If I plant a shrub which gets to 6ft high with a natural 6ft spread, how
close can I plant it to a fence without it becoming lopsided to such a
degree that the plant will suffer? For example, if I plant it 1ft from a
fence, will I have problems later when it has 1ft of growth on the fence
side but 3ft of growth on the garden side? I'm thinking of it leaning and
falling over under the weight of the extra growth especially in parts of the
garden where it's prone to waterlogging.

Martin

In article , Martin Sykes
writes
If I plant a shrub which gets to 6ft high with a natural 6ft spread, how
close can I plant it to a fence without it becoming lopsided to such a
degree that the plant will suffer? For example, if I plant it 1ft from a
fence, will I have problems later when it has 1ft of growth on the fence
side but 3ft of growth on the garden side? I'm thinking of it leaning and
falling over under the weight of the extra growth especially in parts of the
garden where it's prone to waterlogging.

Martin



It will push the fence over :-((

Been there. Done that. Got the wood to replace the fence.

:-((

Mike
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.collingwoodassoc.org.uk/ Reunion. Chatham May 30th - June 2nd

Castle Class Corvettes Assn. Reunion October 2003 Isle of Wight.
National Service (RAF) Association reunion. Nov 2003 Scarborough.

In article , Mike
writes
In article , Martin Sykes
writes
If I plant a shrub which gets to 6ft high with a natural 6ft spread, how
close can I plant it to a fence without it becoming lopsided to such a
degree that the plant will suffer? For example, if I plant it 1ft from a
fence, will I have problems later when it has 1ft of growth on the fence
side but 3ft of growth on the garden side? I'm thinking of it leaning and
falling over under the weight of the extra growth especially in parts of the
garden where it's prone to waterlogging.

Martin



It will push the fence over :-((

Been there. Done that. Got the wood to replace the fence.

:-((


Should have added

chopped the bush down :-((


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't have an attitude problem, you have a perception problem

in article , Martin Sykes at
wrote on 11/2/03 3:01 pm:

If I plant a shrub which gets to 6ft high with a natural 6ft spread, how
close can I plant it to a fence without it becoming lopsided to such a
degree that the plant will suffer? For example, if I plant it 1ft from a
fence, will I have problems later when it has 1ft of growth on the fence
side but 3ft of growth on the garden side? I'm thinking of it leaning and
falling over under the weight of the extra growth especially in parts of the
garden where it's prone to waterlogging.

It will almost certainly damage the fence eventually and it will be
difficult for you to get to the back of the shrubs to trim them. How about
putting wires on the fence and training climbers up them? Several are
evergreen and with judicious planting, you could have colour and scent all
year round.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

"sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
in article , Martin Sykes at
wrote on 11/2/03 3:01 pm:

It will almost certainly damage the fence eventually and it will be
difficult for you to get to the back of the shrubs to trim them. How
about
putting wires on the fence and training climbers up them? Several are
evergreen and with judicious planting, you could have colour and scent all
year round.

Will the same happen if I plant a hedge of native species in front of the
fence? If not, what's the difference and if so, what can I do as my hedge is
intended to grow and replace the fence eventually.

Martin

In article , Martin Sykes
writes
"sacha" wrote in message
.uk...
in article , Martin Sykes at
wrote on 11/2/03 3:01 pm:

It will almost certainly damage the fence eventually and it will be
difficult for you to get to the back of the shrubs to trim them. How
about
putting wires on the fence and training climbers up them? Several are
evergreen and with judicious planting, you could have colour and scent all
year round.

Will the same happen if I plant a hedge of native species in front of the
fence? If not, what's the difference and if so, what can I do as my hedge is
intended to grow and replace the fence eventually.

Martin



If your hedge is intended to replace the fence, do what has been done
down one side of my garden. The previous neighbour (his fence) post and
chain linked it. We have a hedge on our side which when it grows through
their side they are quite happy to get the hedge trimmer on it whilst we
do the same on our side.

You must be able to get on with your neighbours or they will complain
about it! We are very fortunate that we get on very well with them and
work together on both sides.

Mike and Joan

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.collingwoodassoc.org.uk/ Reunion. Chatham May 30th - June 2nd

Castle Class Corvettes Assn. Reunion October 2003 Isle of Wight.
National Service (RAF) Association reunion. Nov 2003 Scarborough.

In article ,
says...
"sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
in article , Martin Sykes at
wrote on 11/2/03 3:01 pm:

It will almost certainly damage the fence eventually and it will be
difficult for you to get to the back of the shrubs to trim them. How
about
putting wires on the fence and training climbers up them? Several are
evergreen and with judicious planting, you could have colour and scent all
year round.

