Between a friend's house and the next one there is a small strip of
ground.
The houses are a cul de sac of large detached but modern houses with
drives only just big enough to contain a car's length and the re is no
proper boundary between each house - rather there is just the tiny strip
about 3 foot wide that goes road.
I know both owners and they wanted me to recommend something other than
the unruly (possibly as it's never been pruned) half-dead lavender in
situ at the moment.
i thought of box balls (nothing too high as the two families get on very
well and so would prefer something quite low,
Perhaps that Ilex that is similar to box or maybe, i thought a row of
small hardy fuchsias though they might stretch out a bit with their
growths in summer and these houses can't really afford the space so it
really should be confined to the three foot wide.

I even thought of rosemary but wondered if anyone out there had a
brighter idea?

p.s. You guessed it, neither are gardeners ! So it really ought to be
something that doesn't show neglect easily.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On 25/08/2011 18:50, Janet Tweedy wrote:
Between a friend's house and the next one there is a small strip of ground.
The houses are a cul de sac of large detached but modern houses with
drives only just big enough to contain a car's length and the re is no
proper boundary between each house - rather there is just the tiny strip
about 3 foot wide that goes road.
I know both owners and they wanted me to recommend something other than
the unruly (possibly as it's never been pruned) half-dead lavender in
situ at the moment.
i thought of box balls (nothing too high as the two families get on very
well and so would prefer something quite low,
Perhaps that Ilex that is similar to box or maybe, i thought a row of
small hardy fuchsias though they might stretch out a bit with their
growths in summer and these houses can't really afford the space so it
really should be confined to the three foot wide.

One of the low growing cotoneasters perhaps? Or a variegated form of
something that would otherwise be too vigorous for the location.

I even thought of rosemary but wondered if anyone out there had a
brighter idea?

Rosemary tends to be a bit short lived even when looked after on
anything but the most free draining soils.

p.s. You guessed it, neither are gardeners ! So it really ought to be
something that doesn't show neglect easily.

I suspect whatever they get they won't prune it and it will become
messy. Low trellis with honeysuckle on might be another option.

Regards,
Martin Brown

On Aug 25, 6:50*pm, Janet Tweedy wrote:
Between *a friend's house and the next one there is a small strip of
ground.
The houses are a cul de sac of large detached but modern houses with
drives only just big enough to contain a car's length and the re is no
proper boundary between each house - rather there is just the tiny strip
about 3 foot wide that goes road.
I know both owners and they wanted me to recommend something other than
the unruly (possibly as it's never been pruned) half-dead lavender in
situ at the moment.
i thought of box balls (nothing too high as the two families get on very
well and so would prefer something quite low,
Perhaps that Ilex that is similar to box or maybe, i thought a row of
small hardy fuchsias though they might stretch out a bit with their
growths in summer and these houses can't really afford the space so it
really should be confined to the three foot wide.

I even thought of rosemary but wondered if anyone out there had a
brighter idea?

p.s. You guessed it, neither are gardeners ! So it really ought to be
something that doesn't show neglect easily.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraphhttp://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

You need to look at your deeds. There is a boundary there. You are
coming to see the benefits of a brick wall. Wait until you have kids
or animals next door.
What you have at the moment is a cost saving exercise by the builders
of your house.

On 08/25/2011 07:50 PM, Janet Tweedy wrote:
Between a friend's house and the next one there is a small strip of
ground.
The houses are a cul de sac of large detached but modern houses with
drives only just big enough to contain a car's length and the re is no
proper boundary between each house - rather there is just the tiny strip
about 3 foot wide that goes road.
I know both owners and they wanted me to recommend something other than
the unruly (possibly as it's never been pruned) half-dead lavender in
situ at the moment.
i thought of box balls (nothing too high as the two families get on very
well and so would prefer something quite low,
Perhaps that Ilex that is similar to box or maybe, i thought a row of
small hardy fuchsias though they might stretch out a bit with their
growths in summer and these houses can't really afford the space so it
really should be confined to the three foot wide.

I even thought of rosemary but wondered if anyone out there had a
brighter idea?

p.s. You guessed it, neither are gardeners ! So it really ought to be
something that doesn't show neglect easily.

How about a dwarf kalmia, like Kalmia latifolia f. myrtifolia 'Elf'?

