"Roy Forster" wrote in message
news
I have just bought a house with a half acre back garden and I am about to
set up a large vegetable plot - aiming for self-sufficiency eventually. It
is quite a windy site on good, but stony alkaline soil. I would like to
put
in some hedging (preferably decorative) to protect plants from the wind.

Any suggestions, including whether they are easy to propagate would be
appreciated.

The shape of the plot has a bearing on this. A narrow shape can be protected
on the perimeter, whereas a squarer one may need a central barrier as well.
A 5 ft hedge or solid fence will reduce wind speed by half for a distance of
about 25 feet, so you can work out what would be best for your plot. The
ornamental types of hedging tend to grow slowly, and boring old privet may
be a good option. Even though it tends to deplete surrounding soil (manuring
helps), the early benefit could offset that disadvantage. Temporary
artificial protection from cloches, netting or hurdles is likely to be
necessary, whichever type of hedging is used. A solid fence would give
immediate protection, and could give support to a variety of climbing
ornamentals.

Peter