Boundary planting

[fiorentina]

In the bottom third of our garden our neighbours boundary to our garden is very messy, a hedge of brambles and other random weeds. The rest of the garden borders another house so isn't too bad. How can we hide/work with this. I'm loathe to pay for fencing but we could erect something our side potentially or plant fast growing plants and cut their brambles back? The other side we had a new fence a year ago and have planted lots of climbers so it looks smart. Any ideas appreciated.

So there is no actual 'hard' boundary between your properties? I'd want a fence for security, regardless of planting.

Errrrr... have I missed some obvious argument against a hedge? It sounds like the ideal solution?!

Let us know whether it's light/shade, and what aspect, and what kind of soil you have and we will try to suggest something!

No argument against a hedge purely that because their side is so 'wild' I wasn't sure what to plant in front of that that wouldn't be affected by that. I wouldn't want anything too deep as its narrow at that point of the garden.

It's good soil, roughly west facing so good light.
Thank you.

If you put a hedge in, you'll be able to delineate the boundary. There's not much you can do about the wildness on the other side, but you can at least establish a visual barrier that means you don't have to look at it all day!

You'll need to dig out a wide trench to help the plants establish (and possibly mow down a bit of the undergrowth to give it a good start) but a non-temperamental hedge should do really well. You say you don't want anything too wide - something that can be kept very thin if you want to is hornbeam (for heavy clay) or beech (for lighter soils). Of course, there's little you can do about the growth on your neighbour's side, but that's their lookout!

There are sharper, pricklier things with thorns you can use if security is an issue!

Thank you. I will have a look, and perhaps start hacking back their wilderness to nearer the boundary as a start. Our garden was a wilderness when we bought the house and we then cleared it so until then they probably knew the previous owner didn't care..!

Next thing you know, they'll be so impressed with your garden that they will be doing up their own!

It does have a domino effect sometimes. I've managed to get my neighbours on both sides gardening with my spare seedlings and my homemade compost!