Hedging Your Bets: Make Your Hedges Work For You
Hedges in modern gardens are growing in popularity, so let's see how you can make them work harder for you
When people hear the word “hedge”, I imagine many picture a large, formal style hedge. Some images that come to mind include European, Villandry style gardens or some Classic English Manor house surrounded by tall hedges that requires endless clipping by a skilled team of gardeners with good sturdy ladders. These days, hedges are as popular as ever for all sorts of reasons, and since there is no end to the range of plants available for hedging, there can be no reason to limit yourself to formal gardens for their use.
Considerations
If you are in doubt about plant characteristics, ask your local nursery or have a look online.
- Aspect and expected sunlight exposure. This is especially relevant if planting in narrow areas close to houses.
- Soil type, climate and other site considerations like wind, drought, slope and drainage.
- Council guidelines and local restrictions (it’s no good planting a Leyland cypress hedge if your council has banned the plant)
- Your neighbours. Please be a good neighbour and keep in mind how your new hedge might effect others (light, views, maintenance)
- Style of hedge. Do you prefer more natural growth, topiary or boxed, for instance.
- Flowers vs foliage
- Growth rate. You might want a quick result, but fast-growing plants mean more work in the long run. Are you willing to put in the maintenance required for faster growing hedges? Think about using plants with a slightly slower growth rate to reduce the energy you spend keeping them in check.
If you are in doubt about plant characteristics, ask your local nursery or have a look online.
Layers
For a while now there has been a trend to create foliage rich gardens. The green on green plantings look deeply lush and inviting all year round, and by using layers of contrasting hedges like this garden, the design has a beautiful sense of flow and movement, even though it is being controlled by regular maintenance. It is also a look that can be adapted to suit most climates.
Some of the plants used here include: orange jasmine (Murraya paniculata), common box (Buxus sempervirens), silverbush (Convolvulus cneorum), blue fescue (Festuca glauca) and Gymea lily (Doryanthes excelsa).
TIP: After your hedge is planted, keep tip pruning it lightly to encourage bushy lateral growth and then gradually allow it to grow upwards to the desired height. If you wait until the plants grow to the predetermined height and then trim the tops, you risk being left with leggy foliage and sparse sections at the lower section of the hedge.
For a while now there has been a trend to create foliage rich gardens. The green on green plantings look deeply lush and inviting all year round, and by using layers of contrasting hedges like this garden, the design has a beautiful sense of flow and movement, even though it is being controlled by regular maintenance. It is also a look that can be adapted to suit most climates.
Some of the plants used here include: orange jasmine (Murraya paniculata), common box (Buxus sempervirens), silverbush (Convolvulus cneorum), blue fescue (Festuca glauca) and Gymea lily (Doryanthes excelsa).
TIP: After your hedge is planted, keep tip pruning it lightly to encourage bushy lateral growth and then gradually allow it to grow upwards to the desired height. If you wait until the plants grow to the predetermined height and then trim the tops, you risk being left with leggy foliage and sparse sections at the lower section of the hedge.
Privacy
With our busy, busy lives and so many pressures these days, most people crave privacy when retreating to their homes. I like to think of gardens as the inner sanctum and oasis of any home. This is a special place where you shouldn’t feel like you are being watched, so you can really relax and wind down.
This imposing traditional hedge flanks the front gate to number 29 and as one approaches to hopefully catch a glimpse of what lies beyond, you are foiled by the existence of another hedge blocking the view across the axis of the path. A clever trick to maintain complete privacy despite providing easy access.
With our busy, busy lives and so many pressures these days, most people crave privacy when retreating to their homes. I like to think of gardens as the inner sanctum and oasis of any home. This is a special place where you shouldn’t feel like you are being watched, so you can really relax and wind down.
This imposing traditional hedge flanks the front gate to number 29 and as one approaches to hopefully catch a glimpse of what lies beyond, you are foiled by the existence of another hedge blocking the view across the axis of the path. A clever trick to maintain complete privacy despite providing easy access.
