Recommendations for shade tree or hedge for retaining wall?

[Elppee]

Hi we have this area next to a retaining wall. Area is about 2-3 m wide along the driveway and side of house. Retaining wall is 1-1.2m higher than the driveway. I’m looking to plant something along the back near the fence and along the front, leaving a path to walk through. Could someone please suggest something suitable? Would be great to create some shade for the house too. 
Thank you for your help! 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Elppee. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about plant selection.

Would you be able to indicate where your proposed path will be and how wide you're thinking? How much space out from the fence will there be for the plants? Can you show us where the house is that you'd be keen to shade? I presume you were thinking trees if you're after shade?

You might like to consider adding a climber along the fence, giving you plenty of room for the path. Here are a couple of helpful guides on How to create privacy by planting and How to choose plants for your garden.

I'm sure our members will be keen to hear more details on your project, allowing us to make some informed suggestions on plant selection. 
 

Mitchell

[Elppee]

Hi Mitchell, thanks for the reply. Here is a picture looking south (the previous picture was looking north). I would like to have the hedge/tree next to the fence, then the path, and then some low planting/ground cover in front near the driveway. The path can be up to 1m max, just enough for one person passing. There is about 1-1.5m width for the hedge. I'm not very sure about the shade tree. Maybe the hedge can double as shade giving? This side of the house gets a lot of afternoon sun so would be nice to have some shade (but I dont want large trees because its behind the retaining wall). Thanks for your input!

giving? 

[MitchellMc]

You could consider something like Paradise® Super Red™ - Photinia glabra, which grows up to five metres and would be perfect as a hedge screening plant @Elppee. It also wouldn't be too invasive root wise and shouldn't affect your retaining wall.

There is likely an extremely wide choice of what you could go with for the smaller plants at the front. Anything from Agapanthus to Zantedeschia. It all really depends on what look you're going for. Is any theme going on, perhaps a cottage garden? A low lavender hedge could look nice and complement the roses if you intend to leave them. I'd encourage you to check out our range of flowering plants and think about what you'd find appealing. 

A few more essential guides that will make your life easy: How to plan a garden makeover, How to give your garden a makeover, How to choose a hedging plant and How to plant a tree, shrub or a rose. Also, have a look at our Top 10 most popular garden makeovers for inspiration.

Let me mention one of our gardening experts, @LisasGarden, to see if they have some thoughts.

Mitchell

[LisasGarden]

Evergreen Magnolia Little Gem or Teddy Bear is another option as a hedge, they both have gorgeous foliage and flowers, quite compact and grow to around 4 metres.  Love the idea of keeping the roses and a low lavender hedge as Mitchell said. They will all compliment each other nicely and the bees  will love it. 

[Elppee]

Thanks Lisa, what kind of lavender is good for a hedge? We have some and they have some gaps, see below. Is it because we are not pruning them enough? Should we prune them harder? Are the Magnolias root invasive Lisa? Thank you! 

[LisasGarden]

I have a lot of lavender and as it gets older sometimes you need to pull out and replace. You could check in garden centre at Bunnings and ask for advice . I’m not sure about the roots of the magnolias  but I know my daughter who has a very narrow retaining wall is  having them put in. 

[Jason]

Many thanks for your terrific input @LisasGarden.

Let me tag @MitchellMc to provide further assistance to @Elppee with the lavender hedge.

@BradN might also like to join in the discussion. 

Jason

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Elppee,

You'll want to prune every year directly after the lavender has finished blooming. This keeps their size in check and prevents them from getting leggy. Find the woody branches and prune 100mm above them. You'll be doing a reasonably hard prune. Once they develop a woody understructure, it can be challenging to keep them in form, and gaps will start appearing. You can remove a few of the older woodier branches if this occurs. Once new growth begins, you can selectively remove other branches. If this doesn't work for you, you need to consider removing the bush.

Magnolias roots are not necessarily invasive. Although they have a relatively shallow root system, they can extend quite far. You might like to consider a semi-dwarf variety like Magnolia Little Gem in your circumstance. If there are stormwater pipes nearby, it might be best to select a plant that doesn't so aggressively search out water sources.

Mitchell

[BradN]

Hi @Elppee . You might also like to consider port wine magnolias (Magnolia figo, aka Michelia figo). They don't grow as big as magnolia trees, their bushier habit makes them well suited to hedging and screening, and they have lovely flowers, smaller but somewhat similar to the ones on the bigger magnolias. Michelia figo "Coco" is a taller variety that you can hedge up to about 2.5m, though it can be quite slow growing. 

What area do you live in? Different plants are better suited to different climates. 

If you want a bit of height and something that grows fairly fast, you can always go with Murraya (Murraya paniculata, aka mock orange), or the fast-growing Radermachera.

There are also many different lillypillies (Syzygium species), which give you a variety of different looks in terms of their growth habit, the shape of their leaves and the pink and red colours of their tender new growth.  

There are lots of options! Have you seen screening plants that you like in neighbours' gardens, or in parks, businesses and public buildings around your area? It's always good to have a look around your local area so you can see what thrives there, and what your mature hedge or screen will look like.

If you've taken any photos some of us might even be able to identify the plants for you. 

Brad