6-8ft hedge for privacy

Have Portuguese Laurel in the front for about 6 years. Keep it about 5 feet high . It’s a superb boundary.
 
IrishHusk said:
Would have to agree on beech. If you mix green and purple it will be a beautifully hedge during the growing season. Will keep foliage in winter so it gives good privacy all year round but changes colour with the seasond
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I do like Beech, and the idea of colour. I'm not worried about light or thickness really.

@Mamamia22 I'm in Dublin, any recommendations for a hedge nursery in Leinster area?
 
Are you sure its against the law, I think thats just for farmers using tractor hedge cutters. If you don't prune back during the summer the growth becomes too strong to prune in Autumn with hedge strimmers . Most of the corporate gardens and offices are pruned in June/July because they would be looking really bad to leave until autumn/winter, also the growth would be really woody whereas its stays leafy and fresh when pruned in summer.
As for laurels they are horrible invasive plants that should never be grown, there are loads of horrible overgrown laurel hedges all over the country, and nothing grows underneath them as they out compete everything else
 
What would you suggest for something that is vigorous enough to give cover reasonably soon, and might allow other things (what?) to grow underneath?
 

See BirdWatch Ireland

When is hedge-cutting prohibited in Ireland?​

Under the Wildlife Acts, it is against the law to cut, burn or otherwise destroy vegetation including hedges between 1st March and 31st August, but there are exemptions which allow hedge-cutting during the closed period in case of road safety concerns. The ban on hedge-cutting applies to private gardens as much as it does to farms and the wider countryside.
If you witness hedge-cutting between these dates please report it to the local Gardaí and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). You can find contact details for your local NPWS Wildlife Ranger here. We also encourage to get in touch with your local elected representatives to voice your concerns. This helps to encourage that the hedge-cutting ban is enforced and kept in place in the future.
The reason for the hedge-cutting ban is to stop disturbance and destruction of nesting sites of many of our wild bird species. The nesting season for most of our garden and countryside birds begins in March and will continue through the summer months. Our hedges provide a safe space for many birds to nest and an ample food supply for parents and chicks. They are also critical for a range of other invertebrates and mammals, including people.
If you would like to learn more about Ireland’s hedge-cutting ban, please click here and here.
 
David_Dublin said:
I do like Beech, and the idea of colour. I'm not worried about light or thickness really.

@Mamamia22 I'm in Dublin, any recommendations for a hedge nursery in Leinster area?
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Beech will not give you the same level of privacy during the winter months that an evergreen hedge will provide. A double row will help but still not the same imo.
 
+1 for beech. Much more "natural" looking. Not evergreen, but largely keeps its leaves in winter; they just turn brown. You can vary the colour too. It won't grow as fast as the laurel, so if that's a big issue for you just be aware that it'll take 4 or 5 years to go from bare root planting to privacy level height. Might thrive better though if planted and sheltered beside that existing wall. A soaker hose and application of animal manure or bonemeal every spring will help too.

Nothing wrong with laurel and I think the alarmist stuff is a bit overrated. Just a bit too artificial looking for my taste.
 
I'd be looking at Yew, a native Irish tree that can be kept as a lovely hedge, good for birds too. Or a row of hawthorn? Again great for birds. Not evergreen but can still provide screening. Rosemary and Bay add lovely interest.
Wouldn't be a fan of Laurel as a hedge, too much hedge trimming needed every year! so vigorous. Also wouldn't advocate Grisselinia, horrible thing! My neighbour has one. Also very vigorous and he never keeps it trimmed. Bain of my life!
 
So we're going with Yew instead of Portugues Laurel. Seems to have the qualities we're looking for - pretty quick to grow, evergreen, manageable. And it's indigenous, which I also like.
 
David_Dublin said:
So we're going with Yew instead of Portugues Laurel. Seems to have the qualities we're looking for - pretty quick to grow, evergreen, manageable. And it's indigenous, which I also like.
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And it is poisonous to animals...don't forget.
 
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