In article ,
teapot wrote:

I'm posting on behalf of a friend. She is trying to make a screen for
the traffic that is quite heavy and about 30 yards away from her front
garden. All the plants will need to go next to a meter high wall and
underneath the soil (which is not very good) is builders rubble. She
wants a nice high screen so she can pretend she lives in the country.
Isn't hazel a problem planted next to a house? Her front garden is
about 30ft (if that) long, with a gate at the front end and the house
at the other. Drainage is good and it is on the shady side of the
garden. Hope this helps and thanks for the help!

That doesn't sound too bad. If the drainage is good, it is unlikely
that the builder's rubble is compacted - and most plants are perfectly
happy to put their roots through loose rubble. If it is compacted,
the best solution would be to get a jobbing builder to move the soil,
break up the rubble, and replace the soil. Just over the area the
plants are to go, so it would not cost a fortune.

Hazel isn't a particular problem, but any tall plant will have roots
that travel some distance. I wouldn't advise hazel as it makes an
open screen - NOT what she wants!

Where is this? I am not an expert on suitable plants, but can tell
you that the location will make a huge difference to her choice.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.