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texpenguin_gw

Advice on fence hedge

texpenguin
16 years ago

I have a large backyard that shares fence with 5 other neighbors. None of the fence is actually ours, so needless to say, it's pretty ugly with the backsides of 5 different types of fencing! I'd like to plant a fence-masking hedge all the way around, something that will grow quickly and pretty tall, as we're on top of a hill, and can see right over our fence into the neighbors' yards (and vice versa). I'm in central TX, and we usually get adequate rain in spring and fall, and drought in summer, so whatever I plant will have to be drought-tolerant, as we don't water. I've never gardened/landscaped before, and know very little about it. My thought is to plant a row of something all the way around, 4'-5' in from the fence, so we can maintain a pathway around the fenceline to board up holes as necessary when we get another dog, and to be able to prune the bushes on both sides once and a while. The only bushes I know of to use are ligustrums or red-tips, both of which I like, but after reading through some posts here, I'm not sure if they're the right choice. Any advice for a newbie?

Comment (1)

  • sylviatexas1
    16 years ago

    Try posting on the Texas Forum;
    there are a number of Central Texas gardeners there who can advise you on what'll work in your area, & they aren't shy, they'll all chime in!

    One thing I hear more & more is the advisability of planting a variety of shrubs rather than just one ("mono-culture") all the way around.

    The concept is that mono-cultures are vulnerable to devastation by insect or disease, as we see with the decline of the zillions of red-tips that were planted en masse in the 80's & 90's.

    When one shrub gets a bug, they all get it, & you lose your whole hedge.

    When you plant several kinds of things, you not only have a healthier situation but a more visually interesting one.

    & if you have the room, plant them in a zigzag rather than a straight line;
    each plant will have a nicer shape, unsquashed by its neighbor, & they'll do a better job as a windbreak.

    Best luck, & have fun!

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