Will the same happen if I plant a hedge of native species in front of the
fence? If not, what's the difference and if so, what can I do as my hedge is
intended to grow and replace the fence eventually.

A plant will grow. A big plant wil grow big. Don't try this at home, but
plant an acorn 3" away from your foundation wall and see what the
insurance company think.

Thought and planning need to go into anything you do. The boundary fence
may be yours to replace and you may be trying to do the best thing to
replace it and make an environment for the betterment of native
wildlife.

Have you spoken to the neighbour on the other side of the fence?

Before we moved into our current place, a varied mix of hedges marged
the boundaries and as we rented (for those 6 months) and neither
neighbour owned a dog (eg) it wasn't a problem and encouraged flocks of
birds into both gardens where they were being fed while allowing enough
holes in the hedge for us to notice that their parties were much more
'swinging' than ours, and for us to be invited to join in (and politely
decline).

All the way up the right hand side of my garden is a clapped out and
broken slat panel fence. It is mine and my boundary according to the
records. I've not replaced it yet since moving house since there were
too many more urgent jobs like getting rid of the 60' leylandii that
gained me grace time in the eyes of those whose gardens back on to that
fence. I'll be replacing it when the weather improves.

I'm not going to do it without inviting everyone who has a garden
directly attached to that fence around to decide what we replace it
with.

I'll happily replace those 6' panels with the same cheap stuff and will
even ensure that everyone has access to the panels to
paint/stain/preserve them on their side to the colour they want and I'll
let the argument go to which side gets the side with the downslope. I'm
not sure whether #28 and #34 want to have their pointer and yorky to
have access to each other on a daily basis. I'm sure that #26-34 don't
want my OES using their lawns. I'm not sure of the reaction of #26 when
I point out that when I pull down the rotten fence his gazebo will fall
over and that maybe he should have used his own supports when he built
it.

Replacing a fence isn't a simple thing. Replacing it with a growing
version is less simple. I would love to untertake such a task, but in my
suburban environment it isn't going to happen. If you *really* want to
do this and only care about your own privacy then I've a 10 year plan.

Year 1: introduce a leylandii hedge 5' inside your boundary it'll be at
6' fence height in 3-4 years.

Year 2: trim the leylandii

Year 3: trim thos leylandii twice

Year 4: Remove the fence and plant beech and hawthorn. (check that they
are getting enough light) trim the leyandii three times to get them tidy
looking and allow the regular stuff to grow.

Year 6-10: remove the leylandii since they're sucking up the nutrients
and growing as fast as you can keep them tidy.

Year 7-11: watch the native hedge fill out and give it a brief trim.
Find that the lawn doesn't look so good since next-door's bitch now pees
on yours too.

Year 9 start putting in small wire hoops to stop dogs wandering in
through the lovely hedge.

Year 10: damned Australian Akubra got through the hedge and dried out
the freesias, "where do I buy fencing panels?"

Warwick

"Warwick" wrote in message
news:MPG.18b8e549670280979897ec@lateinos...
big snip

The fence is brand-new all the way around and for reasons of security and
safety ( I share a boundary with a primary school ) I don't want to remove
it. Is there really such a problem with growing the hedge next to the fence?
One of my neighbours has a 6ft privet hedge running along his side which
doesn't seem to be a problem.

Surely the at worst the plants will grow lopsided as there is no light
coming from the direction of the fence?

Martin

In article ,
says...

It will almost certainly damage the fence eventually and it will be
difficult for you to get to the back of the shrubs to trim them. How about
putting wires on the fence and training climbers up them? Several are
evergreen and with judicious planting, you could have colour and scent all
year round.

We put up a new fence and made some errors in that one post was not
upright and leaned outwards. We happened to plant a ceanothus by the
fence there, and when it got big enough, it looked as if it was the
ceanothus that had forced the fence out of line, not our incompetence.
Clever move (-:

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message ...
"Warwick" wrote in message
news:MPG.18b8e549670280979897ec@lateinos...
big snip

The fence is brand-new all the way around and for reasons of security and
safety ( I share a boundary with a primary school ) I don't want to remove
it. Is there really such a problem with growing the hedge next to the fence?
One of my neighbours has a 6ft privet hedge running along his side which
doesn't seem to be a problem.

Surely the at worst the plants will grow lopsided as there is no light
coming from the direction of the fence?

