The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Gardens => Topic started by: Creagan on March 30, 2020, 09:08:21 pm

Title: Hedging plants for shallow/rocky soil
Post by: Creagan on March 30, 2020, 09:08:21 pm
I need to create a boundary between my front garden and the roadside. The ground is currently all laid to gravel and I am creating a new lawn using topsoil.
Ideally I would put up a dry stone wall- in fact I started on it a few years ago- but I don't have the right kind of stone, and I certainly don't have the time or skills to do the full length. But what I think might work well is to lay the start of a wall with two rows of stone, built up a few courses, and then the space between filled in with soil and a hedge planted on top.

This means choosing a hedge plant that will be OK on a few inches of fairly dry soil. I should add that we're coastal, in the NW of Scotland, and of course I would prefer evergreen and something that establishes fairly quickly.

Any suggestions? I've had escallonia before and it seemed good, nice and hardy and I liked the look of it.
Title: Re: Hedging plants for shallow/rocky soil
Post by: doganjo on March 31, 2020, 04:27:21 pm
Don't hit me but how about leylandii and chop,it at 5 feet?  We did that at one of our previous homes between teh dog run and the garden wall - but there was about 2 feet bewteen them.  Ground was hard rubbishy stuff but they seeemd to grow fine on it.

Or Holly or pyracantha
Title: Re: Hedging plants for shallow/rocky soil
Post by: Creagan on March 31, 2020, 08:32:22 pm
Thanks, I didn't think conifers could withstand being cut back, you'd be left with horrible brown stuff?
A friend who lives near me suggests Daisy Bush.
Pyracantha could be a good shout. Might be quite a few choices.
Title: Re: Hedging plants for shallow/rocky soil
Post by: doganjo on March 31, 2020, 09:34:56 pm
You can stop leylands by chopping them at whatever height you want, but admittedly pyracantha are prettier