Talk to me about shrubs for privacy (sob) neighbour cut theirs all down

[BlueSkySunnyDay]

our garden is now (very very) exposed.

We have shrubs at the top near the house, further down previous next door neighbour had planted shrubs so we didnt plant any our side as they would be "competing" for nutrients. We both bought them as tiny shrubs and a decade in the gardens were LOVELY and private.

House has changed hands and the most recent Neighbours have LITERALLY cut EVERYTHING down (including some lovely mature fruit trees) - the fence supported on both sides by shrubs is ready to fall down and we are exposed to the whole neighbourhood.

On the plus side they will have to put up with my children on their play equipment looking into their garden!!!!!

Suggestions would be appreciated (I wanted to cry when I was putting my washing out today)

Oh dear. What are you after? Something quick-growing? Or something that will mature in time? How long is the gap you need to fill?

Well I don't think I want to wait another decade

We have about 3 Metres to fill and currently have choisa, philadelphus, forsythia and buddlea (plus a mahoosive bamboo im wondering if I can thin and put more in the gap)

How about Photinia Red Robin? It makes a good hedge.

I was pondering bamboo. It would give you some instant height but, if it's one of the rampant invasive varieties, may give you other problems in the future!

No we had one of the invasive ones and spent years getting rid of it. This one is really attractive and not invasive - plus about 6ft tall (not sure how easy it will be to dig some out though)

Thanks I will have a look at the one you have suggested.

No we had one of the invasive ones and spent years getting rid of it. This one is really attractive and not invasive - plus about 6ft tall (not sure how easy it will be to dig some out though)

Thanks I will have a look at the one you have suggested.

Ha phone having a funny turn!

Lavatera grows really quickly - i had 2 metres in less than 6 months.really easy to grow and very pretty too.

How sunny is it and what direction does the border face?

Quick growers for screening are:
Portuguese laurel
Lavatera
Abutilon (may die in very cold winters and not survive further North)
Ceanothus (bit tender)
Buddleia
Pittosporum (again a bit tender)
Bamboo is good for shade

We have some sort of large leaf cotoneaster which grows fast, is evergreen and has loads of lovely red berried which mean we get lots of birds visiting.

Ah now we were just discussing Lavatera as we had a beautiful one (I think we moved it one to many times)

Soil is neutral, position is sunny

All my list are good for sun bar the bamboo. If you like the Abutilon (similar to Lavatera) then might be easier to find it on-line.

Some other ideas here
apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=636

My sympathies, our neighbours did the same thing to us a few years ago. Border is growing up now with laurel, buddleia, photonia 'red robin' and a few trees planted in the most exposed spots. A good tree to try is a flowering cherry called Amanogawa which is tall and narrow. You're lucky with neutral soil as can choose lots of things.
If you really can't wait too long for your privacy back, you can buy a ready made tree screen from Barchams and other suppliers! I would have done that if I'd had the cash - is expensive!

Should have mentioned that the plants I listed will put on a metre or two (or more) in a season so would be useful for quick screening, though they aren't all long lived so you may need to replant at some point.

Yeah we did realise the lavatera was not a long term solution

I noticed the mature plant nurseries don't put on the price of the instant screening so I assumed very expensive!

What kind of person buys a house with a mature garden and decimates it? Id observe it for a bit too see what it does (the fruit trees were beautiful and I've watched tons of fruit rot on the grass over the last 3 years of disinterested tenants..purgatory for me as I like to bake!)

Its very sad when a new neighbour rips out lovely plants - similar happened when we sold a previous house and the new owners ripped out lots of the expensive and lovely plants which I had put in. I felt really quite upset!

The things I suggested aren't expensive, other than a large Port laurel, so would do the job without you having to spend lots of cash.
You can always double plant, ie put the slow growers on the border at the back and the faster growing things (Abutilon/Lavatera/Buddleia) at the front with a view to taking them out once the long term screening is better (or they have died).

If you wanted trees, Birch are quick growing, delicate and good for screening but they are shallow rooted so its hard to plant much underneath them.

Thanks for your help - it may be that they have plans to put something else in.

I think we are taking a run out to a large plant nursery this weekend - just an expense we didn't envisage. Also not sure if the fence is press or theirs (we certainly did it last time)

Pfft phone - should say ours or theirs

Maybe it's worth asking them what their plans are? Say you are planning to go to the nursery soon and it would be handy to know what they are doing so you can chose something complementary.

Would be a shame to fill it up with expensive plants only to find they put a fence up the following weekend!

One of my neighbours did this to me I stuck in a few laylandi and some good hedging. The laylandi went in last year and is now four foot tall, by the end of this summer I'm hoping it will block their view into my garden. In ten years time when the lovely hedging is tall enough I will chainsaw out the monster plants.

Not ideal but will solve the issue. Otherwise you could erect a wind break hedge of fabric or bamboo screening on a roll.It will be ugly but will block their view, until your plants establish.