For many people the first plants which come to mind will be conifers. Leyland Cypress are infamous for making enormous hedges which can be a problem both for the owners and their neighbours. If clipped closely twice a year they can make excellent hedges but it is common to see Leylands which have grown enormous, very tall and very thick, or both, and which will never look good again. In addition they now often suffer from a disease which causes large brown patches. A similar plant, but one which is more attractive and has fragrant leaves, is Western Red Cedar. This will also grow away rapidly if not tightly controlled. Both of these types of conifer will grow in poor conditions such as thin soils or a degree of shade but they will also take most of the nutrients from the surrounding soils making it difficult to plant close to them. The best conifer hedges, and the most traditional, are undoubtedly Yews. These venerable plants have been used in formal gardens for centuries. They make close, dense hedges which can be clipped to shape. Their preference is for lighter, drier soils and they should not be considered for damp situations or heavy clay. They are slower growing than Leylands or Cedars but are readily available as large plants which will soon grow into each other. They are also more expensive.
There are broadleaved plants which make good hedges. Two varieties of laurels, the common laurel and Portuguese laurel, are frequently used. They both have large leaves which can look untidy after cutting – their edges tend to go brown for a while – but are tolerant of shade and a variety of soils. Portuguese laurels have neater leaves and can be used in shallow, chalky soils where common laurels may not thrive. Smaller leaved plants such as privet, Lonicera nitida and escallonia are commonly used in urban gardens. Privet will grow tall and is tolerant of most soils and situations although in the coldest regions it can lose it's leaves in winter. Lonicera nitida is quick growing and can be tightly clipped though it has a habit of leaning or even collapsing when tall. Of the many varieties of escallonia, which have the advantage of attractive flowers, the variety rubra Macrantha is probably the best for hedges and is particularly good near the seaside where it withstands salt-laden winds. In this situation Griselinia littoralis is also excellent. It clips well, grows fast and is salt tolerant. Box (Buxus sempervirens) makes an excellent hedge suitable for very close clipping and the smaller leaved box, Buxus microphylla, is also a good low hedge. Both are rather slow growing.
Many other evergreens will make quite good low hedges but would not be suitable for blocking out a view. There are good holly hedges, but often plants are gappy if not well grown and they may fill the garden with prickly dead leaves. Eleagnus, Euonymus, Pyracantha, Osmanthus, Bay, Berberis, Aucuba and Abelia will make good hedges under the right conditions. Ivy is available in the UK covering wire mesh panels 1.8m (6ft) high which can be used instead of fence panels to give thin evergreen screens.
Finally we should consider two cheap and effective plants which are not really evergreen but can be just as effective. Beech and hornbeam are very good hedging plants and will keep their brown leaves through the winter if trimmed in late summer. They can form hedges which make equally effective screens as genuine evergreens but they are native and tough.
