Hedging - in containers?

[Baldy]

The very high winds this morning have finally put paid to a couple of troublesome fence panels. They're at the back of the house and screen us from next door's conservatory.
I'm thinking of replacing them with some hedging - trouble is the first couple of plants would have to go into some (large) containers as the area is hardstanding for a couple of meters.
I'd need something that got to about 6ft and has pretty dense foliage. Any advice appreciated.

[veggiechicken]

I guess you also want evergreen and quick growing?

[Baldy]

oh yes - evergreen and quick growing too

(Ideally something that has an initial 5ft spurt in the first week or so, then slows down to an inch or two p.a.)

[veggiechicken]

What about some fence panels?

[MagpieKnitter]

Bamboo! Got a friend who has an old bath tub full of it to screen here front window from the street. Really lovely. Its actually one of the beast ones, a cutting taken from another friends garden. Maintained as a hedge and its fabulous. Just Never let it get near open ground!

[Cadalot]

You mean Leylandii whos roots extract so much water that they can cause clay soil to shrink, leading to subsidence in buildings

[Baldy]

Thanks - gonna pop to GC and have a recce - bamboo might be on the list...

[Jungle Jane]

Jasmine makes quite a good screen,mine should be flowering soon & it roots really easily,I didn't buy it,it's travelled from next door 7 or 8 ft tall I hang all my bird feeders in it & northfacing so good in part shade.

[Guest]

Bamboo! Got a friend who has an old bath tub full of it to screen here front window from the street. Really lovely. Its actually one of the beast ones, a cutting taken from another friends garden. Maintained as a hedge and its fabulous. Just Never let it get near open ground!

Never gave it a thought to plant in a bath tub. Although you have now given me an idea! Argh! I have enough on my to do list.

Baldy, when you say 6ft does it include the 1-2ft ish for the pot? How wide can the pots be? Just thinking you could grow something like buddleia (fast growing, cheap screen) whilst slow growing evergreens get going.

[Cadalot]

Balders what about Fallopia Russian Vine Mile a minute plant

[Baldy]

Balders what about Fallopia Russian Vine Mile a minute plant

Knowing my lapses into laziness from time to time that looks extremely dangerous - especially if next door is hoping to get some light into their conservatory

[veggiechicken]

Bamboo is tall and quick growing but its not a complete screen. It waves about in the wind and you can see through it. On the positive side, you'll never have to buy bean sticks again.
Mines 10'-12' high

[Guest]

^^^VC is there 1) anything you haven't got plant wise? 2) any plants that don't grow or spread to epic proportions in your garden?

[veggiechicken]

Its the never-ending sunshine that makes things grow (apart from me)

Here's the bamboo - tall but not excessive - what's VC on about?



Here's the bamboo again taken from ground level



Its grown from a small piece given to me years ago. Don't know what sort it is but its not invasive - spreading but not bad. I cut all my beans and tomato canes out of it each year. Every home should have some

[MagpieKnitter]

Bamboo is tall and quick growing but its not a complete screen. It waves about in the wind and you can see through it. On the positive side, you'll never have to buy bean sticks again.
Mines 10'-12' high

unless you keep it as a hedge, then you get loads and loads of tiny stems, which do create a screen, its all in the way its trimmed, and the type. As I said a really thick stemmed thuggish brut is going to be better than one of the finer stemmed ones, The fine ones tend not to fill out as well I've noticed from observing the neighbours failed attempts to recreate the same effect!