In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:

What would the panel :- recommend as a possible plant that would live in a
hybrid hawthorn hedge but assist with the visible screening? Could be an
evergreen, or whatever else keeps its leaves alive or dead over winter.

Where are you? In most of the country (by area!), the only reliable
evergreen, non-coniferous hedging plant is holly. There is also
yew, which seems to be a conifer this week, but that is even slower.
Both will mix quite happily with hawthorn. In warmer areas, there
are a lot more - I suggest trying bay (yes, Laurus nobilis).

Another possibility might be some sort of climber that would mix in with the
hawthorn. Ideally I'd like to achieve screening improvements in 12-24 months
after planting.

There are no reliably evergreen climbers except for ivy, and it
won't help. In most of the country (by population!), you can
grow quite a few like Clematis armandii or some of the Lonicera,
or Holboellia/Stauntonia, but all will look tatty in the winter,
probably not flower and the C. armandii and Holboellia/Stauntonia
might be a problem for the hawthorn. Some of the Lonicera might
be, too. Clematis cirrhosa might be worth trying, but don't
expect flowers. You could try Passiflora caerulea, but it would
probably either die or be a problem for the hawthorn.

If you had more evergreens, you MIGHT be able to get Passiflora
incarnata to grow, but it needs its roots dry in winter. And
you would probably have to grow it from seed :-) And it's only
herbaceous, anyway.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.