Hi there,

I planted a part grown privet hedge approx 2 years ago. The hedge does
well in the spring and gives a nice green leaf, but all of these were
lost last winter...

The hedge flowers in the summer, but as the season ends, the leaves are
starting to look like this:

http://tinyurl.com/ggrbl

Any advice on:

How I can keep the leaves green (and on the plant!) all year?
How I can accellerate the growth of the hedge. I 've heard about
cutting it back, but how much should I cut off each branch, how often?

Thanks in advance!!!

Simon