New garden

Naz_st

Hi there, novice gardener here (for the first time I actually have a garden in the house I moved in to!). However, looking over the fences at the neighbours all planting all sorts of things in their gardens has me thinking about what kind of garden I want and researching different flowers, screening hedges and trees, etc. I found myself spending hours (and far more money than expected) wondering around a garden centre with a trolley full of all sorts last week! But I'm just wondering a few things:
1) Is it too late in the season to plant mature (4-6ft) screening hedges? If not, what would make a good screening hedge that grows well (to say 8-10ft) but is easy to manage?
2) I need to plant a mature tree to replace a dead one (about 12-15ft in height) - again is it too late in the season to plant this? (e.g. a copper beech or silver birch or similar?)

Thanks!

looksee

How big is your garden? It would need to be very very big, say half an acre or so, to plant a copper beech. A red acer would give a similar effect but not get as big. Silver birch is usually ok too. How sure are you that the existing tree is dead, and is there any indication what caused it to die?

It is getting a bit late to be planting, though plants in containers can, theoretically, be planted any time. If it turns out to be a dry summer though you will have a struggle keeping them watered.

If you have just moved into the house I would suggest you hold off doing anything much for this year. See what grows. If it is a disaster area then it could take a good while to properly dig and improve the soil, clear rubbish etc. Think in terms of planting next autumn.

A pic would be helpful in offering advice.

Lumen

You can buy "instant hedging" in long containers but it's pricey.

Loads of threads on hedging, maybe try a search.

Naz_st

Thanks for the information. Moved in last year, new estate so the garden is just a lawn surrounded by fencing currently, around 15sq metres or so. I had 3 silver birch added last year when I moved in to add a little screening and they seem to be doing well. The dead tree is one I tried to rescue (builders uprooted and dumped some trees from other parts of the estate, thought I could rescue it before it died but apparently not).

So mature hedging in containers (rather than bare root) could be planted any time over the summer, but I need to make sure they stay well watered? I've seen a number of hedges suggested for screening (green beech, privet, cherry laurel, etc), are they all equally good and it's a matter of aesthetics only or is there anything to consider in terms of easiest to care for, hardiness, etc?

Thanks!

looksee

15 sq m or 15m square? 15 sq m is unlikely. Even with 15m sq you probably have enough with three trees in it, they will get bigger.

As to the hedging, there are different varieties of privet, some look better than others. They can be considered a rather boring hedge, but if you keep it well trimmed it could be an attractive background for flowers. I would not put in cherry laurel unless you have a really big garden, they tend to take up a lot of room and they are less easy to trim as they have big leaves. Beech can look very nice, the leaves dry and stay on the bushes in winter so you still have screening, but you get that lovely bright green in the spring.

Lumen

Good tip is to look up the RHS page for a particular variety and see what the ultimate height and spread is.

In the case of cherry laurel, that's 4-8m ultimate height and "wider than 8m".

Rule of thumb: if that's more than twice the width or height you're looking for, it's too big - a hedge is a bush or tree with the roundy bits cut straight.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/13977/Prunus-laurocerasus/Details

Naz_st

Hi all,
Thanks - this is all good advice, I think I'll go with the Beech hedging then, and probably another silver birch since the first 3 are doing well so far.

Thanks again!