What is the best privacy hedge/plant?

I have neighbors on all three sides of my home and need some privacy. I live in central PA, Zone 6. I'm not a gardner by any means and need help. What grows fast and is attractive - I don't want it to look like I just through something up.





A friend at work gave me Forsythia and said even i couldn't kill it...I'm going to place it in the back border of the yard and let it grow natural. I know it wont be there for privacy (beauty only) but I still need something that will work for privacy (got some very nosey neighbors all around).





I've got 6 eastern white pines (7 foot tall) on two sides in an "L" shape on the one corner currently and they look great but it will be years before they do anything for me. Any help would be appreciated.

What is the best privacy hedge/plant?
Wow, you really have a lot of answers. The forsythia grows well and after a few years it will grow very, very tall. Then, if you do not clear out the dead canes, the flowers will only bloom at the top and the bottom will be a bunch of sticks. The lilacs become huge and they spread. The stalks grow very thick and you will need a saw to cut them back. Lilacs do smell nice when they bloom. The arborvitae and privet look nice if you prune them. I like the idea of having the hedge in different heights with the euonymous because it will look better on your side, but again you will have to prune each year because they grow and grow. Rachel McLeod has many years of experience in gardening... particularly with herbs. She recommends high bush cranberry Vibernum trilobum. She can be reached at 905-659-1001. http://www.everydayliving.com/HomeGarden...


Raspberries spread rather quickly and they do have thorns. You can build a supporting trellis and grow grapes. It looks nice to have a weeping cherry in the corner. Hygerangea bushes are nice and they do grow quite tall, though not as tall and wild as the lilac or forsythia. The flowers can be cut, hung upside down to dry and kept for a long time. The Rose of Sharon is very pretty. A variety of red hibiscus flowers can be dried and used to make tea that can be drunk hot or cold and tasts somewhat like red zinger tea. I like it a lot. Hispanics call it aqua de jamaica (pronouced ha-MIKE-ah -- not like the Caribbean island). Also called roselle or Jamaican sorrel, it is Hibiscus sabdariffa var. sabdariffa. Unfortunately, it may only grow well in Florida, not in your latitude, though I thought I would mention it bedcause I like the drink.





This is a website for native plants of Pennsylvania http://www.pawildflower.org/g3/03_list/l... This is the website for Pennsylvania small trees and shrubs and has a lot of information such as height, watering infor and light info. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/wil... These are the poisonous plants of Pennsylvania http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/poison/index.ht... In case you have trouble growing your plants the botany department of University of Pennsylvania has troubleshooting pages on its website and includes introduced plants as well as native plants http://www.paflora.org/





Have you visited the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia? You might want to see what the plants look like before planting them. Also you might want to visit a formal garden and see what the hedges look like. See Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, PA. http://www.chanticleergarden.org/gardeng... The Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh, PA is huge. http://www.botanicgardenwpa.org/plan.htm Penn State University has a website with a lot of information about fruit plants such as raspberries,blackberries, gooseberries, currants to name a few. http://ssfruit.cas.psu.edu/





You might want to obtain your plants from:





Arborvitae, Euonymous, Lilac, and other shrubs and trees from Ryan Family Nursery in Kirkwood, PA http://www.ryannursery.com/#





Vines, climbing roses, clematis, wisteria, honeysuckle


Bushwood Nursery http://www.gardenvines.com/catalog/plant...





Rose Franklin's Perienials in Spring Mills, PA. RoseFranklin@aol.com http://www.butterflybushes.com/





Edge of the Woods Nursery in Fogelsville, PA. http://www.edgeofthewoodsnursery.com/





Octararo Nursery in Kirkwood, PA http://www.octoraro.com/nursery.phtml





Not for a privacy fence but for beautiful hardy perennial terrestrial orchids contact the Wild Orchid Company in Carversville, PA http://www.wildorchidcompany.com/index.h...
Reply:please don't use privet as it spreads invasively Report It

Reply:privet likes warm climates and privet like to be pruned each year. Good privet... I just like saying the word privet! Report It

Reply:the original was probably the best answer yet to any yahoo question on any subject Report It

