Instant hedging?

[BuffytheDamnLyrePlayer]

Hello, we want to plant a hedge along fenceline for screening and privacy - we like the look of beech, but know zero about gardening. What’s the best way of going about this? Do it all through a landscaper? Get a landscaper to prep the ground (all grass at the moment) then buy the plants ourselves and plant ourselves? Would really appreciate suggestions / advice!

A landscaper will be very expensive, do you want beech trees or hedging.

If you want instant you either have to buy quite mature plants which will be expensive or fast growing, which don't stop growing when they reach the height you want

Thanks for the replies, yes our preference is for beech hedging and I’ve done some research re price etc. There is no flowerbed next to the fence at all at the moment hence my question about a landscaper - I am not joking when I say I know nothing, so don’t want to buy the plants and then ruin them through bad preparation! Obviously we would maintain/trim the hedge after it was established (and also intend to educate myself about gardening in the meantime…)

There are lots of hedges websites, some offer instant hedging sold by the metro but it can be expensive, maybe take a look, you can get green or purple beech. I buy from Crocus or JDParker but you may have a local garden nursery near you. The sites will also tell you when and how to plant hedging and what conditions they need. Digging up the grass, earth and preparing the ground is back breaking work but a local gardener will be able to help you. I also got a lot of info on the Alan Titmarch site about planting and preparing the ground.

Thanks, I will visit a few garden centres and see what they say. Interested to know if anyone has tried this and if it’s been successful?

Ground prep is key if you want the hedge to thrive and provide a screen quickly. If you really know nothing about gardening, then it might be worth getting some quotes from local gardeners. It’s not difficult though, and if you wanted to, you could easily teach yourself how to do it by watching some YouTube videos or reading gardening websites. Basically you need to strip the turf, then dig over the soil, then make sure you plant your whips (baby hedge plants) at the proper depth and firm in well. Mulch to stop weeds. Then water water water water. For two years, until established.

As a pp said, it is backbreaking work if it’s a long stretch of hedging. I’m planning to plant a yew hedge along my boundary in the autumn (always plant hedges in the autumn, by the way) and even though I am qualified horticulturalist I am considering paying someone to do it, because it’s knackering work and my back just can’t take it these days.

Have you thought about adding a trellis to the top of your fence line and then adding climbers. It will be much prettier and you won’t have the long term up keep of a hedge, or loose garden space to it.
My in-laws have to pay out hundreds and hundreds of pounds to keep their hedge at a reasonable height, having seen that it would really put me off putting a hedge in and they also can’t plant close to it.
How big is your garden ?

My in-laws have to pay out hundreds and hundreds of pounds to keep their hedge at a reasonable height, having seen that it would really put me off putting a hedge in and they also can’t plant close to it

That sounds like Leylandii. Beech is much more civilised and there are no issues with planting right next to it.

As VenusClapTrap says you'll need to wait until autumn, nothing worse than all that effort and money just for the hedge to turn brown and die.