3 ft, responds well to pruning if necessary, lovely scent. This one is
leaf spot resistant.

-E

On Aug 26, 7:53*am, Emery Davis wrote:
On 08/25/2011 07:50 PM, Janet Tweedy wrote:





Between *a friend's house and the next one there is a small strip of
ground.
The houses are a cul de sac of large detached but modern houses with
drives only just big enough to contain a car's length and the re is no
proper boundary between each house - rather there is just the tiny strip
about 3 foot wide that goes road.
I know both owners and they wanted me to recommend something other than
the unruly (possibly as it's never been pruned) half-dead lavender in
situ at the moment.
i thought of box balls (nothing too high as the two families get on very
well and so would prefer something quite low,
Perhaps that Ilex that is similar to box or maybe, i thought a row of
small hardy fuchsias though they might stretch out a bit with their
growths in summer and these houses can't really afford the space so it
really should be confined to the three foot wide.

I even thought of rosemary but wondered if anyone out there had a
brighter idea?

p.s. You guessed it, neither are gardeners ! So it really ought to be
something that doesn't show neglect easily.

How about a dwarf kalmia, like Kalmia latifolia f. myrtifolia 'Elf'?

3 ft, responds well to pruning if necessary, lovely scent. *This one is
leaf spot resistant.

-E- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I'd go for a row of bush roses, they will stop people walking through
them and most don't require skillfull pruning, they can even be cut
back with a hedge trimmer.
It could be the estate is "Open plan" and hedges and boundaries are
not allowed, but a flower bed where the plants are to close is allowed.

harry wrote:

On Aug 25, 6:50*pm, Janet Tweedy wrote:
Between *a friend's house and the next one there is a small strip of
ground.
The houses are a cul de sac of large detached but modern houses with
drives only just big enough to contain a car's length and the re is no
proper boundary between each house - rather there is just the tiny strip
about 3 foot wide that goes road.
I know both owners and they wanted me to recommend something other than
the unruly (possibly as it's never been pruned) half-dead lavender in
situ at the moment.
i thought of box balls (nothing too high as the two families get on very
well and so would prefer something quite low,
Perhaps that Ilex that is similar to box or maybe, i thought a row of
small hardy fuchsias though they might stretch out a bit with their
growths in summer and these houses can't really afford the space so it
really should be confined to the three foot wide.

I even thought of rosemary but wondered if anyone out there had a
brighter idea?

p.s. You guessed it, neither are gardeners ! So it really ought to be
something that doesn't show neglect easily.

You need to look at your deeds. There is a boundary there. You are
coming to see the benefits of a brick wall. Wait until you have kids
or animals next door.
What you have at the moment is a cost saving exercise by the builders
of your house.

Do you ever bother to read what is actually written before you
post?

Have another look.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
Between a friend's house and the next one there is a small strip of
ground.
The houses are a cul de sac of large detached but modern houses with
drives only just big enough to contain a car's length and the re is no
proper boundary between each house - rather there is just the tiny strip
about 3 foot wide that goes road.
I know both owners and they wanted me to recommend something other than
the unruly (possibly as it's never been pruned) half-dead lavender in situ
at the moment.
i thought of box balls (nothing too high as the two families get on very
well and so would prefer something quite low,
Perhaps that Ilex that is similar to box or maybe, i thought a row of
small hardy fuchsias though they might stretch out a bit with their
growths in summer and these houses can't really afford the space so it
really should be confined to the three foot wide.

I even thought of rosemary but wondered if anyone out there had a brighter
idea?

p.s. You guessed it, neither are gardeners ! So it really ought to be
something that doesn't show neglect easily.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Rosemary would be a damned sight more useful than box or any other evergreen
low shrub.

Bill

In article
,
harry writes
You need to look at your deeds. There is a boundary there. You are
coming to see the benefits of a brick wall. Wait until you have kids
or animals next door.
What you have at the moment is a cost saving exercise by the builders
of your house.


Not my house harry two houses owned by two families who are quite
friendly and often step over said barrier to feed hamster or rabbits
etc. or water hanging baskets when either is away. At the moment the
overgrown lavender looks really tatty and I was just asked for
suggestions that they could plant to look tidier.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Emery Davis
writes
How about a dwarf kalmia, like Kalmia latifolia f. myrtifolia 'Elf'?

