Maybe Itea virginica / Virginia sweetspire? Flowers in June, great fall color, relaxed look.

Claire

Tree peony would probably do well there, and you can't get much blowsier than that.

Or, how about fairy rose? They don't look like beach roses, but they bloom their heads off for a very long time. They stay low too. Your neighbor will positively cringe with envy when his beach roses are long gone and your fairies are still going strong.

As for not wanting to repeat the hydrangeas, wouldn't that tie the whole scheme together nicely? You could use an unusual variety (Preziosa is my favorite) as a contrast to the other side.

What about Rosa rugosa? under/interplant with things to provide "lazier" perennial effect during "in between" times of rugosa and hydrangeas?

I would be seriously looking at using ornamental grasses, too!

Have you spoken to the marina about the boaters? In my own experience (I work in the marine trade), boaters are generally very repsectful of marina abuttors. Any marina wants, more than anything, to have good relations with their neighbors. Speak up! let it be known that the trash is a real drag and would they please advise their guests that this is a problem. I live on a very busy, very scenic road, too. I completely understand how frustrating it is to pick up trash every few days. The gorssest thing I've ever retrieved was a fully loaded, "disposable" diaper... yummy! NOT.

Fairy roses are a good idea and inexpensive...I'd have money left over...that's a GOOD thing!

Tree peony will be fussy here...would probably need to do a copper spray in the spring, fertilize, mulch in the fall, yada yada yada. Too bad cause they'd be beautiful in a 75' hedge!!!

Chelone, I agree about boaters usually being really great folks...we are boaters too & keep our boat at one of the three marinas. What's happened is that the boaters children have grown a few years and now are in that 12-14 age bracket. They really don't want to spend every weekend on the boat with their parents anymore and so they just hang-out walking back/forth through the neighborhood. They toss cans, candy wrappers, cigarettes, etc. all along their way. I've actually been standing at my kitchen window looking right at them and they toss the trash anyway.

I'm researching rhoddies/azaleas as an option. I hesitate though because they are so slow growing. I want a hedge and I want it now! :) That's another benefit of the hydrangeas...they grow quickly.

Keep suggestions coming...I want to plant around May 1 so I've got a while to decide.

With such great flowering anchors, might adding a couple of hydrangeas combined with a boxwood or privet? I know a lot of the older buildings along Water Street just use picket fences or stone walls (trash collectors I'm sure) and
privets.

Have you thought of using russian sage, as this provides a colorfull border for several months and is fairly easy to maintain. I have seen it used in several gardens as a long border.

Hmm, When does The Cove Fish Market open up for the season, as I'm ready for one of thier great sandwiches. (Used to live on Wilcox Curve in the early 80's)

Dennis

The down side of any kind of roses in this situation is that it's *painful* to remove the wrappers and other debris that will inevitably collect at their bases. Even on my quiet side street, it's more of a nasty chore to clean the area of my front garden that's got fairy and bonica roses than the other sections.

I don't spray my tree peonies, I just remove all the foliage in fall and put it in the trash. They are not the most beautiful things in the winter landscape, though, so that might be another strike against them.

If you still want to go for roses, how about a different color of beach rose from your neighbor's? If they have the standard pink, you could use alba, which is a great white rugosa rose. Or even a mixture of pink and white.

Claire

Does anybody think I could be successful with lacecap hydrangeas in Mystic? They seem to thrive in Newport but our orientation is slightly different & we get some pretty tough winter & spring winds. The lacecaps would be different than the Homigo hedge at the other end of the property, give a slightly different look yet still be harmonious.

What think you all....will the buds be winter killed?

We have a stretch of privet hedge in front of our home. Privet is wonderful plant, not the most glamorous, but TOUGH! It provides an excellent screen when leafed out, birds LOVE the protection it offers, but it requires maintenance. You have to prune it regularly and you have to thin it regularly. And you have to periodically cut the livin' daylights out of it, mowing it down to a height that robs you of the privacy you've come to love. Our hedge screens us from the road... I don't like being out in our yard and seeing every face in the passing car gaping at me.

If I had it to do all over again, I'd definitely go for a mixed shrub border/hedge. Underplanted and interplanted with bulbs and smaller perennials. Lots less work and you can tweak the plantings to suit your fancy, attaining blooms at "off" times.

I live in a seascoast community, too. I love Rosa rugosa... to me, it ISN'T boring, it isn't a mimic. It's a superbly adapted, wonderfully fragrant, addition to seaside yards. I suggested grasses for their blowsy, devilmaycare aspect, as well as the fact that they're late bloomers and they add winter interest. And they're EASY, like rugosas.

