High hedge for coastal garden
 

On Mon, 28 Oct 2002 10:04:08 +0000 (UTC), "Robert Davies"
wrote:

How about a bamboo screen? I've planted several bamboos in my gargen
to hide an ugly new house that's gone up - their advantage is that
they rapidly reach their mature height, and they're evergreen - as
well as well worth having in their own right.
Most bamboos wouldn't like such an exposed site as you describe, but
one - Pseudosasa japonica - is recommended as one of the best plants
of any sort for a windbreak in a coastal location (in one experiment
in cornwall it was recommended as one of the top ten plants for
forming a windbreak.) The main problem would be obtaining enough
plants cheaply enough if the hedge is a long one. . .

There is a specific objection to Pseudosasa japonica, the metake
or "arrow" bamboo: it is a rampant spreader once established. The
new culms that can penetrate paving.

IMHO, metake bamboo is not suitable for boundary plantings: I
would not want to inflict it on my neighbors.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

High hedge for coastal garden
 

'Twas Mon, 28 Oct 2002 18:29:37 GMT, when
(Rodger Whitlock) enriched
all our lives with these worthy thoughts:

There is a specific objection to Pseudosasa japonica, the metake
or "arrow" bamboo: it is a rampant spreader once established. The
new culms that can penetrate paving.

IMHO, metake bamboo is not suitable for boundary plantings: I
would not want to inflict it on my neighbors.


So; what would you suggest in its place?

If the P.japonica appeals to my colleague, it's easy enough
for it to be 'contained' within a root barrier membrane, as he's just
bought 2,500m2 of the stuff for use on another project. :~)

--
cormaic URG faqs/webring - www.tmac.clara.co.uk/urgring/
Culcheth Garden - www.tmac.clara.co.uk/garden/
Warrington Paving - www.pavingexpert.com/
Peoples' Republic of South Lancashire

cormaic CAN BE FOUND AT borlochshall.co.uk

High hedge for coastal garden
 

The message
from cormaic contains these words:

A contractor colleague has a garden on the western edge of
Anglesey, only 100m from the sea, and needs to plant a high hedge to
screen an undesirable extension that his neighbour is having built.
Whether the extension is undesirable because Barry didn't get the
contract to build it, or whether it's just an eyesore is not revealed.
Anyway, he asked me to suggest a suitable hedging plant, and I
gave the stock answer of 'Escallonia', but, he reckons the hedge needs
to be 2-3m in height, and be up at that height by next summer at the
latest.
So, any suggestions for an evergreen, salt-tolerant,
wind-proof, reasonably tall, low-maintenance hedging plant that is
readily available and capable of being planted by a man more
accustomed to laying sewer pipes than laying hedges would be much
appreciated. :~)

Griselinia littoralis? It's all those things but not *quite* that
fast. In front of it, he could plant a temporary sacrifice-hedge of
buddliea cuttings, shouldn't be hard to find a free source; they should
reach the desired height next summer, and when the griselinia catches up
he can ditch the buddlieas.

Janet.

High hedge for coastal garden
 

On Mon, 28 Oct 2002 19:32:25 +0000, cormaic
wrote:

'Twas Mon, 28 Oct 2002 18:29:37 GMT, when
(Rodger Whitlock) enriched
all our lives with these worthy thoughts:

There is a specific objection to Pseudosasa japonica, the metake
or "arrow" bamboo: it is a rampant spreader once established. The
new culms that can penetrate paving.

IMHO, metake bamboo is not suitable for boundary plantings: I
would not want to inflict it on my neighbors.


So; what would you suggest in its place?

If the P.japonica appeals to my colleague, it's easy enough
for it to be 'contained' within a root barrier membrane, as he's just
bought 2,500m2 of the stuff for use on another project. :~)

I wouldn't recommend any other bamboo for such a use. In my
experience, they tend to like positions somewhat sheltered from
the wind. But perhaps Arundinaria murielae might do -- if he can
find any. It all flowered and died some years ago and the next-
generation seedlings probably aren't anywhere near maturity yet.
Arundinaria nitida is probably a little too short, but might do
in a pinch. I'm not sure how these would do in a fully exposed
location.

And I await with interest a message from you reading "my friend's
metake bamboo penetrated the root barrier with elan and is now
coming up in the middle of his neighbor's concrete driveway..."

Frankly, I don't know *what* to suggest for the purpose. Perhaps
the best bet is for your friend to wander around the neighborhood
on foot and see if anyone has a planting somewhat like the one he
desires, then find out what they used for it.

And the 2-3 meter height is actually fence height, but it has to
be a robust fence to withstand marine gales.



--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

High hedge for coastal garden
 

'Twas Tue, 29 Oct 2002 00:53:49 GMT, when
(Rodger Whitlock) enriched
all our lives with these worthy thoughts:

And I await with interest a message from you reading "my friend's
metake bamboo penetrated the root barrier with elan and is now
coming up in the middle of his neighbor's concrete driveway..."

