Pleached Trees - Higher Privacy Solution

As you are aware we have had the new fence put in and are trying to find some ways to gain some privacy back, the new garden fence.

Today I took the boys on a trip to one of my favourite places to look at trees and plants. English Woodlands located at Cross in Hand, East Sussex. We brought our laurel plants from them about 4 years ago, they were extremely good plants healthy, strong and have since flourished. As a nursery, they helped us choose what we needed and even told us to buy smaller ones as they would grow so fast, saving us money.

I have been looking online and wondered if pleached trees maybe an answer to our height issue. What they should do is bring height to the fence but still allow light in. Now these are by no means a cheap and as always I am not sure if Mr MC&W is going to like them.

So what is a pleached tree you ask?, to be honest, I only found out when frantically on google looking for solutions for the new fence. A pleached tree is where some clever people train the branches of the tree onto a framework and then interweave the new growth so you get the look of a narrow hedge. This is highly skilled work and looks amazing. I love the fact they have these beautiful trunks leading up to the interwoven branches.

My mission was to have a look at what they had and a chat with someone who knows more about them than my internet research. On arriving I could see the trees at the bottom of the nursery so we made our way down.

This is what I found:

Carpinus betulus - Hornbeam - This is a native tree to Britain and from my reading can tolerate soil that's maybe not the best. It will change leaf colour in the autumn to a golden yellow and will hold onto some leaves. Though a very hard winter, it will loose all leaves. I love the look of this as it looks so natural and country garden.

Carpinus betulus - Hornbeam  

Photinia serrulata - Red Robin - They are an evergreen so we will get all year coverage. It is the new growth that is red in colour. This would have to be maintained at least twice a year and would need the soil to be improved. Though I planted a red robin in our last garden in thick clay soil that had not in any way been improved and it just took off. But would not want to risk these with the same behaviour.

This show not Pleached version but more of the colour of the leaves

Prus calleryana Chanticleer - This is, in fact, an ornamental pear, it will give us flowers in the spring and then the leaves turn into a strong red in the autumn. What is appealing about this is I like to see the changing of the seasons and also its one of the last trees to lose it leaves and one of the first to grow them back. Though I think we would have to improve our soil as they prefer well draining and we have clay!!! Another area of research I will need to do.

Loving the green leaves but a little messy 

Stunning glossy leaves and the flowers I am sure would be very pretty

Tilia americana - This has been the hardest plant to find out much about, I loved the colour and look of the leaves, they are a beautiful light green and we would get white flowers mid summer. The leaves turn yellow in the winter and do fall from the tree. Reading what I can find out about this tree is it will tolerate clay soil and the flowers are fragrant. This has been hard to read about and would certainly be unusual.

This is such a different look, which I really like and has great coverage already

I just love these leaves such an amazing colour

At the moment I must say I am liking each one for a different reason, I need to create some hybrid version of them all. The other concern is maintaining them, this would be too complicated for me so I have contacted the gardeners we use for the larger jobs. He has a tree surgeon as part of his team and has experience of maintaining Pleached trees. I think this would be a job I would get them to do until we were happy with the look. This has to be factored into the financial side as the costs would be on going. So off to show Mr MC&W and see if this was what he was thinking. If not we are back to the drawing board.

But I have a few more ideas that I need to look into. I need to look at some climbers and I know a nursery that sells the most beautiful climbing roses and the most amazing cakes.