privet cuttings

i would cut 6" stems and pot them up in a gritty mix and keep warm and damp. Remove the leaves from the bottom 3-4 inches and push the bare stem round the edge of a pot. for some reason they root better when there are several cuttings in a pot. if this doesnt work try it agian in late summer early autumn.

They say to take semi ripe cuttings in summer or hardwood cuttings in Winter. Being as you have the privet to take the cuttings from I would take some semi-ripe in the summer remove the lower leaves dip in hormone powder in a mixture of compost and sand. But also in late Autumn I would then put hardwood cuttings in the place where you wish them to grow perminantly stick the spade depth in the ground put in a handful of sand put the hardwood cutting after dipping the ends in hormone rooting powder then firm in with the heel. Hopefully some of them will take and if not all, you may have some of your summer cuttings to put out in the gaps next year. In the mean time you can plant annuals, or evergreen perenials around them to give them protection while they are establishing.