Tree peonies are sumptuous. But they're expensive, they grow slowly, and they can be easily damaged by a deliquent/drunken passersby. They sure wouldn't be my first choice for a border, though I wouldn't hesitate to plant one on MY side of the hedge in a protective zone offered by a rugosa, lol!

I would definitely speak to the marina, too. I'm serious about this. I know that the boating scene is often replete with behaviors that can be less than gracious. And adolescents require level-headed, good-humored reminders that the world ISN'T their oyster... and they AREN'T the center of the universe. Talk to the marina manager about what you've experienced; (S)He will want to know... trust me! SAY SOMETHING. Our police department was "johnny on the spot" when I griped about the speeding and the garbage. Silence on such subjects gives tacit approval to the very behaviors we find so egregious.

I think dtd is on to something the Fairy has been consistently reliable as well as blooming up to Thanksgiving. I even have a Fairy standard that I have done nothing to over winter (pure laziness) and it came through the previous two record cold winters without a hitch. If you are concerned about how much litter it will catch you might take note of your neighbors rugosa's. In terms of Rhodie's I like the Yak Princess and again it's common enough that it shouldn't be too expensive.

If I go with the idea of a mixed border, I really like the Fairy standard thought. I've always read you had to dig a trench & bury them & knowing I'd NEVER do that...I've always passed on standards. Your experience is very encouraging. A standard wouldn't catch litter or maple leaves either.

Another reason I'm hesitate to plant the rugosa roses is the suckering...my neighbor's hedge has suckered to the point of plants coming up a good 5-6' away from the main shrub border. A single plant might not be too hard to keep on top of but a 75' run would be. We don't have the room to let them expand over the years so suckers would have to be dug.

After reading all the thoughts, I'm leaning towards a mixed border with shrubs, grasses, & perennials. EXCEPT the primary reason we are doing this is to discourage littering and a mixed border might not do that. Before we did the lasagna, the turf grass went right to the street so it was easy to just drop stuff in the yard. Dog walkers also allow their pets to do their business on the grass (some clean it up and others don't). A dense border will also stop that issue.

Maybe, a run of mid-size boxwoods right along the street (there's no curb) and mixed shrubs behind the boxwoods. From the street, you'd see the boxwood hedge backed by the flowering shrubs and from the inside grass path...you wouldn't see much of the boxwoods after the shrubs matured. We already have a small boxwood hedge by the front patio so they would tie the landscaping together a bit as well. Does that make sense to do? It would be costly (a lot of plants to purchase) & would take 5 years to fill-in but would look very nice when it matured and give good winter structure & evergreens to the area. Hmmmm, maybe that's a good way to go?

Behind the boxwoods, we could plant things like summer-blooming azaleas, maybe a daphne, viburnum carlesii, sand cherry, yellow-twig dogwood, etc. plus something like a Miscanthus 'Morning Light'. Any small spaces could be filled-in with perennials and/or bulbs until the shrubs grew together.

My budget won't be enough to plant all that this year but we could get the boxwoods started and a few other backdrop shrubs then add each year. I'd buy 5 ga size boxwoods to get a jump on the hedge filling in. Boxwood doesn't require as much maintenance as privet either. The small run we already have really doesn't even need pruning since we like it better with a looser shape.

I've been thinking about this border all winter & can't believe I still haven't settled on an idea! I guess because this type of planting is permanent unlike my perennials which I move around at will. So, I'm being cautious about making decisions. Also, this will be expensive so I don't want to make too many mistakes.

Oh, I can totally believe you haven't "come up with" a solution, lol! It isn't as simple as it seems... if you wanted a really simple solution you'd put up a fence!

Nothing that you opt to do is going to be without maintenance issues, that's part and parcel of the whole gardening scene... that why we get such a bang out of it, isn't it?! :)

Since you have to deal with litter and the more unflattering aspect of human nature (I understand!) make sure that the "face" your planting shows to the street is straight (easier to rake out and clean up, make it easier on yourself or the crew you hire on to do those sorts of things, which means it will cost less!).

I've not noticed a tremendous amount of suckering of rugosas, but perhaps thats only because the plantings I've seen have been sited thus that suckering has been discouraged or is impossible. I have none of them in my own yard (not sunny enough!), so my experience with them is nil... nothing more than observation.

Please DO provide us with a "before" shot and some "afters", too. This is the sort of "problem" that inspires many. ;)

I own a dog, too. I never go anywhere without a plastic bag (2!) in my pocket. Pisses me right off that people don't think twice about letting their pets leave a pile on someone else's lawn. (Rex leaves big piles, too... he's a big boy!).

What's up with THAT?!

I used really small boxwood, quart size pots, to edge my front border, interplanted with perennials and in front of roses and other shrubs. The box were about $5 apiece, at a small local nursery. I spaced them far enough apart that they should be "about right" in 5 years. In the meantime, they are accents in a mixed border. I realize that not everyone wants to wait this long for a hedge effect, it's just an alternative that you MIGHT want to consider.

I sometimes have problems with planting large shrubs, they seem to take a long time to settle in compared to smaller stock. These little box really took off - in fact I picked up 9 more earlier this month to extend my edging into another area.

Also, I was advised to buy at least one spare plant, to grow along in another area. Losing a single plant out of a row of identical plants can set you back quite a bit, having a spare that's the exact same cultivar and is about the right size can't hurt. Of course, if you're buying big plants that might be pretty expensive.

How much have the baby boxes grown? Could I get about a 3' hedge in 5 years? Boxwood is an expensive plant & buying the larger sizes will eat my whole budget. I'm not opposed to the babies...unless it takes ten years for them to reach 2 1/2' x 2 1/2'. You're right about it being easier to settle in the smaller plants. It takes a lot of water for the first couple years to establish a larger plant.

Off topic but I like to use germander to edge my perennial beds. I think it makes a nice, tidy edger with little maintenance & is just the right size.

We're going to Salem Country Gardens tomorrow to see if they have any stock in yet. We got a terrific soaking rain today...really needed it.

OK, here are my thoughts.

What is the purpose of the planting?
Prevent strangers from walking thru the yard by defining property line and at the same stay below 3-4' in order to not obstruct the view?

Correct?

If so, nothing would serve the purpose better than formal hedge, IMHO.
I'd nix Privet idea as it would be needed to be pruned at least 3 times a year in order to be below 4'. For the very same reason I wouldn't consider forsythia, though 5-6' tall hedges out of it could be quite interesting in a spring.
Hedge made out of classic Fairy rose or combination of its different offsprings (Crystal Fairy, Fairy Queen, etc) could be installed relatively cheap (J&P have them on sale now, I believe), wouldn't need too much maintanace, will provide blooms from May till November and in 3 years will create absolutely unpenetratable hedge all year around.
Another fast, cheap and easy-to-do idea is a 'spirea hedge'.
If you chose 'Goldflame' or 'Goldmound' cultivars you'll be growing them for the stanning spring (red-orange), interesting summer (yellow) and spectacular fall (yellow-orange-red-burgundy firework of colors) foliage, not a flowers, which a pale pink and don't do anything IMHO. Slight trimming right after the bloom or anytime in a summer will produce repeat of the spring show. In a winter you'll have a nice dense twiggy structure. The only time when your hedge will be looking kind of 'empty' would be early spring when you'll cut spireas to 1'. Actually, you may not cut them at all if you don't care about flowering or size.
Above mentioned cultivars are readily available (often at HD or Lowe) and not expensive, though both of them from time to time throwing pure green branches (reverting) that need to be promptly removed.
Spring foliage:

If you'll be able to find spirea 'Shirobana' (also known as 'Shibori' or 'Genpei'), you'll have a striking combination of white and neon-pink flowers against very dark green foliage. If planted in a full-full sun, may also give neon-red flowers in addition to the first two colors.
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This particular spirea blooms later than normal (end of June- early July) and to achieve second set of bloom one must prune/slightly shear it immediately after the first flash. Not easy to find in trade, but available thru better nurseries.
You could combine green-leaved and yellow-leaved spireas for the interesting effect.
Although spireas combines well with herbaceous peonies to form a more or less formal hedge,

in a winter and early spring you'll have a bare spots in peonies spaces:

which can be filled with spring bulbs.

In z6b/7 you could easily get away by planting a hedge consisting only out of Abelia grandiflora, either straight (white) or in combination with Abelia 'Edward Goucher' (lavender). Very pleasant vase shaped arching structre, easy to grow plant. In my garden it's in bloom well into November and loses its leaves only around Christmas. Though there is a drawback, it doesn't leaf out untill mid-May.
Hedge of lacecaps hydrangeas (I'd personally go for serratas vs macs for additional benefit of fall foliage) would look great there, but I'm affraid that S-N direction of your bed and full sun from afternoon would create too much of a watering problem, unless you are willing to install drip irrigation. I second someone's suggestion of Preziosa, the only mophead of all serratas, but not for this location. The same watering issue might be applicable to rhododendrons and azaleas, though for the lesser extent.

