Not sure I agree on the laurel front - I imagine you mean Prunus laurocerasus rather than Aucuba japonica (spotted laurel) because the latter doesn't get taller than about 7 to 8 feet. Prunus, though gets 25 feet and grows like a tree, if left alone, and you do get some pretty big roots off them.

Have you considered bamboo? Depending on variety, you might need to insert a root rhizome barrier first, but that gets tall pretty quickly and doesn't need regular cutting. The root system won't upset your house, but if you chose something like Phyllostachys nigra or aurea, I would recommend a root rhizome barrier to stop it spreading into the rest of your garden.

You may also need to check whether you can have a hedge 3 metres high depends on the bylaws where you live.

Thanks for the replies.

I have considered bamboo but discounted it because I think it looks very untidy and also would prefer the hassle of getting a root barrier, I think the last i read it involved digging a trench five foot deep.

Can you recommend any varieities that won't need a barrier? And if they don't, won't the roots potentially cause the same problems as a lot of other plants?

thanks again folks, I'm hearing very mixed things so any good advice on safe hedging is appreciated. Maybe Bamboo is the way to go after all.

Thanks for the replies.

I have considered bamboo but discounted it because I think it looks very untidy and also would prefer the hassle of getting a root barrier, I think the last i read it involved digging a trench five foot deep.

Can you recommend any varieities that won't need a barrier? And if they don't, won't the roots potentially cause the same problems as a lot of other plants?

thanks again folks, I'm hearing very mixed things so any good advice on safe hedging is appreciated. Maybe Bamboo is the way to go after all.

the one that definitely doesn't need a rhizome barrier is Fargesia - BUT, that one leans over at the top once its got to about 8 feet, so it can look untidy. It gets taller than that eventually, but you've still got the lean at the top.

Have you considered a tough trellis which could fit on top of the wall? We have got one between ourselves and our neighbours on top of a fence with Clematis plants growing up it and it does give privacy.

I'd also go down the trellis and climber route - a 3m high hedge is asking for trouble:
A) how are you going to keep it at 3m? You will need a platform to cut it safely
B) anything evergreen is yelling at the neighbours to complain.

Answered the other copy of the question - on exactly the same lines as Urbanite as it turns out.

Great minds, Steragram!
The problem is striking a balance between privacy and creating an eyesore for everyone else. Let's face it unless you live next door to Peter Crouch then a hedge/fence/wall doesn't really need to be more than 6ft high.
My next door neighbours spent three hours last night cutting their monstrous hedge at the front of the house - at most 15ft in length it's still about 8ft high and at only 2ft from the front window must make the room like a cave (as my front room was when I bought this house)

Lol Urbanite - they'd have been better off with net curtains!

Thanks for the replies guys.

Haver to say I'm not overly keen on the trellis idea. It's always the first things anybody suggests but the build height and age of the wall means it would be difficult to erect, and the height I'm looking for it would need to be fairly substantial.

The back wall is not adjoined by any neightbours, it looks out onto the back of some shops, which are also up a hill so they're overlooking us. Sometimes it can get quite noisy too so I like the idea of some good strong and tall hedges to provide privacy and noise reduction. The idea is to get in some fairly big pot grown hedges so as to hopefully speed the process along a bit. My only problem is the proximity to the garage walls.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Haver to say I'm not overly keen on the trellis idea. It's always the first things anybody suggests but the build height and age of the wall means it would be difficult to erect, and the height I'm looking for it would need to be fairly substantial.

The back wall is not adjoined by any neightbours, it looks out onto the back of some shops, which are also up a hill so they're overlooking us. Sometimes it can get quite noisy too so I like the idea of some good strong and tall hedges to provide privacy and noise reduction. The idea is to get in some fairly big pot grown hedges so as to hopefully speed the process along a bit. My only problem is the proximity to the garage walls.

PS - no idea why all of my comments keep posting twice. how annoying!

Hmm - if the wall will not support a trellis then it probably won't do it any good having a large hedge next to it.
Who/what in the shops is overlooking you?
Sledgehammers and nuts comes to mind! It seems that what you are really trying to do is to screen your view of the shops and what you will end up with is a wall of green instead, which will suck water and nutrients out of your soil and light (depending on the direction) as well as storing up problems for what you say is already a less than perfect wall.

