Our neighbor is putting up an ugly addition, and we would like to screen it with something evergreen ASAP. It doesn't have to be more than 12-13ft, but it would sure be nice to have it get to a functional size fast, not in 10 or 20 years.
We also don't have much distance between the houses, so it can't be a very deep screen, i.e. the plants have to be narrow.
Any suggestions would be very gratefully received.
It would help readers to know your location and conditions (soil, sun, moisture, etc). Sorry I don't have any suggestions other than a privacy fence. I've seen some ugly fences in addition to ugly additions.
I had a similar problem and used Rose of Sharon which grows fast and narrow, although it is deciduous and I don't use the backyard much during the winter anyway. I planted each plant just far apart so that the mower fits between them. After five years, it grew over 8 feet tall, blooms in summer, attracts hummingbirds, and seems to attract ladybugs. The space between the plants has now filled in with young plants and instead of mowing, they are mulched. It is trimmed every fall. Another neighbor put up an ugly shed and it is masked from view with forsythia, but this plant uses lots of space.
A rose of sharon hedge would be just so great.Have you multiple varieties in the hedge? What varieties? I have the common blue one which suckers & spreads very fast, & a sterile pink one that is more compact & doesn't spread. I've seen them in other folks yards, some of them twelve or more feet tall, floppy, & with enormous flowers; I don't think mine would get that big even if I didn't prune them. They certainly grow fast.
-paghat thte ratgirl
Phisherman wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
Yes, foolish of me. Chicago area, zone 5b, good soft soil (I don't know anything else about the soil), won't be much sun once the neighbor's addition is in place.
I'm not sure about the variety. The flowers are about 3" and are various colors, although all came from the same source. I got them from my mother who lived in Cleveland, Ohio, but they grow great in hot-and-humid east Tennessee. Pruning them helps make them bushy and more formal looking. They produce a lot of seed pods, which is when I prune them back. The seeds that sprout in the lawn get mowed and eventually die. They are tough plants. In another location I have a hibiscus that dies completely to the ground, then comes up in late spring and produces huge 12" round tropical-like flowers, some folks call them "dinner-plate hibiscus."
Arborvitae would work well as long as they are in a sunny location. Most are slow growers, but you shouldn't have a problem finding some that are already six feet tall or so. Do a little reasearch on the varieties before buying.
Privet, grows 7' per year to 15' tall, looks nice
It's evergreen in my zone, you'll have to check to see if it is in yours.
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