Hedge instead of fence

 


Hi,

I am currently doing up my garden and it's a bit of a project.  I have a
pretty
pathetic excuse for a fence separating my garden from my
neighbours on the right
and altho I get on with them , I would like
something a bit more...

My husband, last year, cut down 9 Leylandi trees on the right and we
currently
have just the stumps left.  A quote to remove the stumps and
roots has come in
pretty pricey, so we decided to just cut them as low
as poss and maybe utilise a
couple by nailing some rustic wood between
two to make a bench for the children.

However, I had a guy round tonight to quote me to erect a 6' fence down
the
right hand side of the garden.  Upon inspection he has told me that
he thinks it
will be very difficult to put in the posts due to the roots
from the trees and
that we should try to remove the roots...  which we
wanted to avoid doing,
argghhhh!

So I'm wondering, would it be best to have some kind of hedge instead of
a
wooden fence (we have a hedge on the left)?  And this leads me to some
more
questions:

Which type of hedge is best for boundaries?
How long would it take to establish and grow?
How easy is it to plant/grow?
Should I get permission from my neighbours as they will have to trim the
thing
back on their side?

Sorry for the massive essay, any replies will be greatly appreciated,
I'm new to
all of this (gardening, not forum posts!)

Cheryl.




--
chelly100

 

On 5/24/10 1:03 PM, chelly100 wrote:

I prefer good, durable fences or even masonry walls.  They keep your own
children and pets in your yard and the children and pets of others --
including some of nature's wild "pets" -- out.

Furthermore, depending on what you have in your garden, you might have
what is legally called an attractive nuisance, in which case a fence or
wall is mandatory.  Of course, "attractive nuisance" includes a swimming
pool; but it also includes a hot tub, garden railroad, and some types of
children's play equipment.

On the other hand, a fence or even a well-designed wall might not be
very attractive.  I suggest that you install a 4-foot high chain-link
fence.  The fence posts (steel pipe) will be easier to install through
the tree roots than other kinds of posts.  Then plant either shrubs or
vines right against the fence to hide it.  Allow the plants to grow
higher than the fence and through it so that it is also hidden from your
neighbor.

The first step would be to discuss this with your neighbor to ensure
that the concept is mutually acceptable.  With the right approach and an
aesthetic design for the planting, your neighbor might even pay part of
the cost.

--
David E. Ross
Climate:  California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at <http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary>

 


Agree but think you should go for 6' or more, depending on local regs.
Also agree good to consult with neighbor on design.  Neighbor may
indeed
pay for part of the cost; maybe they have been wanting a fence too!

Decades ago I had a block wall installed between me and (urgh!)
neighbors, and to my amazement, they paid for part of it w/o even
being asked!

Of course you will want to keep good relations, so much of David's
advice
is on target:   Consult.  Steel Posts.

But I think it should be 6' or more,  and I also suggest two-sided
handsome
dog-eared cedar,  which looks the same on both sides, so makes
neighbor
happy, and doesn't need plantings to disguise it.

 



If you're planning on becoming old, I'd suggest hawthorn (Crataegus
oxyacantha, specifically). It is in the European pharmacopeia and is
prescribed for Angina pectoris, Atherosclerosis, Congestive heart
failure, Hypertension (high blood pressure). It is an antispasmodic,
cardiac, sedative, and vasodilator. It can be huge, or it can be small,
and it is covered with the most discouraging thorns. You'd definitely
want to get your neighbors approval for this. The more of them you plant
the faster the hedge would fill in.

- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

 

chelly100 said:


My thoughts:

Trying to plant a hedge through all the roots would be as much or more of
a hassle than trying to set a few fence posts.  

My neighbor's hedge (which is along my driveway) ends up being trimmed
by me or my daughter almost as much as by the neighbor.  And my
daughter is the only one who has ever made an effort to pull out the
weed trees and shrubs that keep infiltrating it -- she hates the mess more
than she hates yard work.

AS for my own hedge (came with the house) if it didn't shade / hide the air
conditioning unit, it would be so gone...

(Feeling grumpy, as it is near record heat, and humid, with lots of work to
do outdoors, and the first mosquitos are out and relentless.  Two showers
yesterday, one before dinner and one before bed.)

--
Pat in Plymouth MI
    
"Vegetables are like bombs packed tight with all kinds of important
nutrients..."     --Largo Potter, Valkyria  Chronicles
 
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