Question
Hello, Gill,
I am moving to a house fairy close to the street and would like to find a fast growing, relatively inexpensive hedge or shrub to for traffic noise reduction and privacy. Maintenance is not a problem. We live in zone 9, in Northern Florida, close to the 8/9 zone border. Do you have any recommendations? If possible I would like to stay away from berries, holly, and bamboo. Thank you so much for you time. I cannot seem to find any answers on this on the internet.

Answer
Hello Diane

It is actually quite difficult to find shrubs which don't have berries!  But you could try a mix of native trees - yes, trees.  If you get saplings about 3 feet high and plant them closer together than the usually recommended distance, keep them trimmed down at the top to the height you require and in at the sides to thicken them out, you can get a very substantial hedge quite quickly.

As for which trees to use - have a look around your local garden center or plant nursery.  The latter is best, because the staff should be able to advise you on what the best plants for the job are.

Gill