On 21/3/08 18:15, in article
, "Mr X"
wrote:


"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote in message
...

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...
In article , "Mr X"
says...
Hello

I have been trying to decide what the best hedge to grow in my tiny
garden
to give me some privacy. I finally decided to buy a quantity of bare
root
elderberry plants that are 2 years old and about 3 feet tall . The
question
is, how easy will it be to maintain a nice thick hedge of elderberry?
What
do I need to do to get nice lush growth through the summers without too
much
wood?

Mr X



Strange choice for a hedge, they are rather brittle and make long annual
canes if cut, I think the best you can hope for is something a bit
informal as a screen. Nice for the fruit though!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Ours do quite nicely as a hedge, although not as dense as some, you
cannot see through it in season


--
Rowdens Reservoir Allotments Association
www.rraa.moonfruit.com



Well I'm not much of a gardener but I thought Id get a quick screen from
elderberry and I love elderberry juice. I would be interested in any better
suggestions. I just need a bit of fast growing privacy in my tiny gardern.


I do think elders are not a great idea for a small garden. We have an
elderberry hedge which is, admittedly, pretty old, but it's about 8' wide at
its narrowest point. You might be better with e.g. Rosa rugosa which might
deter intruders, too, beech, which if kept to around 8' retains even the
dead leaves in winter until it sprouts new ones or, depending on where you
live, Escallonia (not hardy everywhere).
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'