I bought this house and it had 7 leylandii all around the driveway for privacy, but the previous owner didn’t take care of them and they were all half dead and looking terrible So last year I cut down 4 of them and left just the corners (second pic) to see if I could figure something out. I couldn’t, so this year I took them all down (axe and hand saw) and hand removed the stumps/roots. It all took around 3 afternoons.
Planning on planting some nice hedging all around now, thinking of Portuguese laurel, opinions? Is too late in the season?
by felipezavan
7 Comments
They are banned in the UK along with Laurel.
Laurel is just as nasty, in a different way. Beech, privet (bees love it) or other natives would be nicer.
Avoid laurel, I’m just out cutting for the second time this year. Wish I never planted it. Plant something slower growing. Might take an extra year to fill in but you won’t have to cut it multiple times a year.
Plant natives or beech. Beech has the advantage of holding on to its autumn leaves until spring. Plant bare root late autumn and top feed generously with manure after a year. They are quick growing and easy to manage.
Worst trees ever
Irish Yew!
It’s too late for bareroot planting, which is standard for hedging, you won’t be able to buy them this late in any case.
But it just about ok for planting more mature plants from pots, but this is significantly more expensive than bareroot. But you will likely have to water them often in summer as they will be prone to drying out until fully established.
People in this sub can be rather *enthusiastic* about their preferences for native and organic.
Portuguese Laurel is non native but not invasive, this distinction is irrelevant to some people but it exists nonetheless.
There are no native large leafed evergreens if that is what you would prefer. Wild privet is the closest you can get and is semi evergreen the leaves will fall if it gets too cold (also not the easiest to buy) but the leaves are much smaller than the green or golden privet you will find in most garden centres (and those are not native).
Holly is only native true evergreen broadleaf. It makes an superb hedge, fantastic for birds and pollinators, but is slow growing and obviously it’s spiky so not always the nicest in a garden.