| Hedges were first introduced for privacy and security and they are still two of the biggest reasons for garden hedges today. Britain is a nation of gardeners. Britain has been passionate for gardening and tending to pieces of privately owned land. Hedges frame a garden and provide privacy and structure. Hedges are not harsh like a brick or stone wall and can be shaped differently if required. They also allow airflow through a garden which a wall does not and without an airflow plants can suffer.The last few decades have seen the demise of many thousands of miles of established hedgerows and their associated wildlife. To help redress this balance we are offering four carefully selected mixtures of native species, these will grow together to form a dense rustic hedge that will be stock proof amd encourage a wide variety of wildlife. Trim at any time from August onwards, ideally in winter. These well balanced mixes are a more economical and convenient way of planting native species.BOUNDARY HEDGESBoundary hedges are by far the most practical way of marking the limits of your plot containing pets/children and keeping out unwanted visitors while adding character and value to your property. Boundary hedging is not just cheaper than a fence or wall, it will be longer lasting and a more effective filtering barrier to wind and noise. A hedge will provide a higher quality of privacy bringing a sense of seclusion to your garden.There are many hedge species suitable for boundary hedging. The photo shows a Leylandii hedge in the background with an English Yew hedge in front. Many other hedge species are suitable for boundary hedges for example Laurel, Privet, Beech, Hornbeam and Thuja. All of these hedges are either leaf retaining or evergreen therefore providing year round privacy.SECURITY HEDGESSecurity hedges will often perform similar functions as boundary hedging but with a greater priority placed in keeping out intruders.While many species will provide security, hedging plants with thorns will always be the most effective deterrent. While they are undoubtedly more hostile many of these hedge plants may also provide a beautiful living tapestry of colour for much of the year. There are many situations where a screening hedge would be desirable, ugly or out of keeping buildings may spoil the view, overlooking windows may compromise privacy or a busy road may require evergreen hedging not just to improve the view but to filter noise and pollution. Visual screening hedges should give good coverage all year and may be trimmed in a way that preserves the desirable part of a view. High level screening can be achieved with ‘monster’ hedges but the maintenance is likely to be difficult and expensive. If space allows it is better to keep the hedge at a manageable size and plant a belt of trees and/or large shrubs away from the hedge to achieve high level screening. Hedges to screen noise and pollution should be deep and dense, the best species are Leylandii or the broad leaved Cherry Laurel hedge ideally planted in a double or triple row if space allows. |
