Planting new bushes on fenceline?

Question

Im going to plant new bushes next to my fenceline, what is a good bush to plant, something that wont grow anymore than about 2 or 2.5 metres tall.

Answer 1

Depends on where you are. In temperate area like New York, go with arborvitae or yew for evergreens. Privets are OK and grow rapidly, but require constant (once or possibly twice a year) pruning to stay tight. Also, privets are deciduous and drop their leaves in the winter.
Stay away from hemlocks. While it is possible to trim them into a hedge form, they want to be trees, big ones. They are also subject to being damaged by the imported pest, the woolly adelgid. Many hemlocks in the northeast have been killed by this pest.
Hemlocks are also faster growing than arborvitae or yew, and more prone to becoming bare at the bottom.
There are also some broad leafed evergreens that can make a nice hedge, including boxwood or ilex. These, unlike privet, stay green all year. Some varieties of rhododendron or even azalea might be suitable and provide color.
If you want color and inexpensive, even forsythia can be used as a hedge.
The best advice would be to go to a local nursery and find out what material is available and suitable for your area and soil conditions, and what each option will cost. Large specimens of slow growing varieties will cost much more. Fast growing varieties will be cheaper and get to size faster, but will require more maintenance.
Good luck.

Answer 2

Arborvitae "Degroots" variety. They grow much slower than your normal "Emerald Green" variety, and they are a little more shade tolerant, but for that slow growth you are going to pay a premium. Buy smaller sized ones to cut the cost down. They will eventually grow up more than 2.5 meters, but at least it will take some time. If you need something that will last a long time that you can trim, why not look at some Yews (taxus). They will get as high as you need them, they are probably a little cheeaper, and they can handle full shade and full sun. And if you forget to trim them and they get out of control, you can still cut them way back if you need to. Good luck.

Answer 3

Privet is a good choice if you want a deciduous shrub, but you will have to keep cutting it back. For evergreens, go with the hemlock...some trimming will still be required, though.

Answer 4

Bark collars would probably help, but I really don't like them -- my dog seemed so sad and lethargic the one day (yes, one day) I tried putting one on her. Maybe an electric wire run a foot or two inside the fence would help, so they couldn't get as close to the fence, and therefore as close to the other dogs. But your HOA is really making this a lot more difficult! Is there a way to keep them inside when the other dogs are out? Good luck...

Answer 5

Hemlock makes a nice evergreen hedge. Easy to maintain, requires minimum pruning.