Aren't you a little unsure of what you want from both fence and hedge?
Didn't you say the hedge was intended to replace the fence,
eventually? Now you're saying you don't want to remove the fence.
Which is it?
--
Sacha

In article , Sacha
writes
"Martin Sykes" wrote in message news:6Y2dnZPHzY
...
"Warwick" wrote in message
news:MPG.18b8e549670280979897ec@lateinos...
big snip

The fence is brand-new all the way around and for reasons of security and
safety ( I share a boundary with a primary school ) I don't want to remove
it. Is there really such a problem with growing the hedge next to the fence?
One of my neighbours has a 6ft privet hedge running along his side which
doesn't seem to be a problem.

Surely the at worst the plants will grow lopsided as there is no light
coming from the direction of the fence?

Aren't you a little unsure of what you want from both fence and hedge?
Didn't you say the hedge was intended to replace the fence,
eventually? Now you're saying you don't want to remove the fence.
Which is it?
--
Sacha

No fence lasts for ever.

Like the Boy Scout he is 'Being prepared'

Belt and Braces until then


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one
pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside,
thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting GERONIMO!

"Sacha" wrote in message
m...
Aren't you a little unsure of what you want from both fence and hedge?
Didn't you say the hedge was intended to replace the fence,
eventually? Now you're saying you don't want to remove the fence.

I do want to remove the fence but only when the hedge is able to do its job
in terms of both security and privacy. I've ordered my native hedgeing as
seedlings because I'm in no rush. I didn't think the fence would be a
problem other than maybe making the hedge a bit bare on one side which I
thought would recover once the fence was removed.

Looking around this morning, it does seem that everyone has got fences with
shrubs/hedges planted next to them so surely they're not all going to fall
over. Is it just a problem if the shrubs have very strong branches and the
fence posts aren't set securely? Is the problem the branches or the roots?

Martin

In article , Martin Sykes
writes


I do want to remove the fence but only when the hedge is able to do its job
in terms of both security and privacy.


Martin at that time your boundary, or the definition of your boundary
could move to the line of the stems/trunks of your hedge plants. May I
suggest that you drive a row of steel stakes into the ground as close to
your fence as possible and link them with a steel wire. 1 Metre stakes,
3 metres apart with a wire top, bottom and middle.

I had a large piece of land in Leicester which was 'house locked' with
28 houses backing onto it's boundary, this boundary was like a Dog's
Hind leg.

I am now in the process of sorting out another large chunk of land with
a public path running down one side for over 200 metres. This has to be
fenced/defined. The other boundaries have about 30 - 35 houses bounding
it!!! Not my responsibility, but has to be sorted/agreed amicably :-}} A
few steel stakes would have helped :-((
(They 'might' be here, I haven't had a chance to examine it yet)

Mike

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.collingwoodassoc.org.uk/ Reunion. Chatham May 30th - June 2nd

Castle Class Corvettes Assn. Reunion October 2003 Isle of Wight.
National Service (RAF) Association reunion. Nov 2003 Scarborough.

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message ...
"Sacha" wrote in message
m...
Aren't you a little unsure of what you want from both fence and hedge?
Didn't you say the hedge was intended to replace the fence,
eventually? Now you're saying you don't want to remove the fence.

I do want to remove the fence but only when the hedge is able to do its job
in terms of both security and privacy. I've ordered my native hedgeing as
seedlings because I'm in no rush. I didn't think the fence would be a
problem other than maybe making the hedge a bit bare on one side which I
thought would recover once the fence was removed.

Looking around this morning, it does seem that everyone has got fences with
shrubs/hedges planted next to them so surely they're not all going to fall
over. Is it just a problem if the shrubs have very strong branches and the
fence posts aren't set securely? Is the problem the branches or the roots?

The problem will be both. I cut down some leylandii (yes I know
you're not planting those!) which had managed to distort iron railings
and almost collapse a low brick wall.
The hedge you're going to plant will be much nicer than a fence,
probably but if it's too close to the fence it will damage it. A hedge
will also take up more of your garden space than a fence but IMO, it's
worth it because it's more attractive, offers shelter to birds and so
forth. I can't remember the start of your query but is it *essential*
to keep the fence there while the hedge is growing? If not, I'd take
it down and let the hedge have free rein!
--
Sacha

In article , Mike
writes


I am now in the process of sorting out another large chunk of land with
a public path running down one side for over 200 metres.

Before I get accused of lying, the path is about 200 metres. but I am
only interested in the bit bounding the land which is 124 metres.

This has to be
fenced/defined. The other boundaries have about 30 - 35 houses bounding
it!!!

and it is 35 houses

Apologies for any confusion, but I have since got the plans out and
measured.

OK Andy?

Mike
Who never 'knowingly' lies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.collingwoodassoc.org.uk/ Reunion. Chatham May 30th - June 2nd

Castle Class Corvettes Assn. Reunion October 2003 Isle of Wight.
National Service (RAF) Association reunion. Nov 2003 Scarborough.