Quote:
Originally Posted by talksalot81
I think you are right about the identification - this is almost certainly the plant.
We had thought about the cold weather but we probably had less cold a time than much of the rest of the UK, so I had wondered about a disease. It really does look like all of these plants in the area are in trouble.
Remedy wise... I presume I am stuck just digging it up and starting again? What is the best bet for an alternative hedge type which will grow nice and quickly and be happy enough in a small garden in a built up area?
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We were fairly lucky just around where I live, nothing like as cold as was routinely experienced across large swathes of the country. So the fact that it survived where we are isn't much of an indication. In your case, the fact that it looks like every single plant in your area is dead sounds like a clear case of frost. Apparently they particularly dislike icy winds. Some pest attack would inevitably be more patchy.
I have absolutely no idea whether Griselinia will sprout again from the roots when frosted to the ground, if frost is indeed the problem. If it does, it may not show until high/late summer. One of my cordylines was frosted in 9/10, and didn't put out any shoots until late July. My other one was frosted this year, and I still have nothing despite the very warm spring we've been having.
For a hardy hedging plant, evergreen, fairly fast growing, reasonably easy to manage, I usually suggest Berberis. There are several species/varieties you can choose from. They usually have pretty flowers, then berries (edible, but you need to choose carefully if you want palatability), can be hacked back hard as you like if you let them grow too much, and the central stem is fairly thin (unlike laurel) allowing a fairly thin hedge to be practical. You can also choose varieties with purple leaves. Escallonia would also be a common choice in your climate.