Hi

We have a boundary which is overlooking (we are higher up a hill) a
small new housing development and we want to grow a nice thick hedge for
privacy and obscuring as one of the houses is almost touching the
boundary and at an annoying angle too! We had originally thought about
hornbeam all the way down (the boundary is a verge leading quite a long
way to the end of a private drive). Then when we saw the house taking
shape and looming menacingly we then thought, "no, we definitely want
something thick, evergreen and quite tall" haha! We would just put the
evergreens as far as the houses extend and then put in some hornbeam and
possibly an area of mixed hollies at the bottom where the verge thickens
out so there will be a mixture of planting not just monoblock!

I've been looking at different options as we need to get this planted
soon so that it can establish this year. The conditions are fairly
windy but I don't think excessive, I believe the soil must be acidic as
there are lots of rhodies, azaleas and blue hydrangeas in our and other
gardens nearby. We could go for the much detested leylandii but I would
really prefer to get trees which are better behaved, can be left with
little trimming required and stop growing at about 15-20ft max *but*
don't take 15 years to get there! What would people reckon on the speed
and quality of growth of the 'Pembury Blue' or other similar columnar
evergreens - what would meet our needs?

Thanks for any advice or suggestions.

Lynda