At the top of my (steep) garden there is a public footpath. I would like to
grow some kind of hedge to make the garden a bit more private. At the moment
there is a 5 foot fence which I dont want to replace but is about a foot too
low - hence the hedge
I would like the hedge to be fairly fast growing, provide screening all year
round and be low maintenance as I know hardly anything about gardening (dont
want much do I).
The soil is heavy with a lot of clay in it.
Would be grateful if you greenfingered type people could give the benefit of
your knowledge

Cheers JS

(As the Inflatable teacher said to the inflatable boy who had a pin in the
inflatable school.

Not only have you let me down, yourself down, but you've let the whole school
down as well !!!)

In ,
JScott7439 typed:
At the top of my (steep) garden there is a public footpath. I would
like to grow some kind of hedge to make the garden a bit more
private. At the moment there is a 5 foot fence which I dont want to
replace but is about a foot too low - hence the hedge
I would like the hedge to be fairly fast growing, provide screening
all year round and be low maintenance as I know hardly anything about
gardening (dont want much do I).
The soil is heavy with a lot of clay in it.
Would be grateful if you greenfingered type people could give the
benefit of your knowledge


Alternative solution: Trellis atop the existing fence with a climber. Build
the trellis out of Tile batten with a tight mesh and it will geve pretty
good privacy.

pk

"Paul wrote in message :
At the top of my (steep) garden there is a public footpath. I would
like to grow some kind of hedge to make the garden a bit more
private. At the moment there is a 5 foot fence which I dont want to
replace but is about a foot too low - hence the hedge
I would like the hedge to be fairly fast growing, provide screening
all year round and be low maintenance as I know hardly anything about
gardening (dont want much do I).
The soil is heavy with a lot of clay in it.
Would be grateful if you greenfingered type people could give the
benefit of your knowledge


Alternative solution: Trellis atop the existing fence with a climber.
Build
the trellis out of Tile batten with a tight mesh and it will geve pretty
good privacy.


I agree with Paul, your requirements for quick growing and low maintenance
are at odds with each other, nothing motors up to and then stops at 6ft,
they keep going causing you a lot of work or expense.
As Paul says your best solution is a trellis on top of your existing fence
with some plants growing up/over it , or a taller fence.
With the trellis up, you could if you wanted to, then plant in front of it a
slow growing hedge or line of shrubs to form a screen eventually.

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.

pyracantha is definitely your best bet

"JScott7439" wrote in message
...
At the top of my (steep) garden there is a public footpath. I would like
to
grow some kind of hedge to make the garden a bit more private. At the
moment
there is a 5 foot fence which I dont want to replace but is about a foot
too
low - hence the hedge
I would like the hedge to be fairly fast growing, provide screening all
year
round and be low maintenance as I know hardly anything about gardening
(dont
want much do I).
The soil is heavy with a lot of clay in it.
Would be grateful if you greenfingered type people could give the benefit
of
your knowledge

Cheers JS

(As the Inflatable teacher said to the inflatable boy who had a pin in the
inflatable school.

Not only have you let me down, yourself down, but you've let the whole
school
down as well !!!)

The message
from (JScott7439) contains these words:

At the top of my (steep) garden there is a public footpath. I would like to
grow some kind of hedge to make the garden a bit more private. At the moment
there is a 5 foot fence which I dont want to replace but is about a foot too
low - hence the hedge
I would like the hedge to be fairly fast growing, provide screening all year
round and be low maintenance as I know hardly anything about gardening (dont
want much do I).
The soil is heavy with a lot of clay in it.

Try berberis, or rosa rugosa. Both are dense, thorny, tough and can
survive with virtually no maintenance. They are deciduous (leaves fall
off in winter) but the branches are so dense you still won't se much
fence, and they will deter intruders all year round.Both also have
decorative flowers and fruit.

Janet.

Thanks to all who replied. Looks like a trip to the dreaded garden centre is in
order
JS