"TheScullster" wrote in message
...

"Space" wrote

Does anyone have the above?

I have a row of about 8 leylandi that I want to take down and replace
with a beech hedge. I'm looking for an evergreen hedge, and I can see
that beech is deciduous.

I have to disagree with other posters on this having done a similar
tree/hedge replacement recently.
I live on an estate which is littered with Beech hedgerows and find that
they are substantially bare for a significant period.
During this time they look ugly and provide very poor screening (if you
are looking for the hedge to provide privacy).
Also, we have a copper beech tree in our garden and the same comments re
leaf retention, or lack of it, apply.
Maybe it's down to the degree of exposure of the site and the tendency for
old leaves to be "blown off" before their time.

In any case, I opted for a mixed hedge which is both evergreen, colourful
and IMHO more "interesting".
This comprises: escallonia, ceanothus, illeagnus, honey suckle, photinia
and one or two others.
The photinia is perhaps less suitable due to its straggling growth, but
the rest merge well and give differing colours and scents during the year.
If you don't want the variety, then escallonia alone has been used on the
newer estates locally to good effect - make sure you get the leafier
varieties as some can be a bit sparse.

Certainly worth an image google before you decide.

I found that the local - good reputation - garden centre (when haggled
with) would come pretty close to root stock prices with, what turned out
to be, small but established potted plants. All have survived and are
healthy specimens.

The conifers we replaced were Blue Lawson Cyprus - awful things - we still
have another 15 still to remove.
These will be replaced by a fence - set back by 500mm - with screen
planting, more of the above, in front (this fence borders the highway so
is subject to planning permission, recently obtained). The trees were
removed by a local contractor who used a stump grinder to get rid of the
trunks/roots. Very thorough job.

HTH

Phil

Yes, I've seen this criticism before from other people. The hedge does need
to be quite dense (about 1 metre wide) to stop the leaves being blown away
and needs careful management when young to produce a good density of side
shoots.