Views on evergreen wildlife friendly hedge

lillydee · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 10 May 2011 Posts: 9

Hi we are looking to finish our hedge.

We have one section left at the front of our property that we want to screen off with an evergreen hedge. We'd love to use something that is wildlife friendly (good for bees and birds etc)

I've already looked at Berbers Darwinii (which I have been told by different garden centres can't be sourced)

I'm afraid of using box for fear of blight.

I've enquired about viburnum burkwoodii (I've been told isn't a great hedging plant)

Now I'm looking at privet (vulgare). The centre I spoke to said they wouldn't recommend it as the leaves fall off in cold winters and that it can't be sourced easily as it's an old fashion hedge.

I'm at a loss! Any other suggestions, my heart was on privet?

(We already have dog rose,gulder rose,beech,hawthorn,buckthorn,blackthorn and hazel as deciduous hedging)

Good guy · Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 9:30 pm Post subject:

Holly, holly and more holly. It makes a great hedge and is tough as old boots. I've never seen it lose leaves even after very frosty windy weather. Planting a few different varieties, siver variegated, gold variegated, plain green etc could give you a lovely hedge with a bit of variety to the foliage and great berries. Very wildlife friendly, too.
As for Berberis Darwinii, I could give away loads - I pull up seedlings all the time!

kindredspirit · Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 4:44 am Post subject:

Lonicera Nitida. (dense, evergreen.)
or
Laurel.(evergreen)

tippben · Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 5:06 am Post subject:

Lily, if your garden centre is telling you that they can't source B. darwinii or privet, they are either incompetent, or lying. I would either go for the Berberis, or Holly. If you go for Holly, remember that the fruiting cultivars tend to be the ones with "King" in their name.

Sive · Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 9:21 am Post subject:

Not sure where you live, but there's privet advertised on this website in Wexford:

http://www.hylands-nursery.com/more-hedging-plants.html

I have dealt with this nursery, so can recommend it and I'm pretty sure they send plants all over the country.

tippben · Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 1:38 pm Post subject:

Privet is classed as "Semi Evergreen". It will drop leaves in response to cold, though not all of them. The only wildlife benefit (apart from bird nesting habitat, which any hedge will do) would be if you let it flower and fruit, which is an unusual regime for a clipped hedge. Unless you are lucky enough to have Hawk moths, which will eat the leaves.