Plants can be trained to suit the location. This photograph shows how pleaching fig trees help to keep their growth under control while the raised canopy is very uniform. The light coloured trunks are accentuated to create nice geometric lines to suit the sophisticated, linear pool.
TIP: Be mindful of your plant choices when hedging around pools. Deciduous plants can spell disaster as can many other trees and shrubs that drop leaves regularly.
If you have children that are likely to splash a lot you’ll need very tough, chlorine or salt tolerant plant choices to ensure survival.
TIP: Be mindful of your plant choices when hedging around pools. Deciduous plants can spell disaster as can many other trees and shrubs that drop leaves regularly.
If you have children that are likely to splash a lot you’ll need very tough, chlorine or salt tolerant plant choices to ensure survival.
Box hedges
Box hedges can be incredibly useful additions to any garden. They create beautiful lines and permanent structure, regardless of other seasonal changes that may affect the garden. They can also be used to ‘box’ in and frame sections of the garden so that other plants have a chance to grow, die and maybe be a little bit on the wild side in contrast.
If you like the look of common box (Buxus spp and cvs), they are very easy to establish, reliable in performance and slow to moderate growers, so do not require excessive trimming.
If you prefer to think ‘outside the box’, you can use anything that suits the location, responds well to trimming and looks great planted in a repetitive hedge row. Why not look at natives like Eriostemon buxifolia, coastal or native rosemary (Westringia fruticosa) or one of the mini lilly pilly varieties, or maybe consider some of the interesting exotic clumping bamboos (Bambuseae), or fruiting trees like olives (Olea europaea), blueberry shrubs (Vaccinium) or guava (Psidium) for a more productive approach.
Box hedges can be incredibly useful additions to any garden. They create beautiful lines and permanent structure, regardless of other seasonal changes that may affect the garden. They can also be used to ‘box’ in and frame sections of the garden so that other plants have a chance to grow, die and maybe be a little bit on the wild side in contrast.
If you like the look of common box (Buxus spp and cvs), they are very easy to establish, reliable in performance and slow to moderate growers, so do not require excessive trimming.
If you prefer to think ‘outside the box’, you can use anything that suits the location, responds well to trimming and looks great planted in a repetitive hedge row. Why not look at natives like Eriostemon buxifolia, coastal or native rosemary (Westringia fruticosa) or one of the mini lilly pilly varieties, or maybe consider some of the interesting exotic clumping bamboos (Bambuseae), or fruiting trees like olives (Olea europaea), blueberry shrubs (Vaccinium) or guava (Psidium) for a more productive approach.
This garden shows a low box hedge used to border the vegetable beds. I love this look!
You could also use an edible plant like rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), sage (Salvia) or chives (Allium schoenoprasum) to achieve the same look.
Many people find the ordered look of this style of vegetable garden to be very soothing and even restful. The order is good for the mind and the fresh produce is good for the body.
You could also use an edible plant like rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), sage (Salvia) or chives (Allium schoenoprasum) to achieve the same look.
Many people find the ordered look of this style of vegetable garden to be very soothing and even restful. The order is good for the mind and the fresh produce is good for the body.
Secret gardens
Secret gardens are so intoxicatingly intriguing. You can give your garden that air of being a secret treasure, tempting a little peek, by creating a small window through the surrounding hedge.
This is a Camellia sasanqua hedge. They are very easy to establish and care for and, as an added bonus, once a year it will produce a glorious floral display.
Secret gardens are so intoxicatingly intriguing. You can give your garden that air of being a secret treasure, tempting a little peek, by creating a small window through the surrounding hedge.
This is a Camellia sasanqua hedge. They are very easy to establish and care for and, as an added bonus, once a year it will produce a glorious floral display.
Hedges can be used to frame and accentuate views and special areas of the garden.
