How To Use Hedges In Landscaping

A hedge that is well kept and attractive can do much for your
grounds. Used in the front of the house and on the sides of your
lot, hedges are a barrier against traffic, noise and all things
unsightly; at the same time they enhance the proportions and
general appearance of your house and lawns. And within the
boundaries of your property, hedges define paths and walks,
demarcate various areas, and help to screen service areas and
vegetable gardens.

The plant materials generally used for hedges are mentioned
elsewhere in this book. They include the tall background hedges
of holly, thorn or wattle; the informal flowering hedges of rose,
bridal wreath spirea or barberry; Such evergreens as mugho pine,
globe arbor vitae, box or eunonymus (most of which are used as
low edgings) and the colorful fruit and-nut hedges of thorn
apple, hazlenut, cherry, beach plum, cranberry and quince.

And, of course, there are the formal clipped hedges. Of these,
the Amur privet is by far the most widely used. In fact, the
privet is used so universally that it is original to choose any
of the above for hedging.

How to Plant Hedges

Hedge shrubs must be planted in the same manner as any other
shrub, with soil preparation all-important to the continued life
of the plant. The main consideration here is the spacing and
planning of the plants in relationship to each other.

One way to get a straight hedge is to dig a trench the length of
your intended hedge, with one side straight and your plants set
against this straight wall. The depth of the plant depends on
what you are planting, but privet may be set 3 inches deeper than
it was before being transplanted.

How far apart the hedge shrubs are set again depends on what
shrub it is, as some hedging materials are spreading and bushy.
Privet is usually set 1 foot apart; barberry, 9 inches to 1 foot;
larger shrubs, 2 to 4 feet.

The way hedges are trimmed has much to do with their health.
While a flat top is neat looking, it is easily damaged by snow
and ice accumulating on top. A rounded top is better, therefore,
for northern winters. And hedges should be trimmed to slop
outward from top to bottom so that the leaves on the bottom also
get sun.

About the Author

Paul Curran is CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and
webmaster at Trees-and-Bushes.com, providing access to their
nursery supplier of a range of quality plants, trees, bushes,
shrubs, seeds and garden products.Visit their site now to find a
great selection of hedges for your garden