Hedges
There really is only one point about including guidance on hedges for new gardens – don’t plant Leyland cypress! And if it’s already there, make sure it doesn’t become impossible to manage. Of course, Leyland cypress makes a good-sized hedge quickly. The problem is that it doesn’t stop there. In summer it can grow 10cm (4in) in a week, and the tallest in Britain is 40m (130ft) high – and still growing! You may think you’ll clip it two or three times a year but you probably won’t. Instead plant thuja ‘Smaragd’. It’s darker in colour with strong, but not overwhelming, growth, 1.8m (6ft).