By Thepurrfect
United Kingdom 
Am looking for a shrub/tree to put outside my house against my decking railings, it can be planted in the ground, height wise between 6 - 8 ft in height with a spread of a maximum of about a metre, it gets sun most of the day, needs some strength as it will be a wind breaker, preferably quite a quick grower. The tree that was there has died over winter and it looks bare where it was - any ideas ?
20 Mar, 2012
Answers
I am based on the bedfordshire/buckinghamshire border
20 Mar, 2012
Maybe some of the smaller columnar junipers, such as 'Robusta Green', or 'Blue Point'.
20 Mar, 2012
What was the tree that died?
20 Mar, 2012
I'd go for bamboo, personally, probably Phyllostachys nigra - but recommend a rhizome root barrier inserted vertically to a depth of 18 inches to surround it so that it doesn't spread where you don't want it. Otherwise, Euonymus 'aureopicta', which can be clipped to keep it fairly narrow.
21 Mar, 2012
What part of the UK are you in?
20 Mar, 2012