On 23/09/2019 16:23, alan_m wrote:
On 23/09/2019 14:12, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Sreiousluy. I planet holly. The only hedge sized on is now 20+ years
old. The rest are still knee high, but I hvae Bay that i need ladders
to top as well as yew.

My experience with Bay is that it remained quite slow growing for many
years and then just took off at around 4ft/year.




There is a 40 feet high one with similar spread on the other side of my
back garden fence in a housing association property.

It was a potted shrub that was planted outside about 44 years ago
according to the old boy who still lives in one of the flats, while
the planter has long since joined the carbon-cycle.

Now no-one wil accept responsibility for it. Every year it rains
berries onto my garden which germinate and grow. There are
brambles growing right up through it and then dripping down onto
my side of the fence, also dropping berries everywhere.

Laurel turns into an effective hedge, possibly too effective.