Red Robin or Laurel?

[2gbmum]

Want a tall (7ft) hedge to keep out nosey kids next door peering over fence. Which is better Photinia Red Robin or Laurel?

Will probably fork out big money for big plants so don't have to wait too long for privacy so want to make sure I spend money on the most suitable.

Plants will be up against fence north facing.

Any helpful knowledge out there?
Also appreciate nod to good internet supplier of big hedging plants. Thanks.

[redman41]

http://www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/
This is a good site

[craft1948]

My leylandii aren't growing very quickly :-(

[redman41]

Your Dog's peed on them craft and they have died.....:-)

[craft1948]

No it's bitches that kill off your lawn etc.........having said that the dog used to pee up the tree, which has died.

[welshlibranr]

My hedge is Red |Robin, it grew quickly, and looks stunning!......not cheap, but worth every penny!.............

[smudge]

Neighbours - who'd have 'em!

[Jules001]

Are you set on either of those two choices? I have nothing against either of them although I believe laurel can have more problems than the red robin, I just wondered if you had considered anything else as I can recommend Lonicera Nitida - it is fast growing, easy to keep in shape and is variegated so looks good too, it is also evergreen - just to throw something else into the mix :)

[boxtops]

I had lonicera and it kept growing and needing cutting..... I now have a hedge which is tall but made of dark prickly stuff which has orange pendular clusters of flowers, and blue fruit in the autumn which is very popular with the blackbirds. I don't know what it's called but it grew quickly and was a very good deterrent to people wanting to get over the fence.

[hc4361]

Red robin.

[AlBags]

Photinia is a very lax and open plant, 2gb. Plus it is sloooow. Not good for N facing tho.
Berberis is not a favourite of mine, but will go UP quite quickly, not expensive and has added advantage of nasty little pricks on it. Similar to what you have at the moment : ) thunbergii .. purple ... if you must.
Laurel, Attractive, dense, ok -ish for N facing. about 3-4 years tho to fence height from 1ft plant. but needs care and regular cutting with age. I just cut a 30M laurel hedge today for family .. tiring.

[society]

Yew and boxwood make great hedges too.

[AlBags]

PS I didn't mean 30M high! hahaha

Yew is like 2-3" a year at best, though! Boxwood must be the same.
Laurel can do 3-6 ft per year.

[2gbmum]

Thanks for advice guys. Might look at hedging my bets (see what I did there:)) and go for a mixture of laurel/red robin and berberis - that way I'll get something nice to look at instead of next doors kids.

[JulietSierra]

The problem with Laurel is that it not only grows tall fast, it grows wide too. Hawthorn is pretty in May when covered in blossom.

[tinpotLizzie]

Pyracantha & Red Robin are a great combination. You get lovely bright red new growth with R. R. , & with P., white flowers for bees, red, or orange berries for birds & really sharp spines to deter burglars! Both are evergreen too!

[landscaper2]

If you want to keep out the neighbouring urchins gaze then the Laurel is the hedge - very dense. Photinia Red Robin - more interesting, but more sparse. We have a veriagated privet - bright, not quite so dense, but beats the other two IMO.