Hedging

[LittleSweetPea]

Hello Im hoping someone can help me.

I need to plant a hedge for privacy but it needs to be thin (or have an ultimate width it won't grow past).

This is because I won't be able to get access to trim it if it goes onto my neighbours side so I want it to stay within my boundary.

Any ideas appreciated.

Can you not plant it far enough AWAY from the boundary that you can still get in behind it to trim it if you need to? That's what I did thirty years ago!

Thanks for the suggestion Ferguson that sounds like what I need to do, though I was hoping not to lose too much garden.
Perhaps I need to look at other options, its just to add a bit of privacy but perhaps could do that without a full hedge.

I'm confused as to why you need to cut your neighbour's side?

Technically, in my garden, one of the hedges is my 'responsibility' and the other one is my neighbour's. However, in reality, we all cut our own sides, and we alternate a bit on the top (it's generally whoever is most organized that does it to be honest). This has been the same in every place I've lived.

Just because it's 'your' boundary doesn't mean you are responsible for cutting your neighbour's side!

In terms of planting, what about something lovely like hornbeam or beech, that retains its leaves for privacy in winter but bursts with green in the spring? You can basically keep it really narrow by cutting it regularly (people pleach them for very very narrow spaces).

It's Beech I would like to plant. Just not sure the neighbours would be happy having the extra work of cutting a hedge and don't want to upset anyone

Sorry didn't read the reply properly. Am going to look up pleaching now thanks

In a MNO dream garden, I would love a hedge of pleached magnolia grandiflora...
www.paramountplants.co.uk/plant/MAGGRANDIPLEACHED/magnolia-grandiflora-pleached.html

but with how much they cost... never gonna happen.

-veryuseful-.

That looks lovely Hiahia
Unfortunately way out of my price range :(
Please forgive my ignorance but what does MNO stand for?

You could buy cheaper, smaller plants and grow them on to pleach it yourself!

I'm going to do pleached hornbeam (exposed trunk, then narrow, trained rectangles) when I finally get around to sorting my front garden. It costs a fortune to buy them ready-done, but I reckon I can achieve it with much cheaper whips that I'll train myself with canes and wire. I imagine - like espaliered apples - it's the kind of thing that's difficult at the start, but that you get the hang of pretty quickly.

I think if it's your boundary sweetpea, you can put in a hedge if you want to? Though it's probably wise to tell your neighbours first and check they're happy!

money no object ah!

oh well... we can but dream.

Ah thanks Hiahia, yes my dream garden is pretty amazing

Thanks Shove. I will have a look into that, though slightly concerned it may be beyond my gardening skills. It could be fun learning.

If you decide it's too much commitment, you can still have a lovely narrow hedge of beech!