On 13/10/04 17:50, in article , "Mike Lyle"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:
snip
A Camellia
hedge is a lovely thing, IMO.

Some gorgeous recipes there, as usual. Camellias are fussy, though;
and if they're exposed the flowers can be ruined by frosts -- if this
garden is on the western side of the hedge that would be much less of
a problem.

You're quite right. I should have said "no good for a limey soil and don't
expose to a rising sun"!

But the coloured-barked dogwoods are a very easy and economical
solution for a long run such as David describes. Cornus alba comes in
both white and yellow variegated forms; the flowers and berries are
by no means bad, and the leaves colour in autumn; so they aren't only
of winter interest. You can underplant with small spring bulbs, too,
so you don't feel the loss when you chop the dogwoods back in late
Feb.

The other thing that now comes to my mind, though not that tall, is
Sarcococca for that fabulous winter scent and ditto Hamamelis - ooooh and
Daphne bhoula which, here, grows to about 12'. A lot does depend on where
the OP lives.

Coming home in winter and catching coloured bark in the headlights is
a lovely feeling.

That's rather poetic! And correct.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)