Hi, Janet, thanks for replying. Have had a look at escallonia, but most
places suggest that it might suffer through the winter months.Although I'm
on the S East Scottish coast I'm surrounded by trees which tends to create a
frost pocket. Pity as I think that it looks an attractive plant. I take your
point about leaf drop from evergreens, but surely they can't be as bad as
beech? I have well over 140ft of beech hedging shedding leaves for what
seems like half the year, yesterday I took two barrow loads out of the pond,
so much for the netting! Now if I could get a deciduous hedge which dropped
it's leaves all in one go, was as attractive to birdlife like hawthorn but
without vicious thorns and was nice and hardy then .......

regards,

David

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "David" contains these words:

Hi,
I want to replace an old 5 ft high screenblock wall with a hedge as
the
wall is unsafe and needs to come down. This wall runs east/west along
the
length of my garden and subdivides it into a lawned area and veg /fruit
garden. The area I will have left is some 5ft wide and around 80ft long
and
is currently covered in a 3inch layer of red chips laid on top of a
membrane. The whole area sees the sun for the full afternoon.
My requirements for the hedge would be:
1) Final height around 4 - 5ft tall, medium growth rate
2) Evergreen ( I've got quite enough leaves blowing around my garden,
thankyou!).
3) Formal or informal....I've not decided
4) Suitably dense for birds to nest
5) Preferably not "green privet" ( or at least variagated!)

Finally, being a lazy sod, I would prefer to leave the chips in place
and
plant through them as there is 8 tons of them. I know that the soil
underneath is good quality, presently I have roses growing happily,
these
will be moved elsewhere.
Advice on plant types and planting techniques would be appreciated,

Keeping a waterpermeable membrane/stone mulch should work if it's on
top of good soil; at each planting position, you'll need to push back
the stones, cut an X in the fabric with a knife, fold it back, plant,
and replace.

You will not avoid fallen leaves or regular maintenance by planting
evergreen. Evergreens shed their oldest leaves every year under cover
of their new ones. Some waxy evergreen leaves can be more of a pain
blowing round the garden because they last a very long time, whereas
deciduous leaves decompose within a season. Fallen holly leaves stay
sharp and prickly for years.

Evergreen possibilities include yew, holly (both hardy) escallonia
(slightly less hardy, pretty flowers) ,griselinea (mild coastal areas
only). Cheapest and best sources are specialist hedge suppliers (ad
pages of any gardening magazine), they all do mail order. They will
advise what's suitable for your locality, exposure etc.

Janet.