Natural Screens...

[benedmonds]

Looking for some ideas for a client, he has a lake next to a river.

He has already planted a hawthorn hedge but wants a second higher evergreen layer. At present it is rough pasture, oak, ash hawthorn etc..  Not manicured and native..

 

He wants a meadow, orchard, a spinney of pines, (which I an not sure about but can live with there is a block across the river)

Some walnuts, which would not be my first choice but as chalara and global warming continues could be good.

 

He also wants to screen of several areas to provide seclusion from a footpath and to act as a wind break. He suggested laurel, rhododendron and bamboo.. I think these are all bad ideas and would look out of place and potentially be invasive exotics.. 

 

Any ideas. It is decent rich soil, I like natives/native looking trees. But think it is worth considering future changes in climate.. 

[AHPP]

I like his suggestions.

[Yorkshire Brummie]

Looking for some ideas for a client, he has a lake next to a river.
He has already planted a hawthorn hedge but wants a second higher evergreen layer. At present it is rough pasture, oak, ash hawthorn etc..  Not manicured and native..
 
He wants a meadow, orchard, a spinney of pines, (which I an not sure about but can live with there is a block across the river)
Some walnuts, which would not be my first choice but as chalara and global warming continues could be good.
 
He also wants to screen of several areas to provide seclusion from a footpath and to act as a wind break. He suggested laurel, rhododendron and bamboo.. I think these are all bad ideas and would look out of place and potentially be invasive exotics.. 
 
Any ideas. It is decent rich soil, I like natives/native looking trees. But think it is worth considering future changes in climate.. 

I agree with you Ben. No to Rhodies,
Bamboo and Laurel. They’d ruin the land, look out of place and don’t really offer anything wholesale for the birds and bugs.
What about going along the lines of a mixed stand of Scots pines, Atlas cedar or Douglas fir.
I know it’s not “screen” but if privacy is that important how bout re-wild it with blackthorn, sallow etc,etc. The wildlife it would attract, pollination etc far better than the dreaded laurel....

[Mick Dempsey]

Bamboo is an excellent roosting site for starlings.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Mick Dempsey

[Yorkshire Brummie]

Bamboo is an excellent roosting site for starlings.

Never really thought about that Mick [emoji106] I guess in a way not much different to reed beds.

[rapalaman]

Bamboo takes over far too quickly and is a b......d to dig out and get rid of!

[Yorkshire Brummie]

Bamboo takes over far too quickly and is a b......d to dig out and get rid of!

Anything is better than Laurel [emoji85]!

[Stere]

Bamboo can be either a clumping type  no that invasive, or higly invasive type that sends sucker out several metres depending on variety.

 

Why not holy, yew, beech or hormbeam native & all year round screens?

 

 

[Yorkshire Brummie]

Get some Gorse and/or Broom going for screens and habitats instead of the Rhodi's and/or bamboo...and for while you are waiting for the Yew to grow. 

Smell great too and good habitats [emoji106]

[openspaceman]

23 minutes ago, Yorkshire Brummie said:

Smell great too and good habitats

I always wondered what people thought when they first came across coconuts.

 

A bit of common gorse is always in flower somewhere.

 

Broom is lovely in flower but seems to just up and die for no discernible reason