Hedge ideas - windy location, acidic soil, mild climate

[kjjaw]

We would like to plant a hedge next to the road on our property. It doesn't need to be a very big hedge. It is under a pine tree, so the soil is quite acidic with lots of pine needles. Next to/On top of a granite wall, so better not to have large roots that would disrupt this. The climate is mild (Channel Islands), but we are on a hill and it can be very exposed/windy. Other parts of the wall have a Fuschia hedge, which does well, but is further away from the tree and very thin in winter. We would prefer to have something that is either green all year, or has a lot more density (so the backyard is a little more sheltered and private). Be great if the hedge can establish itself within a couple of years or so. The climate here means things do tend to grow quickly.

Any recommendations/ideas? We have a big bay that seems to be ok in these conditions and I considered making a bay hedge, but that might be quite a slow grower?

Thanks!

Kaspar

[Amos Nomore]

[kjjaw]

Yes, we have one of these in the garden that does very well. Birds like it too. But for some reason I'm not keen on the way it flowers and berries. Maybe it's the quantity or the colour. I have a few ideas now from a bit of research. We may just go with bay as it works, or something reddish in appearance that would be nice against the granite, dark green pine and red fuscia, like berberis.

[David E. Ross]

Japanese boxwood dwarf Burford holly (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana')

[Brooklyn1]

Canadian hemlock makes a wonderful dense evergreen hedge. They are shallow rooted but grown as a hedge they won't uproot in heavy winds. They have one major drawback or I'd be planting many, Deer consider Canadian hemlock the equivalent of potato chips. Where I lived previously I had a majestic Canadian hemlock hedge running 120' across my back border and 6' tall but I had no deer, here deer would decimate it.

As an aside, pyracantha is one of my favorite specimen plants to aspalier on a fence/wall but I don't suggest using it as a hedge where anyone, especially children, may inadvertantly walk/run into it (even a pet dog), its thorns are deadly... before planting a pyracantha hedge I strongly suggest consulting your attorney.

[Amos Nomore]

Typical b1 bs hyperbole.

[Brooklyn1]

You have nothing useful to contribute? Your kind of hotair blowhard is why people post that they are leaving this newsgroup... obviously you've never seen a pyracantha. For the sane folks here planting a pyracantra hedge is like erecting a barbed wire fence, only far more seriously dangerous due to its danger not being readily obvious. Super Max prisons could use pyracantha in lieu of razor wire. Pyracantha and similar plants are what herdsman used to contain cattle and other livestock before barbed wire was invented. Here's another:

Famous Amos Nomore Know Nothing knows absolutely nothing about gardening, it's a pointy headed imbecile and a trolling newsgroup disruptor. /\ / \ / \ / \ | ¤ ¤ | | ¿ | | «» | |________|

[Amos Nomore]

Typical b1 childish insecurity.

[Brooklyn1]

Typical know absolutely nothing about gardening response... and now I'm done with you.

[Amos Nomore]

Typical b1 righteous indignation and condescension. I am not done with you.

[Jeff Layman]

Have a look at the various cultivars of Aucuba japonica. If you like red berries, "Rozannie" is a good choice.