Steel larsen piles, then! ;~)

--
cormaic URG faqs/webring - www.tmac.clara.co.uk/urgring/
Culcheth Garden - www.tmac.clara.co.uk/garden/
Warrington Paving - www.pavingexpert.com/
Peoples' Republic of South Lancashire

cormaic CAN BE FOUND AT borlochshall.co.uk

High hedge for coastal garden
 

On Sun, 27 Oct 2002 16:22:23 +0000, cormaic
wrote:

A contractor colleague has a garden on the western edge of
Anglesey, only 100m from the sea, and needs to plant a high hedge to
screen an undesirable extension that his neighbour is having built.
Whether the extension is undesirable because Barry didn't get the
contract to build it, or whether it's just an eyesore is not revealed.
Anyway, he asked me to suggest a suitable hedging plant, and I
gave the stock answer of 'Escallonia', but, he reckons the hedge needs
to be 2-3m in height, and be up at that height by next summer at the
latest.
So, any suggestions for an evergreen, salt-tolerant,
wind-proof, reasonably tall, low-maintenance hedging plant that is
readily available and capable of being planted by a man more
accustomed to laying sewer pipes than laying hedges would be much
appreciated. :~)

No-one has yet mentioned Olearia Traversii. My only concern is whether
it would be hardy enough. Does the Gulf Stream get through to
Anglesey? Takes any amount of salt gales, although may lose the odd
branch when mature, as it tends to be brittle. No flowers of any
consequence. Grows pretty quickly, but I can't guarantee 2m by next
summer, although I've seen old stumps re-grow at almost that rate.
Eventually reaches 3 - 4m. Remember that with most fast growing
things the tops outgrow the roots and they blow flat in the first
gale. The recommended method is to prune them hard at 3ft and again at
5 to allow the roots and lower trunk to strengthen. And as someone
said in another thread, when planting, small plants make stronger
roots than big plants do.

Another possibility is Tamarisk, but again, I'm not sure about
hardiness. Incidentally, escallonia will make 3m, but not in that
time.
--
Chris
De-* virgin for e-mail reply

High hedge for coastal garden
 

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
No-one has yet mentioned Olearia Traversii. My only concern is whether
it would be hardy enough. Does the Gulf Stream get through to
Anglesey? Takes any amount of salt gales, although may lose the odd
branch when mature, as it tends to be brittle. No flowers of any
consequence. Grows pretty quickly, but I can't guarantee 2m by next
summer, although I've seen old stumps re-grow at almost that rate.
Eventually reaches 3 - 4m. Remember that with most fast growing
things the tops outgrow the roots and they blow flat in the first
gale. The recommended method is to prune them hard at 3ft and again at
5 to allow the roots and lower trunk to strengthen. And as someone
said in another thread, when planting, small plants make stronger
roots than big plants do.

Another possibility is Tamarisk, but again, I'm not sure about
hardiness. Incidentally, escallonia will make 3m, but not in that
time.
--
No problem with either of those on Anglesey - it's often very windy but
severe frost is a rarity in coastal locations on the Island..
Common hedge plants in the area are the usual suspects that have already
been mentioned + Fuchsias. Privet is OK if you must but does get blasted on
the seaward side. Russian Vine loves the conditions but is more trouble than
it's worth.

Rod

High hedge for coastal garden
 

Some herbaceous
plants can do this: castor bean, cannabis, and perhaps a few
others recommended in older books for fast screening use. But
nothing that will actually form a real hedge.

Ah, Cannabis as a hedging/screening plant. Now there's a suggestion. Sounds
pretty cool to me.

Right on, peace man.

Dave.

High hedge for coastal garden
 

Aaah, but Barry is not a gardener. He envisages a hedge that
will achieve the required height and then stabilise at that height for
evermore. I did ask whether he also wanted it to have tenners for
leaves and gold nuggets for seed but this seemed to pass over his
head. ;~)

I suppose he'd also like it to grow with vertically straight sides and a flat
top too?

Dave.

High hedge for coastal garden
 

IMHO, metake bamboo is not suitable for boundary plantings: I would not want
to inflict it on my neighbors.

Considering the extension having inflicted on them by their neighbours, I'd say
"Plant away!" LOL.

Dave.

High hedge for coastal garden
 

'Twas 30 Oct 2002 09:08:42 GMT, when (DaveDay34)
enriched all our lives with these worthy thoughts:

Aaah, but Barry is not a gardener. He envisages a hedge that
will achieve the required height and then stabilise at that height for
evermore. I did ask whether he also wanted it to have tenners for
leaves and gold nuggets for seed but this seemed to pass over his
head. ;~)

I suppose he'd also like it to grow with vertically straight sides and a flat
top too?

Now don't go putting ideas in his head! ;~)

--
cormaic URG faqs/webring - www.tmac.clara.co.uk/urgring/
Culcheth Garden - www.tmac.clara.co.uk/garden/
Warrington Paving - www.pavingexpert.com/
Peoples' Republic of South Lancashire

cormaic CAN BE FOUND AT borlochshall.co.uk