Immediate Hedge? - 2 Rows?

6 years ago

We live in the coastal southeast USA. We are working with our landscaper to come up with essentially a hedge wall on the front and back yard of the house. The landscaper brought about 100 Viburnums and planted them in the front yard. Spaced about 3-4 feet apart my wife came home and asked - this is our wall? We understand that they will grow pretty quickly and make a nice hedge wall, except she wants some sort of immediate 2-3 feet privacy screen (We can't put in any sort of fence in our development).

Is there any sort of solution out there? Like perhaps put in a row of palm bushes in front of the Viburnums or something shrub you can come up with that will provide that ground level up 2-3 feet of screening while the main Hedge shrub matures?

We're also not in love with Viburnums in general - any other ideas for plants that could create a big and full from ground up hedge wall? Maybe something with a smaller leaf?

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Comments (9)

kitasei2
6 years ago
Nothing will be immediate! In the meantime, she should pull the shades.
Christopher CNC
6 years ago
The viburnums are two to three feet tall. I will guess the wife's objection is the gaps between the bushes in her wall. Buy another 100 viburnums and plant them in between the others.
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kitasei2
6 years ago
In which case stagger them in a second row...
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
there is no such thing as an immediate hedge ... unless you bought one.. and i have a link if you are interested ... very expensive ...

the only failure here.. is wifeys expectation of immediate result ... with shrubs.. you ... or she.. should be thinking what it will look like in 3 to 5 years .. depending on how fast they get over planting stresses ... and then grow the roots.. to support vigorous growth ... this season.. proper deep watering is the key ... to getting them fully established ... lawn irrigation usualy fails.. depending on soil type ....

the biggest caveat i see here.. is your 100 plant monoculture.. and your are contemplating another 100 ... IF ... something comes along and is a threat to these type plants ... then you risk losing them all ... and that usually happens the year after you are pleased with the result .. lol ..

if you decide to plant another row.. look into anything else ... or even move some of them.. to double them up.. and then plant the other type in similar groups ... plus.. it will be more visually stimulating ....

ken
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
6 years ago
I like mixed hedges..when you have a line of "identical" shrubs if one dies it's hard to fix the gap..even if nothing dies there's usually one that doesn't look the same..could you plant a few small trees with the viburnums for some height?..
PRO
Yardvaark
6 years ago
What's there is a good solution. Better get the valium prescription refilled and be patient. It doesn't take that long. Or build a stone wall.
Embothrium
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
OP says they can't install "any sort of fence" so presumably a wall would be against the community rules also. And contractor built walls can be quite a financial outlay as well.

Additional, adequately large new plantings near the house could serve to compensate for the current height of the new boundary hedge.
laceyvail 6A, WV
6 years ago
Patience is a virtue. And absolutely required in gardening.

And I'd worry about a monoculture too.
katob Z6ish, NE Pa
6 years ago
I bet your landscaper matched the plantings to hedges which are already around your home. They were planted at the correct spacing and will take a year or so to fill in, unlike a closer planting which would cost more and be overcrowded in a few years.