3 ft, responds well to pruning if necessary, lovely scent. This one is
leaf spot resistant.

Sounds good as does the suggestion by Sacha. Thanks to everyone who
has offered plant names.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On 25/08/2011 18:50, Janet Tweedy wrote:
Between a friend's house and the next one there is a small strip of
ground.
The houses are a cul de sac of large detached but modern houses with
drives only just big enough to contain a car's length and the re is no
proper boundary between each house - rather there is just the tiny strip
about 3 foot wide that goes road.
I know both owners and they wanted me to recommend something other than
the unruly (possibly as it's never been pruned) half-dead lavender in
situ at the moment.
i thought of box balls (nothing too high as the two families get on very
well and so would prefer something quite low,
Perhaps that Ilex that is similar to box or maybe, i thought a row of
small hardy fuchsias though they might stretch out a bit with their
growths in summer and these houses can't really afford the space so it
really should be confined to the three foot wide.

I even thought of rosemary but wondered if anyone out there had a
brighter idea?

p.s. You guessed it, neither are gardeners ! So it really ought to be
something that doesn't show neglect easily.



Where I needed a smart, low hedge, I planted a row of Euonymus
microphyllus pulchella. It will do pretty much everything box will do,
except get box blight. I have another, shorter, hedge of just plain
Euonymous micropyllus, which is more readily avaiable. I am very
pleased with both forms and they are knitting together well now.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On Aug 27, 12:21*pm, Spider wrote:
On 25/08/2011 18:50, Janet Tweedy wrote:





Between *a friend's house and the next one there is a small strip of
ground.
The houses are a cul de sac of large detached but modern houses with
drives only just big enough to contain a car's length and the re is no
proper boundary between each house - rather there is just the tiny strip
about 3 foot wide that goes road.
I know both owners and they wanted me to recommend something other than
the unruly (possibly as it's never been pruned) half-dead lavender in
situ at the moment.
i thought of box balls (nothing too high as the two families get on very
well and so would prefer something quite low,
Perhaps that Ilex that is similar to box or maybe, i thought a row of
small hardy fuchsias though they might stretch out a bit with their
growths in summer and these houses can't really afford the space so it
really should be confined to the three foot wide.

I even thought of rosemary but wondered if anyone out there had a
brighter idea?

p.s. You guessed it, neither are gardeners ! So it really ought to be
something that doesn't show neglect easily.

Where I needed a smart, low hedge, I planted a row of Euonymus
microphyllus pulchella. *It will do pretty much everything box will do,
except get box blight. *I have another, shorter, hedge of just plain
Euonymous micropyllus, which is more readily avaiable. *I am very
pleased with both forms and they are knitting together well now.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Strange that no one ever mentiones Santolina

In article , Spider
writes
Where I needed a smart, low hedge, I planted a row of Euonymus
microphyllus pulchella. It will do pretty much everything box will do,
except get box blight. I have another, shorter, hedge of just plain
Euonymous micropyllus, which is more readily avaiable. I am very
pleased with both forms and they are knitting together well now.


Oh now not thought of that and could be kept quite neat and tidy if i
clip it for them. Thanks Spider.
--
Janet Tweedy

In article
,
Dave Hill writes
Strange that no one ever mentiones Santolina


Except for the horrid yellow flowers
I could put that in for them though again i think, like lavender it
could get a bit scruffy?

Janet
--
Janet Tweedy

On 27/08/2011 13:50, Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , Spider
writes
Where I needed a smart, low hedge, I planted a row of Euonymus
microphyllus pulchella. It will do pretty much everything box will do,
except get box blight. I have another, shorter, hedge of just plain
Euonymous micropyllus, which is more readily avaiable. I am very
pleased with both forms and they are knitting together well now.


Oh now not thought of that and could be kept quite neat and tidy if i
clip it for them. Thanks Spider.


You're most welcome! I may be worth mentioning that, just as with box,
it should not be clipped in the heat of the sun, or the cut leaf edges
will become brown and unsightly.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

Hi Janet, I have a low hedge of Pieris jap 'Little Heath' variegata, it looks stunning and just needs a quick trim once a year, just a thought ?
Lannerman.