Plants in 'Hedges in the city and suburbs' scheme

One of our favourite small trees - and very easy too. A small and elegant tree which has masses of pretty small white flowers in early summer, followed by small edible berries in late summer - delicious for humans and birds, and loved by children - the berries taste something between a blueberry and an ugni berry. Plant in well-drained to moist soil in full sun or light shade - a tough and resilient plant. Ideal for the small garden, garden border or informal hedgerow. Ideal when planted with bulbs, ferns or other natural groundcovers. Great autumn colour, when the leaves turn bright red. Plants are 60-80 cms tall in a 3 litre container.

The symbol of West Cork, this South American shrub thrives in Ireland, particularly along the west coast. It has naturalised in many hedgerows, along with Crocosmia (Montbretia). It is a very easy, cheery and reliable plant that makes a good hedge in coastal counties - ideal as a shelter belt in well-drained soil or on raised ditches where it makes a fine coastal hedge. Purple and red flowers in late summer from July to October. Height and spread can be 2.5 x 2 metres. Plant 50- 70 cms apart to make a robust hedge. Fuchsia can suffer die-back after extreme cold but almost all plants recover even after very cold winters. Not recommended for inland areas. 2 litre container.

These mature bay laurel plants are ideal for a smart and instant evergreen hedge. These  bay laurel plants are specifically grown to be an 'instant' hedge. Placed side by side, they make an instant dark green hedge which is smart and nicely upright. They can be clipped to the desired height, and this will encourage them to bush out further. Bay laurel prefers a sunny, fertile, well-drained site, and once established are very drought tolerant and completely cold-hardy. Care should be taken to keep plants well-watered and fed when establishing - consider using a soaker hose for guaranteed watering. A mulch of bark or Gee-up soil improver is a great aid in terms of getting them off to a good start, or feed with chicken manure fertiliser when planting. A very popular fast-growing evergreen screen which can be seen in many parts of Dublin, where it grows well against railings and provides a very smart hedge. For this type of hedge, plant 2-4 plants per metre, depending on how instantly dense you want it. Please click on the image on the right to see exactly what the plants look like. Nice tall specimens, 175 - 200 cms tall.

Myrtles are evergreen shrubs and small trees with pleasantly aromatic leaves and small, fragrant white flowers. They are suitable for sun or light shade with well-drained soil, and grow particularly well near the sea. The subspecies 'tarantina' has very small leaves, and can be kept clipped as a low hedge (as seen here in Innisbeg Gardens near Baltimore, Co Cork), or allowed to grow into a small specimen up to 150 high and wide. Plant somewhere where you will brush past it, as the delicious scent comes when the leaves are rubbed. A good alternative to box hedging where it should be planted c 40 cms apart and trimmed very lightly in the first year to encourage growth. Nice bushy plant in a 3 litre container - grown in Mount Congreve Estate in County Waterford.

An ideal bamboo for a screen or hedge. This trouble-free bamboo has green stems and narrow green leaves. Although vigorous, this plant is clump-forming rather than spreading (ie with underground runners). Therefore, it makes a fine, fast-growing screen or specimen. This bamboo is particularly wind resistant, and leaves show little signs of damage even after cold, drying winds - it also has good tolerance to seaside conditions. We have planted this plant on Strand Road in Sandymount, only metres from the sea, and it has thrived there, unblemished, for many years. As with all bamboo, it requires moisture to establish, but is otherwise trouble-fee. We have planted this as a hedge, approximately 2 plants per linear metre, for almost instant cover, as shown in the photo on the right. Canes are initially quite floppy, but will firm up after planting. Can grow to 5 m, but normally attains 3-4 m in this climate. Healthy, Irish-grown plants in an 10L container.

A dyg favourite. This Pittosporum has very pale, almost white or silver leaves and is a subtle, eye-catching plant, with small, wavy leaves. It is ideal in light shade, where it looks great planted near ferns, bamboo or Sarcococca. It has almost invisible, night-scented flowers in summer. Tolerant of most soil conditions other than waterlogged or bone dry. Planted approximately 2.5 plants per metre, could make a very attractive small to medium-sized hedge, clipped once or twice a year. For a sheltered spot.  Height to 3.5 m. 2L container.

A lovely, fast-growing evergreen shrub with wavy grey-green leaves with pale margins. Pittosporum also have wonderfully scented (but almost invisible) flowers which release their scent at night in the summer. This variety can be a medium-to-tall hedge, clipped annually in late summer, or be part of a group of shrubs making an informal screen. Plant in sun or light shade in most soils, though not waterlogged. 3L container.

Superb evergreen tree for the Irish climate. A wonderful tree which can grow to a huge size (see image of one growing in Dublin's Fitzwilliam Square which is approaching two hundred years old), but which can also be kept clipped as an evergreen hedge or as a piece of topiary. Very fashionable also as a pleached tree (ie a clipped box on a clear stem), but best when allowed to grow uninhibited. Ideal near or even beside the sea, but also along an avenue or in a large garden or parkland. Plant in most soils except waterlogged. Once established is drought and wind tolerant. For a hedge, plant c 2 plants per metre. View more images...  3-5 litre container, 60 + cms plants.

Yews are wonderfully atmospheric native trees, and the fastigiate variety (ie upright) is an Irish variety which is correctly known as the "Irish Yew'. The Irish yew is in fact a cultivar of the common (European) yew with a particularly upright habit, making it a very good structural plant for the formal garden. All specimens of Irish yews are derived from the seedling first discovered in County Fermanagh. Slow-growing in later life, but quite vigorous when young. This variety, because it is dense and upright, makes a very fine hedge plant which should be trimmed in autumn, and is also an ideal specimen in a formal garden.  Note - all parts are poisonous if ingested. Suitable for most soil types and conditions, and when established it is tolerant of dry shade. Mature specimen plants sold as a rootball, November to March only. Plant size 100-125 cms.