Although I have been an avid gardener for may years, I have recently bought my first house, and now I am having to think about trees and shrubs, where I used to be only concerned with annuals and perennials in my rented home. 2 questions for anyone that can spare the time to help me out!

First, the front of my house is east facing, with a small space that is covered in concrete. I live in the south, in nortn west London. I am going to remove part of the concrete and renew the soil. I would like to plant a box hedge near to the house and trim it neat to the bottom of the front bay window. There is a strip of concrete that runs along the house and protrudes about 2 feet from the house, and this will stay. So ultimately, the hedge will grow 2 feet from the house but with the hedge butt up against some hard paving. My question is to whether this is too close to the house – any potential for root damage to the house foundation? What variety of box hedge would you recommend? Do any of the varieties grow quickly or will I be waiting 10 years for it to grow 4 feet high? Is it best to by more mature species or smaller ones and trim them as they grow.

Second question is concerning wisteria. Again, are there varieties I should avoid that might cause damage to the house if planted right next to the wall (no concrete issue in this area)? Should I be concerned with trying to contain the root system in an underground container? Does anyone have a particular favourite variety that is different in some way – a particularly blue flower? Are the different varieties very different in growth rates?

Sorry for all the questions – I probably need to go out and get some new books!