[squire1]

Hi newbie and gardening novice here looking for some advice. I've been keeping my eye on this site for a while as I knew the time would come when I would need some help. I've recently completed a new house and am getting around to landscaping about now.

I have approximately 200M of fencing on two sides of the site that needs hedge. I am lucky enough to have a site that has some well estabIished native trees already in place like silver birch, sycamore, oak and ash and some more I cant name so would rather use native Irish hedging and am tending towards whitethorn hedging although I know little about it. Beech is nice but there is a little bit too much of it around my area already. My requirement is to have a hedge that I can maintain at about 1.5M high, is easily maintained (trim once a year) and provides year round privacy. I've a couple of questions ye all might be able to help me with.

What alternatives could I consider?
Where would I go about sourcing good quality hedge? I'm in North Kildare.
What should I look out for to ensure the hedge I am buying is good quality?
What is the best time of year to plant?
What is the best planting method? Currently have good quality loose topsoil to a depth of about two feet and the area is well drained.
Does the hedge need special care until it is established?
What sort of cost would I be looking at?
Anything else I sould know, look out for or consider.

Now theres a good one to start with. Thanks in advance

[Bugs]

Hi Squire1 and welcome to Irish Gardeners , Your'e from North Kildare , N kildare has probabily the best collection of wholesale ( they sell to the public for larger amounts ) nursries in the country . I will dig out a list and let you know later where to go . If you plan to do the whole perimeter in one go , then you would be better off planting bareroot plants as they can be 1/4 of the pot price
Bugs

[squire1]

I'd appreciate that Bugs. Thanks.

[James Kilkelly, was GPI.]

Lotta questions there squire1.
This topic will answer a lot of them.
http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=759#759

[squire1]

[Macy]

I got my whitethorn and blackthorn from Coillte Nurseries last winter (I think their catalogue is online now - they were developing the site last year). All seem to have done okay so far.

I've no wind protection netting for them yet, but I am hoping to get around to sourcing some soon (anyone have any suggestions?). It's expense of the netting v the expense of the plants I suppose. If you have the fences up then at the prevailing wind side will have a good bit of the cost (the posts and wire) up already if I understand the construction right.

[Macy]