wrote in message
...
Hello,

I am looking to buy a hedge for our garden. I'd like it to be about 4
ft high. I'd prefer not to buy a Leylandii because of all the bad
press they seem to have. Is this deserved?

What hedge do you recommend? Is Yew the best?

Thanks.

There really is not a best hedge, even Leylandii can make a superb hedge but
as Des has pointed out it is high maintenance. Thuja is a good alternative
to Leylandi but again it is high maintenance.
Yew is excellent but can look a little funereal and dull. There are yellow
versions which can liven things up.
The list is endless--don't forget beech,hornbeam and even good old Ligustrum
(privet).
Let's complicate things and suggest a mixed hedge:-)

"Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
Hello,

I am looking to buy a hedge for our garden. I'd like it to be about 4
ft high. I'd prefer not to buy a Leylandii because of all the bad
press they seem to have. Is this deserved?

What hedge do you recommend? Is Yew the best?

Thanks.

There really is not a best hedge, even Leylandii can make a superb hedge
but as Des has pointed out it is high maintenance. Thuja is a good
alternative to Leylandi but again it is high maintenance.
Yew is excellent but can look a little funereal and dull. There are yellow
versions which can liven things up.
The list is endless--don't forget beech,hornbeam and even good old
Ligustrum

Privet is dull but very forgiving and the leaves are easy to compost if you
run over them with a lawn mower.
It is approximately 1,000,000 times better than Leylandii and approximately
19 times better than Pyracantha.
Birds seem happy enough to nest in it if it is thick enough.

(privet).
Let's complicate things and suggest a mixed hedge:-)

ahhhh or even a country/wildlife hedge with (wild/native) roses, blackthorn,
hawthorn, even brambles, hazel, viburnum, crab apples, elder etc.
Would require some planning but the ole birds and de bees would love ya. It
would have to be hacked back periodically to stop it turning into a mixed
forest.

writes
On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 12:37:51 +0100, "Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\)"
wrote:

Yew is excellent but can look a little funereal and dull. There are yellow
versions which can liven things up.


I was told by a garden centre that the yellow version does not grow
very tall though.

The theory is that the yellow will be less vigorous since it will not be
photosynthesising as effectively.

In practice, my yellow yew is not obviously much less vigorous than my
green one.
--
Kay

In article , K
writes
In practice, my yellow yew is not obviously much less vigorous than my
green one.


I've got a taxus aurea which gallops up and I have to hack it back to
keep within the limits of just below 8foot! Loads of cuttings so you
could buy one and soon have a lot of little ones as well.!
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk