[quote=Lardman;723337]Im a little suck with this one so any help would be useful.

Bit of background.

I have one problem neighbour which I suppose over 30 years and bordering 5
properties isnt too bad, we only share a 10 foot segment of fence at the
bottom of our garden with them. Yesterday the chap decides to do some
pruning of the plants in my garden that he can reach, long story short, I've
lost all the privacy in garden and my living room. There were 2 leylandii
which are now shaved to the trunk and an old fashioned mock orange from back
when they were large very highly scented flowers thats hes reduced to bare
stems around 5 foot high this had particular sentimental value.

I have two questions.

Is there anything I can do at the moment that will allow light in so the
tree can thicken up on this side where he cant reach but at the same time
prevent the neighbours looking directly into and therefore through our
entire house Is there tree coloured fleece or something I can weave in
whats left of the trees?

Will this have killed my mock orange - I've been trying for years to either
get a cutting to strike or a layering to take. Each time Ive ended up with
no root growth at all and dead twig. I would have moved it to another part
of the garden but didnt want to risk killing it.

Im open to suggestions. .... moving house is unfortunately not an option.

Lard.[/QUOTE Not withstanding the problem with privacy, take cuttings of your Mock Orange thus:
When the stems of the new growth have rippened (gone a bit woody) come september / oct, Take heel cuttings from side growths and cut back the growing tip so its about 12inches long. strip of the leaves.

Heel cutting means you pull off a side shoot where it joins the main stem so youre left with part of the main stem attached. Trim off ant straggly bits of bark etc to prevent rot.

your stems will only be about 3mm thick so we are not looking for a branch.

In some part of the garden which wont be disturbed, push a spade down the whole blade depth if you can and push it back and forth to make 'V' shaped slot. continue to make a row of these say four in all. Fill the v with sharp snad in the bottom to a depth of about 4 inches

Push your cuttings down into the sand and place about 4inches apart along the row. heel back the soil so the vee is closed and give it a water to make sure the gaopps below become filled with soil.

Sit back and wait for new growth to appear. They may sit there for a whole year before growing the following spring when they can be lifted carefuly and potted up. Hormone root powder may be used if desired. This is the surest way to reproduce but it does take time.]

There is another way by taking softwood cuttings, new unrippened growth about four inches long cut off the growing tips, leave two pair of leaves on the stem so you have say two pair of 'nodules below where leaves once were. place in a tray of sharp sand in a heated proporgater til growth starts.

Alternativly, look at the base of your existing plant for off shoots from the main shrub that when you cut away from the shrub you will get a branch with some roots on. Id look now but do October time.

Lengthy explanation but I know what you mean by 'sentimental value'