Hedge fun

27/01/2008

Handsome border of conifers

UNLIKE leylandii, the Emerald Green Cedar, Thuja occidentalis is a slow-growing conifer with an ultimate height of around 12ft to 14ft and girth of 3ft to 4ft. Its narrow habit means it works well for boundaries, where it can also be pruned as individual columns. A pair of well-matched plants are ideal for flanking a formal entrance.

EXPERT TIP: This conifer is multi-trunked so branches risk being separated by weight of ice and snow unless they are tied in for winter. In cold weather the foliage may dull, but returns to its former glory in March.

HOW MUCH? £2.15 each, less for bulk buys, from Buckingham Nurseries (www.hedging.co.uk, 01280 822133).Cute little edgeTHE dense mass of small, oval, lustrous green leaves makes box particularly well-suited to clipping and training as a hedge. Buxus suffruticosa is a genuine dwarf form and its final height is a mere 6in to 8in – ideal for edging, while sempervirens will grow up to 2ft 6in.

EXPERT TIP: For a thick hedge that can be clipped and topiary-shaped, plant box in a double-staggered row, setting the plants 10in apart. Plants will gain several inches of growth per year and should be pruned in late spring.

HOW MUCH? Pack of 10 hedging plants, £24.95 (www.trees-online.co.uk, 01651 891106).Take it as redPHOTINIA Red Robin makes a striking evergreen hedge with brilliant red glossy young leaves, which provide a spectacular display in spring and summer before maturing to dark green. It’s ideal for a suburban plot and prefers a sunny site but will tolerate partial shade.

EXPERT TIP: Photinia is not a particularly dense shrub, so is not recommended where a security hedge is required. It can, however, be trimmed to a formal hedge shape in spring and summer.

HOW MUCH? £3.88 per plant (www.hedgesdirect.co.uk, 01225 422077).Splash of colourA HYDRANGEA hedge looks stunning along the perimeter of a large suburban or seaside garden and is especially useful in plots that are overshadowed by large trees – provided the soil is enriched with organic matter before planting.

EXPERT TIP: The colour of mophead hydrangea flowers usually reflects the acidity of the soil that the plant is growing in. In alkaline soils it is impossible to retain blue shades without treating them with a colorant and they will take on red and purplish tones.

HOW MUCH? Plants with three to five branches cost £6.95 (www.spaldingbulb.co.uk, 0844 493 5050).Time to ‘fedge’ itA FENCE-LIKE hedge of woven willow, sometimes called a “fedge”, is ideal if you want to separate a piece of garden without making a harsh boundary. The fedge will grow and fill in as it shoots, creating an attractive screen.

EXPERT TIP: For the first year you will need to keep the fedge well watered and trim it every few months – its important not to let the new growth get too out of hand, otherwise the shoots will become too thick for a regular hedge cutter to control.

HOW MUCH? £9.40 per metre – equivalent to six one-year lattice rods – from R Goodwin & Son (www.essexwillow. co.uk, 01376 573236).

Create arch rival

BECAUSE hornbeam responds very well to hard pruning when grown as a hedge, it can be maintained at a height of 8-10ft and can even be trained to create an archway. If clipped in summer it will also, like beech, retain its dead leaves in the winter.

EXPERT TIP: It does best in deep, moist, well-drained loamy soil. Plant five to seven hornbeam per metre and in a staggered, double row to make a thick impenetrable hedge. Avoid pruning in spring, as the wounds will bleed profusely.

HOW MUCH? Bare root plants from around £1.20 each, from Buckingham Nurseries (www.hedging.co.uk, 01280 822133).

A purple patch

LAVENDER is a magnificently versatile plant and makes a superb flowering low hedge or border edging in a sunny spot. Space plants 15in apart and if you want extra thickness, plant two staggered rows 18in apart.

EXPERT TIP: Trimming is best done in spring as cutting back lavender always encourages new growth, which if produced later in the year will not be very winter-hardy. Lavender is also not very long-lived and plants are best replaced every 10 years.

HOW MUCH? 10 plant pack £39.95

(www.gardeningexpress.co.uk, 0800 033 6161).