Laurel Hedge

Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus Rotundifolia, Common Laurel, Cherry Laurel) makes an excellent garden hedge. Laurel is evergreen and quick growing. The leaves of laurel are large, shiny and bright green.

You can keep a laurel hedge at any height. Laurel will grow in any free-draining soil except shallow chalk. Sun or shade. Rate of growth: up to 60cm per year.

Eventual height if not trimmed: 5m (15ft).

Leylandii Hedge

Leylandii is our best seller as it forms a garden hedge faster than anything else. As a result it is also the cheapest at larger sizes. We sell two forms of Green Leylandii, the traditional form and Leylandii 2001.

Both forms will produce a dense evergreen garden hedge of any shape or size if they are trimmed well from the start. We kept a leylandii hedge at 120cm (4ft) tall by 45cm (18″) wide for 25 years. Leylandii is very hardy and wind tolerant.

Any free-draining soil in sun or shade. Rate of growth: up to 100cm per year.

Leylandii Castlewellan Gold Hedge

Leylandii Castlewellan Gold is the most popular form of golden leylandii. Castlewellan grows slightly slower than the green leylandii but bushes out more as it grows upwards so still forms a dense, evergreen, garden hedge quickly.

Keep Leylandii Castlewellan Gold regularly trimmed and it can be kept at any height and any width. Castlewellan will grow in any free-draining soil in sun or partial shade although best gold colour is produced in full sun. Rate of growth: up to 90cm (3’0″) per year.

Portugal Laurel Hedge

Portugal Laurel is a beautiful evergreen shrub that forms a dense garden hedge. The leaves of Portugal Laurel are dark glossy green and are slightly smaller in size to the large leaves of Cherry Laurel (Prunus laur. Rotundifolia).

Portugal Laurel has small white, fragrant flowers on longer slender racemes in June. A Portugal Laurel garden hedge can be kept to any size. Very hardy. Any free-draining soil including shallow chalk.

Rate of growth: up to 40cm per year.

Thuja plicata hedge

Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar) is a fast-growing conifer hedge. It forms a dense evergreen hedge of any height and size if it is trimmed regularly. Thuja foliage has a pleasant, apple aroma when crushed.

Can be cut back into old wood and will re-shoot.

In a cold winter the foliage turns a bronze colour. Any free-draining soil in sun or partial shade. Rate of growth: up to 75cm (2’6″) per year.

Griselinia hedge

Griselinia is a quick-growing, evergreen shrub with fresh apple-green leaves. Griselinia forms an excellent, dense garden hedge. Griselinia plants are tolerant of coastal exposure and will grow in any free-draining soil.

Full sun or partial shade. Rate of growth: up to 45cm (18 inches) per year.

Eventual height if not trimmed: 3m (10ft).

Thuja Emerald (Smaragd) hedge

Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’, also called ‘Smaragd’ is the ultimate low-maintenance hedging plant. Planted in a row, the top can be trimmed to the height required but the sides of the trees will never need trimming.

Thuja ‘Emerald’ is evergreen and forms a neat screen of dense dark green foliage. It is very hardy and wind tolerant. It is not used very often in the UK as a screen but is commonly used in the USA where temperature extremes are much greater than here.  Any free draining soil in sun or partial shade. Rate of growth: up to 45cm (18 inches) per year.

Photinia Red Robin Hedge

Photinia Red Robin is an evergreen shrub similar to laurel but with brilliant red young growth that looks stunning especially in spring.

Photinia forms a dense evergreen garden hedge up to 4 metres tall and is quick growing.

Any free-draining soil in sun or shade. Rate of growth: up to 45cm (18 inches) per year.

Viburnum tinus hedge

Viburnum tinus is an excellent evergreen shrub that can form a dense informal garden hedge up to 3-4 metres tall. The leaves of Viburnum tinus are dark glossy green and the shrub produces masses of white flowers from pink buds for a long period from October until April.

Viburnum tinus is currently only available in small sizes for collection our garden centre.

Any free-draining soil in sun or shade. Rate of growth: up to 45cm per year.

Buxus sempervirens (Box) hedge

Buxus sempervirens (or Box) grows slowly so makes an excellent dwarf, formal garden hedge.

It can grow up to 5m (15ft) in time, if it is not trimmed. Box hedges can grow in any well drained soil in sun or in shade.

Box is available from Greenshutters Garden Centre.

Rate of growth: up to 20cm per year