Question
Hi, Our neighbor has let his once beautiful hedge grow gangly and ugly. We've asked him to trim it but he never has. Now it is getting thin at the bottom and we have a direct view into his back yard. What I would like to do is build a stone wall that has two sides, fill in the hollow area with dirt and plant arborvitae on top of it so that they can grow together and give us the privacy we both would like.  An end view of the 'wall' would be U shaped with the side walls of the U leaning in towards each other in stair step fashion similar to block walls. Does this 2' or higher wall exist commercially or would we have to build it block by block?  The overall length would be about 60'.  Thanks, Karen


Answer
Hi Karen,

There is nothing like a really nice privacy hedge to make it possible to enjoy privacy in our own back yards. Having a hedge that provides such privacy comes with a price; and that is the cost of time and attention it needs to keep it looking healthy and full from top to bottom.

As a preliminary help to you, if the hedge is on your property in any way, you do have a legal right to trim it. In doing so, you could possibly resurrect its vitality with proper pruning. I would suggest that you first speak to your neighbor and ask him (or her) if they mind if you trim the part that is on on your side. In most cases a neighbor will give you full pruning rights for the part of the hedge that is not facing their landscape.

If you do get this permission, I would recommend that you prune it so that it tapers in at top thus allowing sunlight to get to whatever is below. Another smart move could be to simply add the same plant material that the hedge is made of in the form of smaller container sized plants along the base of it and on your side of the property line. This will be an economical and relatively fast way to find your privacy again (typically within one growing season IF the shrubs are planted correctly).

I am not fond or arborvitae as a hedge over the long term since the plant tends to have an empty center to it. One of the best hedge materials that I have found for dense compact and lower maintenance growth is the podocarpus. It grows densely as a hedge, can endure fairly cold whether, and is relatively insect and disease free.

Concerning your wall, without seeing a sample of what you are trying to explain it would be hard to give you a recommendation. As for a prefabricated wall, I do not know of any preconstructed walls that you can have installed. If you wanted to send me a sketch of what you are envisioning I might be able to direct you to a supplier who can meet your needs.

If you would like to e-mail your sketch or a picture of a sample wall that you want, to [email protected], I will be happy to respond with additional information.

Wishing you a beautiful garden walk, I remain,

In my garden,

David Ward