If you run out of options for a yellow hedge in blackspot haven Pennsylvania but still want yellow, how about the Clement's rose shrub Morning Has Broken. It is supposed to be about as disease-resistant as the Knock Outs. Can't tell you about the size because mine has been moved 3 times in 3 years (I'll find the right spot yet!), but my neighbor always comments on it when it blooms. I think it is supposed to get about 4 x 3. You can see a description at Heirloom Roses which sells it as a band. I think Roses Unlimited sells it in a larger size. Kate

Pierce, just be aware that you will need a male holly for every 5-7 female plants to get berries. Because you will be planting tightly, you might be able to stretch it to one per 10 females. Most of the male forms I know of are shorter growing than the females, in general. You could get around this by using 1-gallon males and planting in the same hole as the females/'Nellie R.Stevens' as you space them out - they can grow up and be available, but are 'hidden' among the mass of the females. I know 15 gal. 'Nellie R. Stevens' are available, but can't speak as to price. While the 'Nellie R. Stevens' are a good hedge plant, if you wanted to mix in another type of tree, the Thuja 'Emerald Green' (a.k.a. 'Emerald Beauty' or 'Smaragd') is another good hedging plant, growing fairly fast to 12-15', and about 3-5' wide. You can fairly easily find 5 gallon plants, at about 4-6' tall - and pay more for them than 1 gal. - so they might be good where you want immediate height. While running bamboos will provide a solid screen once they are established, they will also RUN!! I have pulled out runners that are up to 8' long, and about 6" deep, in the spring. As long as you mow faithfully, you can keep them in check. However, even asphalt won't stop them from coming up - cement MIGHT! You can buy barriers, but you need to make a 3' deep trench for the barrier to be effective, and even then, you will probably have to watch for escapees over the top. Clumping bamboos are much better behaved, and will expand, but stay where you plant them.

ended up getting a good deal on boxwoods and planted those. those $2 ebay flats would take forever to grow and look like a hedge. And a 2 ft border of vinca minor sorry I don't see a way to quote or even italicize your post, so I'll just reply in ALL CAPS. - Here (not sure about your location) one needs to think about where and how snow will be removed. Plants lining the drive can be in the way of snow removal or can be damaged by removal of wet, heavy snow. ALREADY THOUGHT OF ALL THIS. THE DRIVEWAY recently HAD A RAISED STONE /brick BORDER INSTALLED about 6" tall. snowblower will feel that and not go into lawn/vinca. especially a single stage blower with soft rubber paddle vs a dual stage with metal auger can damage brick if not careful if didn't actualyl know it was there though. it's actually better IMO to have vinca there if there were no raised brick border because if some were chewed up by a snowblower, it'll just grow right back in spring vs turfgrass might need to be RESEEDED if crown is damaged enough. - Depending on number of cars and drive width, is there room to get out of the car when parked if the drive is lined with plants? If the drive is particularly crowded with vehicles, for instance for a family gathering, is there room to walk up the drive to the house without having to avoid the plants lining the drive, or is there a pathway to accommodate foot traffic? I hate having to step out onto plants other than grass, and stepping over a 2 1/2' hedge would be inconvenient for all but the most physically fit and casually dressed. YES THIS IS WHY I put the hedge 3 feet away from the edge of the driveway, so car doors can open fully without hitting the hedge (if cars are parked that close to the driveway edge. the vinca border right along the driveway is low-growing vinca minor, it only grows about 6" tall especially if trimmed down once or twice a year which also promotes denser growth. And UGH! Keeping 75 feet of vinca (times two sides) in bounds would be something of a chore if it is happy. It sends out long runners that root where they touch, and I am constantly fighting to keep it out of the lawn and adjoining beds, etc. and it will try to grow out onto the driveway with the potential of being a trip hazard if it loops around and reroots. That's a lot of regular trimming. Pachysandra might be a better choice. pachy (and english ivy) climb and vinca doesn't. And it's quite sunny and vinca is the better of the 3 for sunny areas, and it fills in the quickest. It can be put around a hedge or other plants and not take over them as long as they're over a foot or so tall. With weekly or every other week mowing any vinca runner can be cut back in literally like 10 seconds while edging the driveway with a string trimmer. The vinca border has a bed edge/clif cut out of the lawn and just run the string trimmer vertically over any runners to keep it out of the lawn. Yes if unkept the vinca can creep into the lawn but I see this situation all the time with other groundcovers and it's not that hard to keep in place. Also trimming a 2-3 ft tall hedge is a cakewalk for me. going up on ladder and trimming branchy stuff becomes a chore but a simple hedge trim like that is no problemo.

A look at the rose garden in my circle drive, year 2. The anise hyssop shot up and almost completely obscure my fountain, so I've begun transplanting them elsewhere. On the left is a new bare root Apricot Candy rose that's still small. Le Petit Prince on the right is fabulous, so I'm considering buying a second and relocating the Apricot. Earth Angel Margaret Merril Celestial Night These knock-outs were the only roses when I bought the place and they looked awful. I pruned down to three canes almost to the ground in March and they are doing amazingly now.