Rodger Whitlock wrote
"You might think Lonicera nitida would do, but it really needs to
be cut back very hard the first few years so it has a properly
thick base..."

If you plant it almost flat on the ground and at a slight angle to the last
plant i.e. so that they form a row 6 inches or so wide then they will
sprout along the stem and form a thick base.
also once they start to shoot then you could even pin the stems down to the
ground and they will root along the stem..
If you then just top them lightly at around 12 inches then again at 18
inches you should have a 3 ft hedge in less than 3 year.
Alternatively you could plant as described and also plant one plant every 12
to 15 inches upright to make the height quicker whilst the base will thicken
up at the same time.
This is all dependant on the size of the plants you start with.
--
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk