Property line privacy

10 years ago

I am in zone 5, western NY. I am looking to finish a privacy screen on the property line. I already have 10 Thuja Green Giants planted and would like variety as I am hesitant to plant 20 of the same thing together.

I have about 65 ft left to fill in. I think spruce trees (originally wanted Norway) would eventually grow to wide. This area is an open field but I also have to consider the access road that we need to keep clear for our vehicle use. I think large growing shrubs would be a better fit.

Any suggestions on what to plant? Area gets full sun, pretty much sunrise to sunset, deer are present, I can water all they need thanks to 250ft of hose. Of course I want fast growing (at least 15ft high), prefer evergreen but open to conifers that fill in early spring through fall. Are there any Hollys that grow in my zone (the ones I read about were zone 6+). Leyland Cypress are great looking but zone 6 as well.

Let me know if I left any vital information out. Thanks.

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Comments (7)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
pix please .. ken
Meg .
Original Author
10 years ago
First photo is the space I need to fill. On the left side is the 'access road' I would like to not push farther into the field, we need it to get vehicles over the drainage ditch to the back fields (drain ditch is in the top left corner). Width from ditch on right side to road section is probably 15ft. Pardon the shaggy grass, it has been way too hot for me to cut grass until tomorrow morning.

Second photo just shows what is planted before the open space that is yet to be filled. Before those green giants there are some old possibly poplar type trees. Really not sure.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
contact your COUNTY soil conservation district office .... and find out what they recommend for such .... though you are thinking SIGHT block ... it is the same issue as wind or soil blocking.. soil conservation ...

many such offices offer spring or fall plant sales of plants for your area ... with that setting you have so many options it will make your head spin ...

thx for the pic.. it took me from smallish suburban setting.. to a more rural idea.. and that opens a whole new can of worms ....

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=NY+soil+conservation+&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

plant sales

https://www.google.com/search?q=NY+soil+conservation+&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=NY+soil+conservation+plant+sales
Meg .
Original Author
10 years ago
Yes all the options are making it difficult to decide. The green Giants were easy as I planted them in the section we really want to hide fast, the neighbors. The back half we also want to screen eventually but am open to conifers. Would a few Norway spruce be ok? They appear to grow fast. I just worry in 15 years they may take up too much ground space.
PRO
Caldwell Home & Garden
10 years ago
American Holly
kitasei
10 years ago
I would stagger the plantings rather than line them up in single file if you want to create a dense, natural looking buffer. The line-up will look like a hedge in the middle of nowhere. Lovely setting!
akamainegrower
10 years ago
Picea abies Cupressina is a much more narrow growing Norway spruce than the straight species. As for other possibilities, your personal taste and the limits imposed by your location are really the only deciding factors. If you want variety and some less common types of evergreens, consider metasequoia, chamaecyparis nootkatensis, one of the spruces with bright yellow spring growth such as Maigold, tsuga canadensis (if hemlock adelgids are not a problem in your area). Lots and lots of online resources to browse.