Reply:The siberian elm is best, keep it trimmed about 6 feet high, it grows thick %26amp; super fast in any type of soil %26amp; weather. I planted twelve of them, They are very cheap,they do drop their leaves in late fall %26amp; back in spring. you can find them at: farmer seed %26amp; nursery and at four seasons. Report It

Reply:The siberian elm is best, keep it trimmed about 6 feet high, it grows thick %26amp; grows super fast in any type of soil %26amp; weather. They are very cheap,they do drop their leaves in late fall %26amp; back in spring. you can find them at: farmer seed %26amp; nursery and at four seasons. Report It

Reply:The original answer was not the best answer on Yahoo. To those who said trees - she needs privacy now! Depending on how permanent you want, I suggest bamboo but it is nearly impossible to get rid of once it's in but it provides the best %26amp; quickest source of privacy as you can put it in grown. Report It

Reply:if you want something evergreen, very tall and very dense, consider leyland cypress. they are amazing. they literally grow 5 feet per year. wayside gardens are just one online place to buy. i have 43! total privacy, no trimming! Report It

Reply:I'm so impressed by the chosen "best answer". I agree 100%! Report It

Reply:Cedar Hedge is what I use on my back Property line for Privacy. Fast growing and if you keep the tops trimmed it will fill in thick and give you the privacy of a lifetime. It is fool proof and requires no care except for trimming. Report It

Reply:Im glad I ran across this,I like nature as well,Im sure this help!thank you,nicly. Report It

Reply:im not exactly sure what it is i just saw it on a comercial, but its a plant where u,well,plant and in 1 year or 2 it gets up to 10 ft tall. im not exactly sure though
Reply:Bouganvilla grows like a weed here in CA and will literally cover a house with it's invasive vines and then when it blooms (several times a year here) it is spectacular. It also has small barbs on it so it will deter trespassing too. Comes in a number of colors from red, magenta and orange to white soft green and bi-colors.


The foliage is a deep waxy green and the texture would compliment the pines too.
Reply:a fence
Reply:The best privacy hedge is yur mom.
Reply:You should go some were they hate to be.They would not know if you keep it to yourself.I do not know this one sorry.
Reply:tell them 2 leave u alone.
Reply:Hedges work very well if you trim them when they need it.
Reply:maybe buy sumthing to make it stop!
Reply:tell them to get away from u
Reply:Arborvide (evergreen bush) or lilac (av. purple %26amp; white)


space them 2 feet apart grows fast. When planting Arborvide place a hand full of rusty nails in the hole with it. reason is it needs extra iron to servive!
Reply:There are various types of clumping bamboo that provides an excellent hedge -- there are varieties that will live in just about any climate.
Reply:ok the best would be redtips a great bush that grows really tall if you don't trim it and chinese boxhedge they are great too! but look at what you need for the space and then decide on the plant there are so many it can get confusing! you might want to try one that you like then if it is the one you want buy more!
Reply:Try a burning bush, it has a brilliant color, and is prickly if someone was to try to get too close to it.
Reply:Go to the garden center,ask one of the helpers to show you the evergreen hedges, this hedge stays green all year around.
Reply:Have you tried dogwood? It grows continually all year-round, and it has very pretty, small white flowers in the summer. The branches themselves are a reddish color, and they grow very quickly.





Good Luck!!
Reply:boxwood is nice.
Reply:email me here xian_camilon@yahoo.com.ph for fun
Reply:im one with no green hands but i guess i can advice you to plant bushes around your house or just build a fence.in that way your neighbors would give you the privacy u crave for.


better yet, don't mind your neighbors...life is beautiful..just enjoy it.
Reply:Rose of Sharron grows into a very elegant hedge and is beautiful in the summer. It does well in your photo-period area. Start it in some rich soil water it and as it grows it will become self supporting and thick. you will have to trim it after the second year...


