is less effective a screen in winter).
As suggested, it might be more wise to pay more now for something mature but slow growing. My book lists about 40 hedging plants that might be worth considering, from Beech to Yew. Ultimately you'll need to make a list, then go look at them. Oh, and consider getting a professional in to plant them properly - more chance of them thriving, and easier on the back.
Or if you want a one-word answer - go for yew. As used in the best mazes.
Your options are hedging, a row of trees, or perhaps a pergola of roses. You need to know how high it will grow/need to grow, how much effort you are prepared to put in, what type of screen you want (is it just light/visibility, or woud you like security/thorny?), and also how good a screen you want (some are thicker than others, deciduous obviously is less effective a screen in winter).
As suggested, it might be more wise to pay more now for something mature but slow growing. My book lists about 40 hedging plants that might be worth considering, from Beech to Yew. Ultimately you'll need to make a list, then go look at them. Oh, and consider getting a professional in to plant them properly - more chance of them thriving, and easier on the back.
Or if you want a one-word answer - go for yew. As used in the best mazes.
HiRich said:
Or if you want a one-word answer - go for yew. As used in the best mazes.
Though admittedly you will be 100 years old before you get a decent hedge.You could go for beech, which has year round interest and good growth. Or mixed native hedging, or a willow 'fedge' - it really rather depends what part of the country you're in and how rural your location is.
These guys have a good site for finding out your options, though I've not bought from them (yet), so can't vouch for the quality of plant they offer:
http://www.hedging.co.uk/acatalog/Index_HedgingTrees__Shrubs_Conifers_1.html
Leylandii scares people but if you keep on top of it and keep cutting it then it's pretty handy in the right situation. We have it as a screen at the front of the house and it makes a good sound barrier (it was there when we bought the house).
We have also just planted a single Eucalyptus tree to cover the gap that our neighbour looks into our garden from! The same thing applies, keep it well trimmed and it'll be thicker at the bottom and not gangly and straggly.
One thing to bear in mind is that the High Hedges legislation only applies to hedges and not to individual trees. If you have a hedge and your neighbour complains the Local Authority can intervene and require you to bring it down to an agreed height (I think it's a recommended 2 metres).
When we planted trees at the back (to screen the same neighbour) we planted a row of Cypress trees (can't remember which variety), we bought four foot trees and again we've kept them well trimmed to make sure that they don't get leggy. The key is to make sure that you have individual trees and not a hedge and then (at present) you aren't subject to the legislation.
We have also just planted a single Eucalyptus tree to cover the gap that our neighbour looks into our garden from! The same thing applies, keep it well trimmed and it'll be thicker at the bottom and not gangly and straggly.
One thing to bear in mind is that the High Hedges legislation only applies to hedges and not to individual trees. If you have a hedge and your neighbour complains the Local Authority can intervene and require you to bring it down to an agreed height (I think it's a recommended 2 metres).
When we planted trees at the back (to screen the same neighbour) we planted a row of Cypress trees (can't remember which variety), we bought four foot trees and again we've kept them well trimmed to make sure that they don't get leggy. The key is to make sure that you have individual trees and not a hedge and then (at present) you aren't subject to the legislation.
Piglet said:
The key is to make sure that you have individual trees and not a hedge and then (at present) you aren't subject to the legislation.
Although a hedge is merely a series of trees in a line... presumably the 'EU Directive on Tree and Hedge Differentiation 2008' specifies a distance between trunks?Simpo Two said:
Piglet said:
The key is to make sure that you have individual trees and not a hedge and then (at present) you aren't subject to the legislation.
Although a hedge is merely a series of trees in a line... presumably the 'EU Directive on Tree and Hedge Differentiation 2008' specifies a distance between trunks?
The High Hedges legislation comes out of the Antisocial Behaviour laws - I love the fact you can get an ASBO for the state of your hedge (actually I don't think you can but I prefer to think you can!). I think it is a matter for the LA to decide if they receive a complaint and, in most cases, it will be a question of fact - certainly in our case what we have at the front is clearly a hedge, the trucks are close together and the branches are intermixed. What we have at the back is a line of trees - they have about 3 feet between the trucks and gaps between them.
I think the point is that if you are planting trees and you know that you want to go over 2 metres (we do as our neighbour is higher up than us) then it's worth being careful to make sure you are planting trees and not a hedge, even if that means some gaps in the early years. If 2 metres is enough height then it's not likely to be an issue.
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