As to idea of the 'boxwood hedge' I think that for 75' border/hedge this could be too expensive proposition and $1000 budget will not fill even a half of it.
Ilex crenata (japanese holly) on another hand will do a job in a most economical and effective way and wouldn't have a winterburn issues as boxwood's hedge would do.

If you'll go with a mixed border some or all of above mentioned plants could be/should be ised, IMHO.
Good luck,
George

Oh George, thank you so much! Your pictures are always so stunning and inspiring! Spirea 'Goldflame' or 'Goldmound' are absolutely perfect for this application. We had a couple of them in NH and I'd forgotten all about them.

They are so easy to take care of, grow quickly and would form a hedge in just a couple seasons, are inexpensive, drought tolerant, and the red Jap maple at the north end of the bed would be stunning with the spring foliage. They are also the right size. So many of the things we been discussing are really just too large for our application. The spireas are also dense all the way to the ground so would discourage kids from tossing cans underneath, I hope! You have hit on the perfect choice.

Then, behind the spireas...I can do a mixed shrub border with 6-8 different larger choices to add the flowers I want from this area with room between for bulbs, small groundcover-type perennials, etc.

George, do you prefer one or the other between 'Goldflame' and 'Goldmound'? I really don't care for the flowers on either so would be doing a light pruning at flowering time so mostly what I'm wondering is if you have a foliage preference between the two?

Forgot to ask...George, in order to get a full, connected hedge...would I plant about 3' on center or a little closer? Many thanks...

Good ideas and great pictures, George. I was going to suggest spireas too. Tricia, if you don't care for the flowers of 'Goldflame' or Goldmound', there is also an early blooming white variety of Spirea with golden foliage called 'Ogon'. It's not as widely available but I've been seeing it at nurseries more and more. I also like the old standby 'Anthony Waterer' with deep green foliage and dark pink flowers.

My plant collecting tendencies would make it tough for me to do anything but a mixed border but George is right in focusing on the purpose for the planting.

Sue

Great photos as always, George.

Quick question on the gold spireas - do they throw seedlings like the plain spireas do? I'm constantly digging offspring from a single plain spirea that's just over the border in my neighbor's yard, the younguns pop up in my mixed border all the time, often within the root zone of my "pets". As a result, I've started to hate all members of this clan, but George's photos make me realize that I'm probably being irrational. That 'Shirobana' looks absolutely lovely. Is it a prolific reseeder, or a well behaved beauty?

Tricia,
Colors of 'Gflame' and 'Gmound' are identical and slight difference only in a shape of individual plants. However, if you will not resort to the heavy pruning of individual shrubs every spring, but rather shear them as a hedge you'll not notice a difference. 3' is close enough to have a pretty dense hedge in a short time.
Sue's suggestion of 'Ogon' is also very good, though I personally don't care about willow leaf plants and seasonal changes in colors of Ogon is not so attractive, IMO. On another hand, I've read that Ogon is not susseptible at all to reverting. 'Anthony Waterer' is a great rebloomer (in a full sun), even without intermediate shearing, but I rather see it as a stand alone shrub than a sheared hedge plant.
Nell, I don't have an unwanted seedlings problem with any of my spireas which probably could be attributed to my habit of shearing them right after the bloom, but in case with 'Gflame' or 'Gmound' this probably wouldn't matter as those plants are not heavy bloomers and grown primary for the foliage. If seedlings are of your concern, make sure to collect ALL of the cuttings after pruning/shearing as they root very easy even in a wet mulch, without the soil, though they are easy to spot and pull.
'Shirobana' rooting not as easy as all other spireas I have (probably this is the reason why it's not so widely available) and out of 10-15 cuttings per 1G pot only 3-4 root, while all others spireas have a rate close to 80%.

Well, we have returned from our garden junket and I'm back to square one. Hubby hated the spirea. He took one look and remembered picking out oak leaves from the one in New Hampshire. He flatly said he would not do that with a 75' hedge! And, unfortunately, he's right about the leaves. Spirea are twiggy and seem to catch falling leaves with great skill. It was a pain to pick them out from the interior base of the shrub.

So, we came home with 3 Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil' and an azalea 'Stewartsonian'. We planted the 'Sky Pencil' in an elongated triangle at the entrance to this border just past the mounding Japanese red maple and they look terrific...they're about 3 1/2 to 4' tall. It's a great contrast in form and they're evergreen. The 'Stewartsonian' went on the other side of the house. There's a PJM near this street border & I was afraid the red 'Stewartsonian' would start to bloom before the PJM had finished and they would clash.

So, we have 3 pencils in our border & nothing else! Everything we looked at seemed to get too large except the boxwoods and to get a decent sized plant they are way expensive. I'm thinking we can afford 75' of shasta daisies....!