Ask Gerry

We have Leylandii trees at the end of our garden which are about 20 feet high. However they take up a lot of room and are costly to have cut back every year. Also it is impossible to grow anything near them. There is a wall behind them aprox 4' high.We are thinking of taking them down but the house which backs unto us is very near the wall so they would be looking directly into our garden and we would loose our privacy which we love.We are trying to find something which we can replace them with which will be as high or almost as high and not cost a fortune. The garden is about 40' wide.Can you suggest anything that would be suitable - either hedge, trees or else some type of fencing which we could grow climbers on?

our neighbours have built a new extension which overlooks our back garden. I would like a suggestion for hedging or barrier of some kind. There's a wall of 6 feet approx between the houses but as the floor of the extension was raised they can now see right over our garden. i would be grateful for a solution.

Hi Gerry! Moving into our new house in a housing estate soon. Back garden is small - 15metres in width & 9 metres in depth. A 2-storey house is very close on one side of the back wall & we need tall trees or high shrubs to screen it off. Using a ladder to help determine height of screening needed, we think we need 13 ft. in height & a total width of 7 metres to do the job. I suppose that we need to go for mature trees. I guess that evergreens are the only way to get that screening 365 days of the year. Or is putting trellis on top of the back wall & covering with fast growing climbers an option? We are prepared to pay whatever it costs - within reason. Your advice & help on this one would be much appreciated! Many thanks!