12 Reasons to Plant a Hedge
There are lots of different ways to use hedging in the garden, so read on for some inspiration before you start digging
A hedge can be a wonderfully functional and ornamental addition to a garden. Whether you want a tall, dense plant for privacy, or a sculptural clipped box to add character, check out these inspiring ideas to help you choose the right hedge for your outdoor space.
Create a nook
We all feel more relaxed with the protection of a solid surface at our backs, whether it’s in a restaurant or in the garden, and a hedge can serve just this purpose. There is something so inviting about a cosy, sheltered nook, slightly recessed into the hedge, allowing us to view the garden, and the world, from our own small refuge.
We all feel more relaxed with the protection of a solid surface at our backs, whether it’s in a restaurant or in the garden, and a hedge can serve just this purpose. There is something so inviting about a cosy, sheltered nook, slightly recessed into the hedge, allowing us to view the garden, and the world, from our own small refuge.
Step it up
Hedges can be layered just like other forms of planting. You could plant the same type of hedge in a stepped formation, as in the box hedging here that echoes the steps. Or different types of hedging with contrasting shades of green can also be very effective. The dark shades of yew can look wonderful contrasted with the fresh green of beech, for example, creating a very solid and architectural overall effect.
Hedges can be layered just like other forms of planting. You could plant the same type of hedge in a stepped formation, as in the box hedging here that echoes the steps. Or different types of hedging with contrasting shades of green can also be very effective. The dark shades of yew can look wonderful contrasted with the fresh green of beech, for example, creating a very solid and architectural overall effect.
Soften your screen
Where privacy is needed, long stretches of wall can look harsh, particularly in the countryside, and, unless carefully designed, can detract from the character of a building. A hedge, however, is easier on the eye and fits in with the natural landscape. The style of the hedge and its level of maintenance can also fit in with the overall style of the architecture, and it can easily be scaled up or down as you prefer.
Where privacy is needed, long stretches of wall can look harsh, particularly in the countryside, and, unless carefully designed, can detract from the character of a building. A hedge, however, is easier on the eye and fits in with the natural landscape. The style of the hedge and its level of maintenance can also fit in with the overall style of the architecture, and it can easily be scaled up or down as you prefer.
Plant an edible hedge
Give your vegetable patch some character by planting an edible hedge. Here, espalier apple trees have been employed as a hedge to define and screen the space. Attractive all year, with a lovely framework in winter, apple blossom in the spring, and rosy red apples in the autumn, it’s a feature that’s definitely worth the extra effort in training and pruning.
Give your vegetable patch some character by planting an edible hedge. Here, espalier apple trees have been employed as a hedge to define and screen the space. Attractive all year, with a lovely framework in winter, apple blossom in the spring, and rosy red apples in the autumn, it’s a feature that’s definitely worth the extra effort in training and pruning.
Be wildlife friendly
A hedge can provide many of the resources that wildlife needs, including nesting spots and a source of fruit and insects for birds, flowers for pollinators and cover for hedgehogs and other wildlife. A hedge made up of native plants is best for this, but even choosing a flowering and fruiting hedge, such as this cotoneaster, will be a valuable addition. As well as the added pleasure of the sights and sounds of nature, it will also provide valuable winter colour in your garden.
Find 12 ways to create a wildlife haven in a small garden
A hedge can provide many of the resources that wildlife needs, including nesting spots and a source of fruit and insects for birds, flowers for pollinators and cover for hedgehogs and other wildlife. A hedge made up of native plants is best for this, but even choosing a flowering and fruiting hedge, such as this cotoneaster, will be a valuable addition. As well as the added pleasure of the sights and sounds of nature, it will also provide valuable winter colour in your garden.
Find 12 ways to create a wildlife haven in a small garden
Make a natural entrance
Few things have more character in a garden than an archway or entrance created from nature and the vision of the gardener – and a hedge is ideal, as it can be sculpted to any shape. The combination of screen and entrance invites us to move through, intrigued by what is beyond.
Few things have more character in a garden than an archway or entrance created from nature and the vision of the gardener – and a hedge is ideal, as it can be sculpted to any shape. The combination of screen and entrance invites us to move through, intrigued by what is beyond.
Define a space
A low hedge can give a cosy sense of enclosure to a space such as a patio, without blocking the view to the garden. It also very neatly gives a sense of unity to diverse elements and shapes, pulling the whole design together.
Discover some of the dreamiest outdoor dining spots on Houzz
A low hedge can give a cosy sense of enclosure to a space such as a patio, without blocking the view to the garden. It also very neatly gives a sense of unity to diverse elements and shapes, pulling the whole design together.
Discover some of the dreamiest outdoor dining spots on Houzz
Keep an eye to the view
An oeil-de-boeuf, or bull’s eye, can add a little intrigue to your garden. A circular window in the hedge will be too tempting to ignore and can offer a wonderful glimpse into the garden or, conversely, out to the landscape, and act like a picture frame to focus your eye on a particular feature or object.
An oeil-de-boeuf, or bull’s eye, can add a little intrigue to your garden. A circular window in the hedge will be too tempting to ignore and can offer a wonderful glimpse into the garden or, conversely, out to the landscape, and act like a picture frame to focus your eye on a particular feature or object.
Use it as a backdrop
The plain, fine-textured green of a hedge provides the perfect backdrop and contrast for your flowering plants, just like the canvas for a picture. It also provides shelter from cold winds and, because it filters the wind rather than blocks it, there are less likely to be wind tunnels or eddies in your garden.
The plain, fine-textured green of a hedge provides the perfect backdrop and contrast for your flowering plants, just like the canvas for a picture. It also provides shelter from cold winds and, because it filters the wind rather than blocks it, there are less likely to be wind tunnels or eddies in your garden.
Consider an apron hedge
Simple to maintain, a line of green between the paving and house creates a natural softness and lovely contrast to a space that could otherwise be quite harsh.
If you’re considering this kind of detail, it’s important to ensure there is adequate space for topsoil. Hedge plants tend to need lots of nutrients and will otherwise look patchy and yellow.
Simple to maintain, a line of green between the paving and house creates a natural softness and lovely contrast to a space that could otherwise be quite harsh.
If you’re considering this kind of detail, it’s important to ensure there is adequate space for topsoil. Hedge plants tend to need lots of nutrients and will otherwise look patchy and yellow.
Make a feature of it
Hedges suffer a little from being always the bridesmaid, never the bride, but a flowering hedge can be a stunning feature in itself with no need for any other planting to detract from it. It is important though to consider the amount of maintenance and how the hedge will look when not in flower.
Do you have experience of hedges? Tell us about it in the Comments below!
Hedges suffer a little from being always the bridesmaid, never the bride, but a flowering hedge can be a stunning feature in itself with no need for any other planting to detract from it. It is important though to consider the amount of maintenance and how the hedge will look when not in flower.
Do you have experience of hedges? Tell us about it in the Comments below!
A hedge doesn’t have to be a plain rectangle. The nature of hedging, with its fine texture and tolerance of clipping and shaping, allows for all manner of patterns and geometries: regular triangles, squares or circles, or softer curves and waves. So there are lots of opportunities to get creative. Here, the rhythm of a low zig-zag pattern creates extra movement and interest on a walkway. The shadows it casts on the ground add to the overall effect, too.