Best privacy hedge to plant between farm yard and house?

[Doing it for the kids]

As the title suggests I’m getting grief for lack of privacy in the garden.

I’m thinking a yew hedge, I only need about 1.8 m height, yew stays green all year, if I can train small people and dogs not to eat any of it I think it’s best.

Site is poor soil, clay and wet as backs on to farmyard.

I ruled our privet as it likes dry soil.

I don’t much like laurel

Each is lovely but lots of leaves to drop

What am I missing?!

TYIA

 

[onthehoof]

Hornbeam likes wet clay quite attractive too

 

[Castle Farm]

Beech. hold leaves in winter. No thorns.

 

[DrWazzock]

Leylandi here. You wouldn’t know the farmyard was there behind that hedge.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Leylandi here. You wouldn’t know the farmyard was there behind that hedge.

What awful trees they are tho

 

[Pan mixer]

Yew is so slow that your children will be parents themselves.

I planted hornbeam following similar grief 10 years ago and heavy wet soil, it is still not very impressive, only 3 feet high and quite porous.

I did some with willow, that is rubbish and needs a lot of trimming.

Laurel is horrid and poisonous if you burn it or eat it but it does have leaves all year and it grows quite quickly.

Leylandii is not allowed.

Runner beans are quite good but not for the whole year.

Hornbeam, and willow hedge after 10 years.

 

[Dr. Alkathene]

Firethorn. Evergreen, stock proof, pikey proof, nice blossom, nice berries for birds to eat. Handy for birds to nest in.

 

[Agrivator]

Don't plant anything that's poisonous to livestock.

 

[DrWazzock]

What awful trees they are tho

well yes sort of. But they will produce a dense hedge in next to no time, impervious all year. Keep them trimmed and they are ok.

 

[Drago]

Seasoned timber. Instant fence no more grief.
You will still be getting grief in 3-4yrs time because it hasn't grown yet.
Joking aside my neighbour planted laurel boardering farmyard with leylandi in my side it's great because I cant see him anymore. Would prefer native beach personally.

 

[.fendt.]

Prunus lusitanica / Portuguese laurel.
Evergreen, quick growing and not as thuggish as the larger leaved cherry laurel.

 

[bobk]

What awful trees they are tho

But nicer than the neighbours

 

[milkloss]

Laurel without a doubt. A very thick hedge that can take some serious brutal treatment (it will need it at some point) and grows quick. Doesn't mind a flail... looks really smart when cut well.

 

[caveman]

Holly.
Gorse.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

+1 for Hornbeam and possibly Yew.
both will do well if planted in 'prepared' ground. A trench with a mixture of muck and soil.
Beech is ok too I planted one at my last place which is 15' tall now and trimmed on a ladder. All good hedging will take a decade but is worth the effort. The reason cyprus hedges took over is their speed in growing. Hate these with a vengance.
My Hornbeam mixture is looking great after six years. I left it to grow high, 10', then chopped everything except the hornbeam to 16". The hornbeam are now 'standards' and the lower part is inpenetrable and in another four years will be wind-proof and as high as I can reach with my hedge-trimmer and harness (6'6")
This year the boundary hedge is 15' and will be treated in the same way eventually.
SS

 

[.fendt.]

Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ / red stemmed dogwood. Or the yellow stemmed Cornus stolonifera 'Flaviramea'. Both quick growing and will tolerate wet ground.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Laurel without a doubt. A very thick hedge that can take some serious brutal treatment (it will need it at some point) and grows quick. Doesn't mind a flail... looks really smart when cut well.

Laurel + flies = not good!
SS

 

[Northeastfarmer]

You can’t beat a thick well kept hawthorn hedge

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Not forgeting Wild Service. (Sorbus Torminalis) Dogwood yes, Field Maple too & underplant with Holly is worth considering.
SS

 

[suffolksmallholder]

You can’t beat a thick well kept hawthorn hedge

The smell of the blossom right now is lovely. Most won't get this as the rule of trimming before the end of March stops all but the lowest stems having any blossom as it only grows on the preceeding years growth.....
SS