On 23/4/08 15:14, in article , "Fugly
Jowls" wrote:


Hi there I'm new to the forum and a keen amateur gardener with little
technical knowledge!

We landscaped our garden a couple of years ago and planted three trees
at the time - a silver birch and two different sorbus varieties.
Unfortunately one of the sorbus died so we had to remove it. Having
lived with the garden for a bit now we want to plant something in its
place but ideally we would like something that is evergreen because it
would then block out the view of our neighbour's ugly garages all year
round.

My question then is can anyone recommend a tree which is evergreen,
grows to around 15-20 feet tall and will survive in the UK? The
position is fairly sheltered and in full sun virtually all day. We are
in Gloucestershire if that's relevant?

Where you live couldn't be more relevant and it's unusual for a real
beginner to think to mention it! Most of the time we have to reply asking
people to tell us where they are because wind, snow, soil type, frost etc.
make a big difference to what's recommended.

I'd suggest you look at various Rhododendrons and see which attracts you.
Rhododendrons also include azaleas so be sure that what you look at is
evergreen and tall enough for what you want. Some are scented but not all
are hardy. For a more dense screen, plant three or five - odd numbers
always look more interesting, somehow!

You could think about a Crinodendron hookerianum which has the virtue of
being evergreen, hardy down to about -7C and having lovely crimson
'lanterns' in May. If your garden gets colder than that you might lose it,
so you do need to ask a neighbour if you don't already know the area and its
winter temps very well.

Also - when looking at various websites to buy trees from they all seem
to classify size by the size of the pot eg 3 litre, 5 litre but I'm not
sure how big a tree that would be - any advice on that welcome too.

I should think our 3l pots would have plants around 2' tall in them and cost
£4.50.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

Hi there - another question for you guys. We have a beech hedge surrounding our garden which is lovely (now that we've pruned it back into shape) but the problem with it is that we get lots of bindweed and other irritating weeds underneath it. We have tried weedkilling underneath it but it is difficult to get to all the places so we have to use a spray on weedkiller (you can't hand pull them because of the hedge thickness).

Can anyone recommend a groundcover plant which would spread underneath the hedge and keep the weeds at bay? Preferably something quick spreading.

Thanks

You could try Lamium [but sometimes it is a thug and won't stay where wanted], or periwinkle, preferably the small flowering forms, or even a small ivy kept shaved. Whatever you use, you will have to plan on at least one plant every foot of fence, and if you have bindweed you must kill it off first if you can.

On 24/4/08 23:06, in article ,
"beccabunga" wrote:


beccabunga;786281 Wrote:
A fastigiate yew [they are slower growing than the basic one] - I have
two - a golden and a variegated - planted close together so they appear
one tree.

A bay tree allowed to grow normally will go to about 12-15 feet. It can
be clipped to keep in to the size you want, and it can be used in the
kitchen.

There is a large evergreen viburnum, but it may make too solid a mass
for a small garden - Viburnum rhytidophyllum. It can take a fair amount
of cutting back.

Another one is Viburnum tinus, which flowers in midwinter.

More thoughts:

Golden Privet

Eleagnus ebbingei

Both will go to 12 feet if allowed, and both can be hard pruned if need
be. Both have sweetly scented flowers.

Holly

Certainly agree about the scent of the Eleagnus but I find the smell of
privet very sickly - it's almost a cheap soap smell to me. Funny how we all
seem to get different responses to some scents.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On 23 Apr, 15:14, Fugly Jowls
wrote:
Hi there I'm new to the forum and a keen amateur gardener with little
technical knowledge!

We landscaped our garden a couple of years ago and planted three trees
at the time - a silver birch and two different sorbus varieties.
Unfortunately one of the sorbus died so we had to remove it. *Having
lived with the garden for a bit now we want to plant something in its
place but ideally we would like something that is evergreen because it
would then block out the view of our neighbour's ugly garages all year
round. *

My question then is can anyone recommend a tree which is evergreen,
grows to around 15-20 feet tall and will survive in the UK? *The
position is fairly sheltered and in full sun virtually all day. *We are
in Gloucestershire if that's relevant?

Also - when looking at various websites to buy trees from they all seem
to classify size by the size of the pot eg 3 litre, 5 litre but I'm not
sure how big a tree that would be - any advice on that welcome too.

Thanks

--
Fugly Jowls

What about Eucryphia x Nymansay? Depends on your soil and aspect of
course but in the right place it's stunning.
This is why God gave us macro lenses ;-}

http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~gdk/sta.../septpom02.htm

"Rod" wrote in message
...
On 23 Apr, 15:14, Fugly Jowls
wrote:
Hi there I'm new to the forum and a keen amateur gardener with little
technical knowledge!

We landscaped our garden a couple of years ago and planted three trees
at the time - a silver birch and two different sorbus varieties.
Unfortunately one of the sorbus died so we had to remove it. Having
lived with the garden for a bit now we want to plant something in its
place but ideally we would like something that is evergreen because it
would then block out the view of our neighbour's ugly garages all year
round.

My question then is can anyone recommend a tree which is evergreen,
grows to around 15-20 feet tall and will survive in the UK? The
position is fairly sheltered and in full sun virtually all day. We are
in Gloucestershire if that's relevant?

Also - when looking at various websites to buy trees from they all seem
to classify size by the size of the pot eg 3 litre, 5 litre but I'm not
sure how big a tree that would be - any advice on that welcome too.

Thanks


Sorry for piggy backing my respose, but what about a Strawberry tree? It'd
be a relatively unusual but still pretty easy to grow alternative, pretty
much fits your requirements surely?

http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/tre...do/ClassID.200
0002573
--
Rhiannon_s
I am me, this is now, we are here!