On 13/7/06 16:43, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:


In article , Sacha
writes:
|
| I live in North Somerset, near to the coast but sheltered.
| Thanks for the info so far.
|
| You can check what neighbours grow and with your local nursery but I think
| most of the things I've suggested should be okay with you.

Including box? That is normally classed as a slow grower, and likes
chalk and other well-drained alkaline soils. It will grow on others,
of course. Does it really behave differently with you?

When I made the suggestions I didn't know where the OP lived or one what
type of soil he is gardening and no, I didn't look back through my list!
How quickly it makes a hedge of the desired height rather depends on what
size it is when bought. But now we're on that subject, it does occur to me
to wonder if the OP could make his hedge out of plants in pots. Given the
height mentioned, it seems not to be a screening and privacy hedge so much
as just a demarcation line.
For that matter, he could put up low trellising and train something along
it.

He should also add bay - Laurus nobilis - evergreen and useful.

It certainly is but it grows quickly and spreads like mad, IME. It might be
too bushy and too wayward for his needs. But in the location he's in, I
think he can grow Fuchsias and Escallonias which have the bonus of flowers
and being rather more interesting in my view.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(email address on website)

In article , Sacha writes:
| He should also add bay - Laurus nobilis - evergreen and useful.
|
| It certainly is but it grows quickly and spreads like mad, IME. It might be
| too bushy and too wayward for his needs. But in the location he's in, I
| think he can grow Fuchsias and Escallonias which have the bonus of flowers
| and being rather more interesting in my view.

There's no accounting for taste :-)

Yes, it can be vigorous, but it can be cut back hard (VERY hard), and
it has splendid golden flowers in spring. They are not large, but I
don't know why nobody has ever bred a flowering form.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.