I would quite like a wall of green, that's the point.

It won't take any light away as by the time the sun reaches that end of the sky it's already blocked by the row of shops which is up a hill and therefore quite a bit higher .

To be totally honest, if a strong hedge was established I'd happily get rid of the wall.

While i know hedges will suck a lot of water and nutrients from the soil, I'm just trying to find out if any such hedges are less needy than others, and more specifically if any could safely be plated close to my garage.

There seems to be a lot of resistance to hedges from a lot of people, which I can kind of understand, but for my circumstances a good hedge seems to fit the bill well. I've no reason to think there would be any foudnational or subsidence issues, and lots of houses in the street have large trees and hedges. Quite a few houses have sizeable hedges close to their houses too, I just wonder if they're taking risks and if I'd be silly to follow suit.

I would quite like a wall of green, that's the point.

It won't take any light away as by the time the sun reaches that end of the sky it's already blocked by the row of shops which is up a hill and therefore quite a bit higher .

To be totally honest, if a strong hedge was established I'd happily get rid of the wall.

While i know hedges will suck a lot of water and nutrients from the soil, I'm just trying to find out if any such hedges are less needy than others, and more specifically if any could safely be plated close to my garage.

There seems to be a lot of resistance to hedges from a lot of people, which I can kind of understand, but for my circumstances a good hedge seems to fit the bill well. I've no reason to think there would be any foudnational or subsidence issues, and lots of houses in the street have large trees and hedges. Quite a few houses have sizeable hedges close to their houses too, I just wonder if they're taking risks and if I'd be silly to follow suit.

Time to think out of the box, I believe - how long is the wall where you want to provide extra privacy? Is there open ground all the way along it for planting on your side?

The wall is about 10 metres long. There's open ground all along it but at the closest end it would only be 1 - 1.5 m between the wall and the garage.

To be more precise, for some reason the wall extends at an angle from the garage wall making a V shape between the garden wall and the garage wall. I wouldn't plan to plant right into the very corner of the angle - even though that tight corner actually gets the sun most of the day - but as far out enough from the angle as possible. So that, say, giving planting distance, there would be 2 - 2.5 m between the garden wall and garage wall. And that constraint would only be for the 2 m or so that the garage extends into the back garden, after that I have as much space as I want. it's just that those 2 m would leave a massive big gap and defeat the purpose of the hedge

And thinking outside the box would be great! I'm sure there must be very good reasons why everyone is recommending a trellis, but I'm open to considering all options

I've just realised you don't say how high the wall is currently, which is something I should have asked... it's also impossible to visualise the area properly - photograph or two would be very helpful, if possible.

the wall is approx 6 ft tall and I'd be hoping for another 3 ft on top of that

the wall is approx 6 ft tall and I'd be hoping for another 3 ft on top of that.

I'll hopefully get some photographs later.|
|

It's okay, I think I've sort of got an image of it now and that is difficult because of that V shape. Why not consider adding trellis to the wall just for that 2.5 metres of the V shape, growing a climber up that (Trachelospermum jasminoides?) then planting along the wall either hedging (Thuja plicata, for instance) or a mix of large evergreen shrubs such as Elaeagnus, Ceanothus, Magnolia grandiflora (if your soil isn't too limey) Photinia fraserii (depending how cold your area is), Pyracantha. There are plenty of other deciduous shrubs that will reach the right size too if you don't mind a mix of deciduous and evergreen (Cotinus coggrygia Royal Purple, Cotoneaster 'Cornubia', which is semi evergreen, Amelanchier lamarckii or one of the smaller hybrids such as A. 'Ballerina', Sambucus varieties such as Black Lace, though you will need to prune this one back to keep it bushy). None of these is a quick, fast growing solution, although Thuja isn't exactly slow growing. Bear in mind its best to plant in autumn rather than now whatever you choose - you may find bare root hedging plants available in autumn which are only available potted at this time of year for one thing. Also note larger plants bought at a larger size often don't grow any faster once in the ground than something that was smaller in the first place - the smaller, younger ones tend to take off much more quickly than older, mature specimens.

Otherwise, if you've got plenty of money to spare, ready pleached trees - have a look at the Instant Hedging page at eastofedenplants@yahoo.co.uk for that and other ideas.