Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
If I was planting a new hedge of that size in my dry soil, I would probably first choose one of the varieties of rose suitable for hedging. Then you get lots of flowers in the summer, and some of them have interesting stems also. Another thing that would appeal to me would be Leptospermum spp, very small dark heather-like evergreen leaves, very upright (hence thin hedge) and smothered in flowers in midsummer, choice or white, pink or red. They are supposedly a bit tender, but I haven't found them so. I really like my neighbour's Pyracantha hedge - flowers in spring then holds many red/orange/yellow berries (according to variety) for many months, and very manageable, but may not get to full size immediately. I rather like the idea of hedges to produce edible goodies. If you are in a mild, damp area of the country with non-alkaline soil, the Chilean cranberry (Queen Victoria's favourite fruit) Ugni molinae (Syn. Myrtus ugni) can be grown as a hedge. Evergreen with small shiny leaves, summer flowers, autumn exceedingly delicious berries (if the birds don't get them first). Won't grow too fast, nor need much pruning, though would take a few years to get to 1.5m. A more traditional edible hedge accepting a wider range of conditions would be damson or a juneberry (Amelanchier spp), both having nice spring flowers, though these are both deciduous and the leaves are nothing special. Juneberry needs reasonably moist soil and not too hot a location to thrive, and birds can beat you to the delicious berries. Very unfussy, the worse soil the better, is Eleagnus x ebbingei which produces scented flowers in winter and edible berries (in spring oddly) after a few years, has interesting evergreen leaves (silver or variegated to choice) and prunes to shape well, though I hesitate to suggest it given its common habitat in supermarket car parks. Likewise various Berberis; unfortunately the fruiting form of Berberis buxifolia, the favourite calafate berry of Patagonia, and excellent low hedging, is hard to track down in this country; everyone seems to sell the sterile "nana" cultivar. One of my neighbours has an ever-purple berberis as a hedge, and we rather like that, though I don't think I'd bother with the fruit. For the go-ahead gardener, in mild, damp, non-alkaline conditions, Desfontainea spinosa would make a novelty hedge: it looks just like holly until you surprise the neighbours with lovely red and yellow waxy tubular flowers about 4cm long, in summer. No red berries though. I've seen Christmas box (Sarcococca spp) used as lovely hedge, though it would be a bit slow to start with - evergreen, scented winter flowers, black berries in summer, but could be a good idea if this is a shady location. Some hedges can be livened up by growing some suitable climbers, eg, native honeysuckle, up through them. I've got a rambling rose in my beech hedge. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
A new hedge required but which one?
In article , echinosum writes: | | I really like my neighbour's Pyracantha hedge - flowers in spring then | holds many red/orange/yellow berries (according to variety) for many | months, and very manageable, but may not get to full size immediately. Bloody hell! I got rid of mine because I was getting too old to fight it. A year's growth was often 6'+, 3/4"+ in diameter, equipped with some really serious, mildly toxic, thorns. To avoid that, I would have had to cut it once a month in early summer. It depends on the soil and aspect - pyracantha can be anything from a very slow-growing, small shrub up to what I had. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
A new hedge required but which one?
A cotoneaster? Blossom,bees,berries
and evergreen to boot. Sue W. -- Derby, England. Don't try to email me using "REPLY" as the email address is NoSpam. Our email address is "thewoodies2 at ntlworld dot com" "Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ... In article , echinosum writes: | | I really like my neighbour's Pyracantha hedge - flowers in spring then | holds many red/orange/yellow berries (according to variety) for many | months, and very manageable, but may not get to full size immediately. Bloody hell! I got rid of mine because I was getting too old to fight it. A year's growth was often 6'+, 3/4"+ in diameter, equipped with some really serious, mildly toxic, thorns. To avoid that, I would have had to cut it once a month in early summer. It depends on the soil and aspect - pyracantha can be anything from a very slow-growing, small shrub up to what I had. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
A new hedge required but which one?
In article , "Sue" writes: | | A cotoneaster? Blossom,bees,berries and evergreen to boot. Well, vaguely evergreen, like privet. The flowers aren't attractive for long, are unimpressive at their peak, I find that bees go there only as a last resort, and the berries are pretty dull, too. But some people like them. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
A new hedge required but which one?
I must be "some people" then!
Sue W. -- Derby, England. Don't try to email me using "REPLY" as the email address is NoSpam. Our email address is "thewoodies2 at ntlworld dot com" "Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ... In article , "Sue" writes: | | A cotoneaster? Blossom,bees,berries and evergreen to boot. Well, vaguely evergreen, like privet. The flowers aren't attractive for long, are unimpressive at their peak, I find that bees go there only as a last resort, and the berries are pretty dull, too. But some people like them. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
A new hedge required but which one?
Photina Red Robin http://www.hgc.ie/plants/hedging.asp
will make an attractive hedge and it is different. regards, Emrys Davies. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
A new hedge required but which one?
"Emrys Davies" wrote in message ... Photina Red Robin http://www.hgc.ie/plants/hedging.asp will make an attractive hedge and it is different. regards, Emrys Davies. I have one of those. albeit here in NZ. In autumn after a trim, new leaf growth is deep red. If you inherit a scruffy one, like I did, it takes some coaxing back to life but is worth it, in my opinion. rob |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
A new hedge required but which one?
"George.com" wrote "Emrys Davies" wrote Photina Red Robin http://www.hgc.ie/plants/hedging.asp will make an attractive hedge and it is different. I have one of those. albeit here in NZ. In autumn after a trim, new leaf growth is deep red. If you inherit a scruffy one, like I did, it takes some coaxing back to life but is worth it, in my opinion. A lovely purple leaved hedge I've noticed and always admire on the way past is (I think) Prunus cistena. It's kept neat and reasonably low, so might suit the poster. Not evergreen of course, but it's so beautiful when it's in growth - the sun makes the leaves glow a gorgeous ruby red. -- Sue |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
A new hedge required but which one?
In message ews.net,
Sue writes "George.com" wrote "Emrys Davies" wrote Photina Red Robin http://www.hgc.ie/plants/hedging.asp will make an attractive hedge and it is different. I have one of those. albeit here in NZ. In autumn after a trim, new leaf growth is deep red. If you inherit a scruffy one, like I did, it takes some coaxing back to life but is worth it, in my opinion. A lovely purple leaved hedge I've noticed and always admire on the way past is (I think) Prunus cistena. It's kept neat and reasonably low, so might suit the poster. Not evergreen of course, but it's so beautiful when it's in growth - the sun makes the leaves glow a gorgeous ruby red. I like the various Prunus species as well. I planted a Blackthorn hedge a couple of years ago, lovely display of white flowers in the early spring and sloes in the autumn - particularly nice if you like sloe gin (which I do). Will -- lancre dot net - The personal domain of Will and Cath Wilkinson. Send e-mail to news dot will at lancre dot net '98 300Tdi Defender 110 CSW, 1/12th NB Sometimes PGP Fingerprint E089 1736 A023 9E5C AFA3 0B40 E5DC D80A 9E1F D521 Public key can be obtained from ldap://certserver.pgp.com |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Instant Hedge required | United Kingdom | |||
Advice required - Which climber? | United Kingdom | |||
Hedge cutting advice required | United Kingdom | |||
Fast-growing but attractive hedge required, apply within | United Kingdom | |||
Fast-growing but attractive hedge required, apply within | United Kingdom |