Hedge advice

Location makes a big difference. Do you want evergreen? A properly trimmed hedge should be wider at the bottom than on the top (tapered sides to get more even foliage coverage). My hedge is rose-of-sharon. It's fairly narrow, tall, blooms, and requires little care other than a yearly trim. Boxwood is another good one, although I'm not sure which variety will grow to 4 foot.

We had a ligustrum chinensis that pruned easily and was easy care, and should do well in the English climate --

In that amount of space, I'd grow vines or espaliered fruit trees.

Any idea where you live?

Sounds like neighbor problems to me...

A one foot width is too narrow for any traditional "hedge". If it's your fence and it's well ino your property then you can consider some sort of vine that can be kept clipped short and narrow, maybe morning glory. Were it me I'd simply plant an assortment of tall growing flowering annuals and perennials; hollyhocks are nice.

The message from Sheldon contains these words:

Not in the UK; hedges between neighbours on each side are standard practice here. Friendly neighbours commonly manage the boundary hedge together and clip one side each. The open-plan front gardens seen in America don't appeal to our island/castle mentality :-)

Nah, in the UK climate you can easily clip yew, box, berberis, privet, cotoneaster or pyracantha into a low narrow dense hedge and keep it like that for decades..as many do .

Janet.