Replacing my Escalonia hedge

TigerTim

My beautiful 10 foot high Escalonia hedge has been destroyed by 2 bad winters. I had a really private back garden with 40ft of Escalonia running down both sides. One side is very bare & I could do with replacing that first. I’ve been looking around at local hedges & have seen some nice Golden Leylandi hedges which have been kept at a nice height – about 8ft - & well trimmed. Are these quick growing. I’d like to get the privacy of my back garden back fairly quickly. These appear to have survived the frost pretty well. Any other good suggestions for good (quick) coverage for the garden.

Thanks,

Tim

Rancid

How about bamboos? Fast growing and unless it's a very windy location they should give some privacy reasonably quickly.
I dug out some very overgrown griselinia about 3 years ago and replaced it with phyllostachys bissetii and already it's about 14ft tall and very pleasing to the eye!
The Phyllostachys aurea is worth considering, it might be very suitable for what you want.
http://www.bamboogarden.com/Phyllostachys%20aurea.htm

My escallonia hasn't survived the low winter temps either, it's lost all its leaves and I doubt it will survive. I'd love to try growing the Escallonia resinosa, not sure how hardy it is, but for the wonderful scent alone it would be worth a try.

learn

Rancid wrote: »

How about bamboos? Fast growing and unless it's a very windy location they should give some privacy reasonably quickly.
I dug out some very overgrown griselinia about 3 years ago and replaced it with phyllostachys bissetii and already it's about 14ft tall and very pleasing to the eye!
The Phyllostachys aurea is worth considering, it might be very suitable for what you want.
http://www.bamboogarden.com/Phyllostachys%20aurea.htm

My escallonia hasn't survived the low winter temps either, it's lost all its leaves and I doubt it will survive. I'd love to try growing the Escallonia resinosa, not sure how hardy it is, but for the wonderful scent alone it would be worth a try.

Late reply, it was not the frost that killed your escalonia, it's a disease that is spreading rapidly around ireland. The ony way to control this disease is to use rose blackspot spray on it, but that can be expensive when you have to spray after every cutting. So you were right in getting rid of it. I will have to do the same.

Rancid

learn wrote: »

Late reply, it was not the frost that killed your escalonia, it's a disease that is spreading rapidly around ireland. The ony way to control this disease is to use rose blackspot spray on it, but that can be expensive when you have to spray after every cutting. So you were right in getting rid of it. I will have to do the same.

Actually.... I got rid of overgrown *griselinia*, replaced it with bamboo, a decision I'm 100% happy with. It's a pleasure to watch it swaying in the wind or bending in heavy rain (or snow)!

Oddly, and happily, the ailing escalonia recovered and is alive and reasonably well.

I have since successfully grown 4 Escalonia resinosa shrubs from cuttings, all outdoors and all thriving this year.

vicwatson

some nice Golden Leylandi hedges which have been kept at a nice height – about 8ft - & well trimmed. Are these quick growing.

Nothing nice about leylandii - nothing, they are a blight on the Irish landscape IMO, start off nice and cute and then within 5 years they are 10foot high and uncontrollable, they'll eat your family on you.

Should be banned in Ireland in my honest opinion, a disgraceful conifer.

Think about having to trim them twice per year and the clippings - they grow like wildfire.

ronan45

Rancid wrote: »

Actually.... I got rid of overgrown *griselinia*, replaced it with bamboo, a decision I'm 100% happy with. It's a pleasure to watch it swaying in the wind or bending in heavy rain (or snow)!

Oddly, and happily, the ailing escalonia recovered and is alive and reasonably well.

I have since successfully grown 4 Escalonia resinosa shrubs from cuttings, all outdoors and all thriving this year.

is it possible to get bamboo seeds or saplings?, my mum got bamboo about 8 foot high cost her a bomb to do her garden

Rancid

ronan45 wrote: »

is it possible to get bamboo seeds or saplings?, my mum got bamboo about 8 foot high cost her a bomb to do her garden

Most bamboos flower very infrequently but I'm sure it's possible to buy seeds online.

The bamboo plants you see in Garden Centres are usually 5 or 6 foot tall and I think I paid €70 each for my 3 Phylostachys bisseti 4 years ago.
Saying that, I've successfully taken a few "shoots" from them, chopping at ground level some new growth and planting it up right away.
You might be able to do that with your mom's bamboos?

ronan45

Rancid wrote: »

Most bamboos flower very infrequently but I'm sure it's possible to buy seeds online.

The bamboo plants you see in Garden Centres are usually 5 or 6 foot tall and I think I paid €70 each for my 3 Phylostachys bisseti 4 years ago.
Saying that, I've successfully taken a few "shoots" from them, chopping at ground level some new growth and planting it up right away.
You might be able to do that with your mom's bamboos?

lol Rancid... I never even thought of that ! Jasus sometimes i amaze myself.
When would you recommend taking some shoots and planting them . spring?