Leylandii Hedge - mixed colours?

Hi all - Im about to plant a long line of Leylandii to create a hedge - I know the dark green variety grow quickly - but have 'seen' a hedge where the golden variety are interspaced with the dark ones and it may it look less dreary. However, a leylandii stockist has told me that the dark will out-muscle the golden and advises on just a dark green hedge. Has anyone got experience of this as would much prefer dual colours if poss, though I 'am' having to purchase small ones 1-2ft tall to keep costs down. thanks Steve

I'd not get either of them. How about a mix of purple and green beech, leaves stay on brown in the winter so you get privacy. 

I'm afraid your supplier is correct, you'll get a very uneven hedge which will take quite a bit of management to look right.

Have you thought about planting a Thuja hedge rather than Leylandii - a  thick evergreen hedge, which tend to fill out at the bottom of the hedge better than Leylandii, are much more interesting to look at and with a lovely smell of cedarwood (it's a type of red cedar) and with none of the drawbacks of Leylandii - for instance,  you can cut right back into the old wood and it will regenerate and grow green again, so it's not a disaster if you can't get around to trimming it one year, whereas if you do that with Leylandii  it will stay brown for ever. And I don't think the Thuja suffer from aphids as the Leylandii do either.

Or there are lots more choices of hedging 

http://www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/acatalog/western_red_cedar.html

I've got a short run of the golden Leylands with a couple of the green Lawson Cypress. This would eventually be a tall conifer, but I keep the hedge trimmed every yr & they both seem to be about the same in vigour. J.

Many thanks already have bought some for half the run so just needed to know before I bought the rest - I can either just buy all dark green now or mix them. Thanks for answers - any further much welcomed as will be trimming also. Have beech hedge on other side and these are see through in winter and we need privacy thks steve

I have seen a mature golden and green hedge locally - it seems to be doing fine.

I know one that looks great, but the owner has told me it took quite a long time and some careful management to get a regular and even result, but good luck if you decide to go ahead Steve.

thanks again - 'think' maybe best idea is to buy more established light green and lower dark green so they have a chance chrs Steve

The hedge that I know is actually trimmed in a series of 'curves' so each alternate tree retains its identity as an individual tree, although it forms part of a hedge - I think it took a while to get it looking right, but it is very effective. 

Many thanks already have bought some for half the run so just needed to know before I bought the rest - I can either just buy all dark green now or mix them. Thanks for answers - any further much welcomed as will be trimming also. Have beech hedge on other side and these are see through in winter and we need privacy thks steve

You can plant a mixed hedge of leylandii without a problem. Efford Horticultural Research Station tried out lots of different cultivars (varieties) of Leylandii about 30 years ago and planted mixed hedges. These were all very successful. All leylandii is fine if it is looked after and trimmed once or twice a year.  There is good advice on how to trim your leylandii hedges at www.leylandii.com and www.evergreenhedging.co.uk . It is true that the green leylandii grow faster than the golden leylandii, so if you want a tall hedge, and you plant small plants, the green will get to the height quicker than the gold.  This is not a problem in the long run as they will just merge in together.  I hope this is not too late to help.