Good luck i hope this has been some help
Reply:stone walls. Very drought resistant
Reply:i would use wood and build a fence to keep your nosy neighbors out a hedge bush has the tendencies of making a good home for all kinds of bees
Reply:I have had similar goals of "privatizing" my yard. You must be mindful of a few things before you plant: 1.How much maintenance you are willing to put up with, 2. Conditions, such as wind, daily sunlight, moisture conditions of the planting area, pets, deer rabbits, etc. 3. How "natural" you want your plantings to look, 4. Other landscaping augmentation such as berms, sprinklers, power/cable lines. 5. Will this be a DYI project? I would recommend that you consider layering plants, such as different types of evergreens that grow to different heights (taller in back). If you must have that boring row of Arborvitae, then temper it with yews and/or euonymous in front. The depth is nice and it looks less sterile. Areas with lattice and vines can break up a monotonous wall of green too. I find that privet gets leggy and messy over time. Red tips may not work in your area. Leyland cypress grows quickly and is beautiful, but it doesn't like wet roots. The laurels prefer a shadier existence. Hemlocks will need to be sprayed. There are several varieties of Holly that might work- watch out for prickly leaves. Forsythia are not evergreen, but they are showy and can grow very "wide". The various tall junipers, cedars might look best planted in clumps. Be VERY careful with bamboo. I planted River Birch in a moist area and it took off like a rocket and the peeling bark is dramatic. Be VERY careful with bamboo! There are some varieties that supposedly do not take over your property-triple check with your local nurseries! Try to leave room for some specimen plantings such as dogwoods, ornamental plums, Japanese maple or even upright Hollies. DON"T plant things too close together. They need room to spread out. I hope this mishmash of info is a good starting point for your project.
Reply:I would have to recommend "Skyrocket Juniper" (juniperus viginiana Skyrocket) for taller areas of privacy. I got some 18-inch long ones through mail order and they turned out great. That was 10 years ago and they are almost 12 feet tall now.


*they are evergreen so you don't have privacy that disappears during the winter months.


*good coverage year-round without being big space hogs that suddently make your yard seem smaller.: even at their current height I can still easily put my arms around them (around 18 inches in diameter).


*Easy to trim if you want--and they top out at 15 feet or so--so you won't have to worry they will mess with utility wires.


*they don't reseed and take over the yard like Rose of Sharon can.


*they do need to be wrapped in burlap for the winter for the first few years to protect from cold wind damage.


*they can be grown close together to provide real privacy and they never need the staining/sealing and maintenance a fence would.


*they are drought-tolerant which is nice in these days of unpredictable weather. During the drought last year I had to work to save my burning bushes, but the skyrockets didn't need anything.


*they make a nice backdrop so if you want to plant shorter things in front of them you can and you have a lovely landscape to look at instead of your neighbor's garage.


*after 10 years, I wish I had planted more of them





For less privacy, but a definite border I have the compact Korean boxwood--year round green and tolerant of cold to 40 below zero!
Reply:Red Tip Photinia will grow to 15 feet and you can cut them at any height
Reply:pivets work
Reply:siberian elms work great, more you trim the thicker they get and very hardy, russian autumn olives, and giant green thuja's





www.4seasonsnursey.com
Reply:Leyland Cypress is hardy to Zone 6. It is a pyramidal tree, to 30-40 feet tall and 25 to 30 feet wide which makes it good for tall screen. It is graceful, somewhat open habit of growth. Give ample room, to allow for symmetry of growth. It grows well in a variety of soils, but prefers good drainage.
Reply:I have/had the same problem, except mine wasn't nosy neighbors. Its because we live on a corner and have a lot people out walking their dogs ans stuff and my dogs would go crazy every time another dog went by. Our city has some pain-in-the-butt ordinances that say we can't put up more than a 4-foot tall fence, which deosn't do a lot of good for privacy.





So we went on craigslist and posted that we were in search of free lilacs and that we were willing to come dig them ourselves. We had dozen of people contact us saying that their lilacs needed to be thinned out and that we were welcome to as much of thei bushes as we wanted because they always keep growing. We lierally got enough bushes and shoots to create a hedge that's over 25 feet long. Won't give us much privacy for a year or two. But eventually we will have a nice, natural looking private, and great smelling side yard! And at 100's of dollars less that it would have cost to buy plants. Check into cragslist for your area.
Reply:You could plant a variety of bushes/shrubbery. The thought I have is that if you are going to box in your backyard, it is not going to get a breeze. It will be sweltering in there. Forsythia is very good and you will have a nice showing come spring time. You could plant burning bushes on another side, and box hedges (something you can trim) between the trees that make the L shape. Personally, I'd go see your local nursery.
Reply:You do not need the hedge. Build a good fence

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