Hedging shrub ideas, for Hampshire, please!

[Tansie]

Am looking for a reasonably fast growing, evergreen shrub to plan in a small area between my neighbour's tarmac'ed drive and mine. The garden bed there is about 3.5m long and maybe 1m wide. It currently has a motley array of badly pruned, hollow-in-the-middle shrubs that I want to root out and start again. There's also a silver birch in the middle of the bed but it's a small growing variety and it doesn't start branching til higher up so isn't crowded by the shrubs.

Locally, they favour a dense, uniform green evergreen shrub that has 'apple tree' shaped leaves, coming to a point, quite tough and a bit almost waxy'. It presents a wall of leaves to its exterior. Any idea what this might be?

I want to buy 3 or 4 semi-mature shrubs.

I won't be going 'off piste' with my hedge as it's a neat, suburban street and I don't want to annoy anyone!

TIA

Sounds like your locals have hedges of cherry laurel.

I would recommend Viburnum tinus 'Castlewellan' for a nice soft evergreen look that also has pretty white flowers in the spring.

Thanks, I think you're right re cherry laurel. I'd never heard of it!

I will also research the viburnum.

Could it be Griselinia littoralis, this is evergreen and has apple green leaves, a great hedge! www.headgardenerplants.com/plant.asp?val=GRILIT

No I think it's cherry laurel; however the Griselina looks nice as well- the leaves are more delicate than the laurel's!