Tree advice please Post your questions and find answers on all garden related topics and areas

[alison1971]

Hello

I am quite green fingered, love my gardening and have patience and reasonable knowledge of it....but....

I am about to move house, and tackle a argh mess of a garden, which is ok, I am up for the challenge etc, but there is a lack of privacy in the garden, which I am not happy about....

A fence will be errected to combat partial lack of privacy, but what I really want is some trees that provide privacy and look nice at the same time; I am not as knowlegable on the tree subject as other areas; Can anyone tell me what type of trees provide;
Good privacy
Look nice
Grow reasonably fast
Grow tall ish - say 10-12ft
Won't root spread too far.

The garden is reasonable size, approx 25ft wide by approx 50/55ft long, and completely empty of plants etc, just a mess in many ways.

Tree help/advice would be fab
:D
Thanks
Alison

[Perry525]

This is a challenge we faced some years ago.

If you can get away with it, put up a six foot high fence made of plywood, supported by concrete posts.
Then add a couple of feet of trellis on top.

Go upstairs and look out the windows and see how much of your neighbors gardens you can see, this will give you an idea of the challenge.

Tracking the sun and its effect on your garden may be important to you, as growing a lawn in the shade is not satisfactory.

Think about any view you may have and if you wish to retain it, this too may be a consideration.

Having high trees along the north side may/ will help to protect the home and garden but, may result in objections from neighbors in time.

For quick growing the only thing is leylandii, they put on about three feet a year, we have about fifty along out northern edge but have no neighbors. Leylandii need cutting twice a year

Holly is a very good barrier but, is not quick and like most trees and bushes requires annual maintenance, you will need a tower and brush cutter and extension to keep things in shape.

It is a good idea to lay level concrete paths so that the tower has a firm footing and is easy to move. Being up in the air on an unsteady tower
is no fun.