How to put hedges in the garden

THE HEDGES. THE GREEN WALLS THAT GIVE US PRIVACY

In private gardens, whenever you can and you have time, it is advisable to consider putting up a hedge. We know that they are hard work, that you have to mold and prune them, care for them and water them… Artificial hedges are comfortable but in the end they are eaten by the sun and the plastic appearance is never entirely pleasant. Nothing like a real good hedge.

Every garden worth its salt needs hedges to limit the spaces and give some privacy. A hedge is, in every rule, a living wall in continuous growth that takes us away from the gazes of others and the madding crowd. It costs a little to take care of them, no one denies that but they also have their advantages compared to a sad fence with or without that plastic pseudoseto that will delimit our space. The natural hedge provides something that the fence cannot. Greenery, freshness and good vibes in the garden. In addition, a thick hedge you want it not to, dampens the more direct sounds that come from the street a bit . It is not that it is something very noticeable but something more than a fence does, without a doubt.

FAST OR SLOW GROWING SPECIES

That depends on your patience and your desire to have the hedge in condition as soon as possible. If you don’t want to be in a half-hedge for a few years, fast-growing species are ideal. On the contrary, they have the disadvantage that maintenance is somewhat more expensive in future years because it will be necessary to prune and shape more often.

THE BASIC STEPS TO PUTTING A HEDGE IN YOUR GARDEN

CHOOSE THE PLANTING DISTANCE OF EACH SPECIMEN

If we plant a hedge from scratch, it is convenient to know the distance between shrub and shrub so that later they fill perfectly and achieve adequate thickness. Too far apart will require more time for the hedge to be continuous. Close together and they will “fight” for space. A distance of about 50 cm between bushes is usually very common.

PRUNING IS THE KEY

Pruning gives vigor, makes the hedges re-sprout with more force and consequently we achieve thickness and uniformity in the vegetation. It should be pruned from the first year. It is good to use a string that delimits the desired height to level it and be in condition. The prunings can be two ( spring and summer ) to get a larger branch will give us the desired stuffiness. If we leave the pruning aside, we favor very thick and not very abundant branches that do not look good at all.

MY HEDGE HAS ALREADY REACHED THE DESIRED HEIGHT AND UNIFORMITY

Once formed, it only remains to keep it and give it shape, both on the top and on the sides. When the years have passed and we have the soft hedge, it is time to play and give it different finishes on the upper part. I particularly like the straight and sober cut but to taste the colors and ways of pruning there are “a few”. Do you remember what topiary art was? We have already talked a bit about this in the pruning of boxwood a few days ago which, by the way, is another very good species for hedges.

WHAT HEDGES DO I CHOOSE?

This is a very, very broad question. The factors to consider are a few to choose the species well. Among them:

  • Square the species with the climatic conditions of your environment
  • Desired hedge height
  • Growth rate
  • Color
  • Foliage size

WE GIVE YOU TWO EXAMPLES

  • Honeysuckle ( Lonicera nitida ) is a great hedge to start with if you are not very experienced. It has a very fast growth rate and the cutting is usually simple. It supports a large number of soils and climates, even somewhat cold although severe frosts (-10ºC) are not good.
  • The common yew is another example of rapid growth, although not as fast as the previous one. Your end result is great. It supports severe pruning very well (mistakes…). The disadvantage is that it is somewhat more complicated to maintain. It requires a cool climate and good nutritive soil conditions.

They are just two simple examples. The best thing is that you go to your nearby nursery and ask, see and advise the best option for you. Until next time!

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