We live on a Drive and it does get busy some parts of the day and others it is dead. I was wondering if I put hedges along the front if it would cut down the traffic noise? Or am I just wasting my money? We wouldn't let the hedges get taller than three or four feet tall..
What are your thoughts?
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That is a great idea! I have been looking around neibourhoods trying to steal ideas. I saw this one house that mad me so exciting! They had a raised flower bed that was a cemi circle that rapped around the front with two evergreens (they were different than normal ones they were thinner). I might have to steal their idea! LOL!
I like Blackcats suggestion for a water feature. I have had one for years. It hardly cost me anything (less than $100). I bought a plastic underground unit with a cover (white rose on sale for about $30). You dig a small hole and put in the container with a little pump. Put the cover over the top and add a little screening to keep out debris. Cover with river rocks and wala- an asian inspired water feature.
this year I expanded it into a dry stream running all along the edge of my patio. It looks great, and again only cost less than $100. I dug down slightly
and lined with landscape fabric. Then I added about 8 large rocks, a few bags of larger river rocks, and a few bags of small river rocks. Then I planted grasses on the edge.
Which leads me to my suggestion to you. Why not plant grasses in your garden with a few everygreens? Your garden is quite small, so you might get bored in time with a large hedge and I don't think it will help the sound issue much anyway. Also, pick a large tree that you like and plant it as soon as possible to bridge the house to the landscape. Grasses sound lovely in the wind and look fabulous. Some of them get huge and they provide great winter interest.
No there are cedars around... But your very lucky if yours lives past a year. If it makes it threw two seasons here then chances are they might make it.. I know I had one at our old house and it did well. But it was very sheltered and I think that was the only reason why it lasted. I know that green houses here won't garentee cedars.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Peking cotoneaster are nice because they are hardy and have a gorgeous red foliage in the fall. A good rose suggestion would be Hansa which is a rugosa rose so you have the hips in the fall, the flower is a mauve/red and the smell has an old fashioned rose fragrance. They can grow up to about 10 feet but can be pruned shorter. They are VERY thorny, they have small thorns all the way up and down the branches.
So there are no evergreen hedges in most of Calgary? I guess it's not such a big deal because you don't really need privacy in your garden in the middle of winter but I guess I am so used to seeing them around here.
In Eastern BC we used to plant lilac and prune them for hedges. I am sure they would do ok in Calgary and they grow pretty fast.
is really hard on Cedars. There is nothing more frustrating to try and grow here as they always seem to get wind burned unless they are sheltered. Apparently there is only a few really good areas of town where they seem to do okay.
Meanwhile, most hedges here are something like Cotoneaster or Caragana or some similarly hardy bush. I'd love to see a hedge of hardy roses. They grow quickly, flower like crazy and the prickly ones would sure keep anyone from trying to find a way through.
Oreo a freind of mine planted Cotoneaster (I think) and it grew really quickly. I think at least a foot a year. It's probably way too late to plant now, but the garden centres have people around now who can really help you plan your lot so you are ready to go next spring.
I find that so bizarre......
I get the rapid change in temperature but Fastigiata Cedars are so hardy I would have thought they would have survived anything - they were the only evergreen to not get winter burn last year in my windy spot.
Do most people have deciduous hedges then?
Cedars don't do well because of our chinooks.. I can't remember the name of the shrubs that I was looking into... Crap they are very common....
I wonder why?
What do people there use for an evergreen hedge?
cedars don't do well in Calgary.....
Ask your local garden centre when they get their hedging cedars in. They may have them now still depending on your climate. They will be much more cost effective than buying potted cedars that are usually meant for ornamental purposes. They grow pretty fast when they are well watered & fertilized the first year, then you can clip them to fatten them up a bit to start getting a nice dense hedge. Obviously, the bigger the plants you buy the faster the hedge.
I should take a new picture.. We are actually just beside a walking path. The hedge will definetly stop people from crossing our lawn! LOL! I really like the look of hedges..
How long do they take to grow? If I buy the 1L pots?
You would benefit more from a higher hedge and something dense like a cedar would be best. Otherwise, consider a waterfall. They don't have to be outrageously large, although they can be if you like, and the sound of the splashing water deadens the traffic sound. No worries about mosquitos as the water is constantly moving, just unplug it over the winter and bring the pump indoors.
A hedge that high probably wouldn't do much for noise but you lot looks like it might be on a bit of a corner. I live beside a corner and a nice fur tree has saved the yard a couple of times when a car slid around the corner on some ice. So besides a feeling of a bit of privacy (it's only a perception given 2 storey houses around), a hedge might offer you some other benefits (also keeps passing dogs from doing their business on your lawn).
I don't think it would make much difference as so much of your front is driveway.