Hedge for front garden/border

[Daphnesmate]

Hi, Looking for inspiration please.

We have a boundary wall and I'm hoping to plant a hedge behind it, I am also planning to lay most of the rest of the garden down to a block paved driveway. Therefore, I don't want anything with deep roots, nothing that grows wildly and needs cutting every other week and something that is fairly sun tolerant. Any ideas please?

Are you looking for something formal which will give a lot of height? If so, box or privet may work. They do need cutting back fairly regularly if you're wanting to keep a crisp shape, probably every month - 6 weeks in the summer. If you're just looking for a bit of colour and interest you could look at mixed planting. Something like apple blossom and virburnum which are evergreen, flower in the summer and have berries in autumn/winter.

Hi Stef, planting a privet had crossed my mind but I think they have deep roots? Would this affect block paving being laid at a later date do you think? Also, my neighbour has one of these so it might provide continuity. I don't want anything that will grow massively tall - no taller than about 6ft ideally.

I would have thought if you're looking at under 6ft for a privet hedge you'll be fine. I inherited a few privet hedges with my house, the one in the back garden is next to a concrete path and is around 4.5 - 5ft tall, I can't see any evidence of the roots damaging the concrete. We've just had a block paved driveway installed next to our privet hedge around the front and the drive sits a few inches below the bottom of the hedge. They didn't mention it would be a problem and the company we used seems reputable.

How about Escallonia? Evergreen and has attractive flowers.