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Need Tall & Narrow Hedge Ideas - Seattle (7b)

Posted by SeattleSunshine 7b (My Page) on
Thu, Sep 27, 12 at 1:45

Hi All,

I'm feeling kinda lost on what to plant along the back of my property for a tall privacy hedge. I've read at least twenty threads on hedges, maybe more and I'm as unsure as ever about what to plant.

Here's what I want:
A tall (up to 15' or so) and narrow (3-4' max) hedge that is very dense. Evergreen is essential. I love the look of English boxwood but I don't need my hedge to look nearly as "perfect". I'm not at all a fan of hedges that are conical in shape with gaps in between. I don't mind having to shear the hedge once or twice a year but that's about it. I want something that keeps its shape well for a while between trimmings. So in short, I want a narrow and dense green wall that keeps its shape well. (Have m cake and eat it too!)

Here's what I'm working with:
Behind my little house a giant three-story condo complex sprung up. My back yard has a steep slope upwards of about five feet before it ends at the alley between my yard and the condos. There's a "landing" space of roughly 3-4' (it varies) at the top of the slope - this is the planting site, so width of the hedge is *very* important. The area gets very little eastern sun, partial southern sun, and partial western sun. Some areas along the planting site are shadier than others but all areas get at least partial sun. The hedge will need to be about 60' wide to build a wall across my back yard.

I've considered Thuja, Cypress, and Juniper. My guess is that slow to moderate-growing to is better for me because I don't want to trim often. Am I wrong? How far apart should I plant to make the wall?

Thanks for the help!


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Need Tall & Narrow Hedge Ideas - Seattle (7b)

Juniperus virginiana 'Taylor' spaced 2' apart. I have some of these, I like them.

Dax


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RE: Need Tall & Narrow Hedge Ideas - Seattle (7b)

anything that grows.. rather quickly to 15 feet [kinda the point of a privacy hedge].. WILL NOT STOP AT 15 FEET ...

and i myself.. never figured out how to repeatedly trim something at 15 feet ... short of a big checkbook ...

all height estimates are at 10 years.. double for 20 years ... etc ...

ken


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RE: Need Tall & Narrow Hedge Ideas - Seattle (7b)

Arbs be my choice. Junipers a possibility, depending on exact locations and conditions, you may able to grow some of the irish junipers.

Numerous cypress to choose from. If chamaecyparis, a hedge of some of the moderate growers may be a show stopper. Tendency to pyramidal growth, but some pruning and close planting would give you the wall effect.

How ambitious are you. You can espalier anything...know a place on PA that had a blue atlas cedar espalliered against a barn wall...pruned about once a year. Takes a bit to establish, but memorable.


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RE: Need Tall & Narrow Hedge Ideas - Seattle (7b)

If you are really into pruning you could do a pleached barrier. There's a very successful whitebeam pleached hedge near me which increases the height of a 6 foot stone wall to about 15 feet.


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RE: Need Tall & Narrow Hedge Ideas - Seattle (7b)

I've heard Sequoia sempervirens makes a good hedge, but haven't tried it personally.


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RE: Need Tall & Narrow Hedge Ideas - Seattle (7b)

  • Posted by bboy USDA 8 Sunset 5 WA (My Page) on
    Thu, Sep 27, 12 at 20:35

We're USDA 8 here, not 7. The top favorite for a skinny green screen is Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd'. Local bamboo specialists also sell a lot of plants to people who have priced the cost of fencing beforehand.


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RE: Need Tall & Narrow Hedge Ideas - Seattle (7b)

Agree with bboy - the 'Smaragd' arborvitae (aka 'Emerald' or 'Emerald Green') is the privacy hedge material of choice around here. Pretty inexpensive, you can obtain at a relatively good size to start, needs minimal attention and seldom will ever attain much more than 15' regardless of age. Much better suited to the Seattle climate than junipers too :-)

I am also a fan of controlled bamboo as well . Perhaps not as dense a privacy screen as you may want however.


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RE: Need Tall & Narrow Hedge Ideas - Seattle (7b)

  • Posted by bboy USDA 8 Sunset 5 WA (My Page) on
    Sat, Sep 29, 12 at 13:59

Although the plant is everywhere here now if you want to see a known example of it used as a row the South Seattle Community College arboretum has a memorable planting of the 'Smaragd' at the rose garden. The tallest ones there had reached 17' by around 2005. It wasn't common on the market here until the 1980s, there may not be a lot of fully developed ones around. Multiple examples of the older 'Fastigiata' over 30' tall are known in Seattle, with taller ones having been seen elsewhere.


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