Would like a hedge for front garden, can you advise

[Beanie4]

I would like to grow a hedge for our front garden that will grow fairly tall and as quick as possible! I know it will take years but the quickest growing ones you can think of would be great.

Can anyone throw some suitable hedge names at me please? Might also need to know best time to plant and whether it will be easy to come by, tia

Just dont get leylandii...!!

Box (might not be tall enough?) Lavendar could work well? (again not tall enough though) or maybe you could buy a few plants that WILL grow but in the mean time put up some sort of device (trellis?) to grow fast climbers up ('mile a minute' for example!! or maybe a Russian Vine?)

Why do you want to do this? It might help with suggestions of plants?

thanks Helium, next door have one, its looks quite nice and I want one too now!

Sorry should have explained a bit more in so far as it is to go along a wall, hip height, not a random singular hedge iyswim.

I feel it would be nice to have a bit more privacy as we live on a busy road...

But I havent a clue what to go for

Laurel is nice ... grows pretty quickly, is evergreen. You need to make sure you keep the plants close together - 12-18" inbetween, and trim it regularly, esp branches growing sideways - that will speed up upwards growth. My only problem with laurel is that it really attracts wasps. It is a nice, thick hedge though. HTH

Privet is also fast once established. You'd need to trim at least twice a year though to stop it getting huge! Or winter jasmine, which does the same but is not very evergreen.

Have you considered bamboo? It grows quite fast. You should choose your variety carefully though as some can be quite invasive while others reamin a bit smaller.

Rosa rugosa - pretty pink or white single flowers in the summer, and dark red, shiny hips for the birds in the winter. We hack ours back in the late winter to keep it under control.

Wow thank you one and all! I am envious of all your knowledge

I think I shall google pics from all your wonderful suggestions, make a choice and get busy with the planting.

Maybe in a few years I can add some pics to my profile

Beech gives the best shape (you might decide you want a fancy hedge in a few years' time!), retains its leaves for a long time so giving lovely early-winter russet colours.

Holly is best to discourage visitors and their litter!

Why not put a trellis fence on the north/shadow side while the hedge grows?

Another vote for laurel here; you can get in many sizes and they grow fast and wide. We put a new laurel hedge in our front garden last year and I already have some people-height coverage this winter.

I do agree with the holly hedge if you have litter-bugs in your neighborhood.

For a thick hedge, plant in 2 rows offsetting:

A - A - A --- A
B - B - B - B

Hornbeam. It's similar to beech but matte. It's Monty Don's favourite. No better praise imo!

Hornbeam is a bit harder to cut back than beech - fine if Monty's trimming it, but hard if its down to you and your blunt secateurs though...

Portuguese Laurel is very smart, I prefer it to ordinary Laurel as its a more subtle colour and the leaves a nicer shape.
It is also evergreen, good for screening, quite fast growing and flowers in the summer.

Good prices here
www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/Portuguese-Laurel-Prunus-lusitanica

Afternoon, right, Im feeling very motivated by all this! I have been busy weeding and clearing. Might go for Rosa Rugosa, it sounds nice and is good for beginners like me!

Very handy to know planting formation A--B etc as mentioned and the website for buying

Thanks again for all suggestions and Im looking forward to getting stuck in now

Rosa rugosa is lovely, but its not that tall growing, up to around 6ft (also not evergreen and not very tidy looking).

IMO it looks esp good in a rural setting, ie as part of a country hedge boundary, is your house in the town or country?

Hawthorn is perhaps a smarter alternative if you like flowers and berries and is neater/easier to clip. Or Pyracantha which is evergreen too.

WHy not ask for adviced from a hedge specialist nursery?

What you choose should depend on the soil and aspect (sunny/shady) too but not sure what these are...

Specialist hedge nursery with lots of planting info

I also recommend that you use Rootgrow to help establish the roots quickly

oops ok, thanks. I will go back to the drawing board and study more suggestions so! Crumbs, I dont think I have a a brain for gardening, it must be a natural gift you are born with

Actually before you all shriek in horror the leylandii (like dogs)!! Are only as bad as their owners. We had a hedge of them and as long as you keep cutting neatly twice a year they grow fast of course! and look nice! Really!!! You could look at some of their close relations which have a more interesting look to them.

Ooh Ooh Ooh just thought of another thing! Essential, how could I forget! Sorry!

Try to plant through weed suppressant material - black mesh stuff, cut an X in it and put your hedge plants in. Then when the plants are establishing over the next 2 or 3 yrs, they get nice warm soil and weeds are not competing. Also, you aren't poking around new hedge roots to dislodge bindweed or whatever you suffer from.

I'm back, dont worry, I will have to start a hedge fund I think

Yes, I know that black weed mesh very well! Have it in the front and back with bark on top and the few plants that do like me dotted about here and there, looks quite nice. As I said, I'm not very green-fingered, so anything that makes my life easier is fine by me.

We had a problem where the hedge is to go a few years ago, of course I don't know the real technical name, but I called it 'Devils' Guts'. Damn thing snaked everywhere, and was very strong, took ages to get rid of it...

You can go on the Royal Horticultural Society website an d look at their plant finder. You can put in various criteria such as soil type, sunny or shady aspect etc and it will come up with suggestions