The series of hedges shown here would help to protect the pool area from being overlooked, create a warm micro climate and also help to reduce those prevailing winds.
The series of hedges shown here would help to protect the pool area from being overlooked, create a warm micro climate and also help to reduce those prevailing winds.
You can go for tall, medium or low hedges to suit your purposes. This lavender hedge running along the path creates a lovely border planting for the garden beyond.
Characteristics to look for:
- Dense, even growth
- Responds to trimming
- Not too woody
- Suited to the site
- Long lived (don’t use perennials)
- Evergreen (preferably)
The images below are examples of rosemary, acacia and Hebe’s being used to great effect in hedging. They add beautiful colour, texture and, in some cases, even provide showy flowers. This goes to show that you can literally use a wide variety of plants and it really only depends on your own personal tastes as to whether a plant is worthy of hedging. However, if you need some guidance, look at the list of tried and true hedging plants I have included at the end of my Ideabook.
Characteristics to look for:
- Dense, even growth
- Responds to trimming
- Not too woody
- Suited to the site
- Long lived (don’t use perennials)
- Evergreen (preferably)
The images below are examples of rosemary, acacia and Hebe’s being used to great effect in hedging. They add beautiful colour, texture and, in some cases, even provide showy flowers. This goes to show that you can literally use a wide variety of plants and it really only depends on your own personal tastes as to whether a plant is worthy of hedging. However, if you need some guidance, look at the list of tried and true hedging plants I have included at the end of my Ideabook.
Homes for birds
Hedges make wonderful safe homes for small birds.
If you’d like to encourage birds to your garden, planting hedges will help. In particular, using spiky plants like the gorgeous red-leaf Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Antropurpurea’), as shown in the above garden, will provide a safe haven for all those lovely small birds like honey eaters, finches and wrens.
Team this with plantings of sweet nectar rich flowers like, Grevilleas, sage and Banksias and the birds will flock to your garden.
Hedges make wonderful safe homes for small birds.
If you’d like to encourage birds to your garden, planting hedges will help. In particular, using spiky plants like the gorgeous red-leaf Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii ‘Antropurpurea’), as shown in the above garden, will provide a safe haven for all those lovely small birds like honey eaters, finches and wrens.
Team this with plantings of sweet nectar rich flowers like, Grevilleas, sage and Banksias and the birds will flock to your garden.
Hedging just for fun
This last series of photos shows just how playful and artistic hedges can be. Bold sculptural scrolls, interesting topiary shapes, mazes, clipped balls instead of straight lines, even waves of contemporary steel… The sky is the limit.
This last series of photos shows just how playful and artistic hedges can be. Bold sculptural scrolls, interesting topiary shapes, mazes, clipped balls instead of straight lines, even waves of contemporary steel… The sky is the limit.
Tried and true
The following is a list of hedging plants that are well thought of for all the right reasons. I by no means intend to list all options so please feel free to add any other suggestions to the comments section.
TALL over 2m
MEDIUM under 2m
SMALL under 1m
The following is a list of hedging plants that are well thought of for all the right reasons. I by no means intend to list all options so please feel free to add any other suggestions to the comments section.
TALL over 2m
- Leyland cypress (Cupressus leylandii cvs)
- Pittosporum (Pittpsporum tenuifolium cvs)
- Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
- Orange jessamine (Murraya Paniculata)
- Lemon scented myrtle (Backhousia Citriodora)
MEDIUM under 2m
- Camellia (Camellia sasanqua or C. japonica cvs)
- Lilly pilly (Acmena Smithii or Syzygium cvs)
- Blueberry ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus)
- Magnolia trees and shrubs (Magnolia ‘Little Gem’ or Michelia figo)
- Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica)
SMALL under 1m
- Box varieties (Buxus sp and cvs)
- Diosma (Coleonema pulchrum)
- Duranta (Duranta repens cvs)
- Native rosemary (Westringia fruticosa cvs)
- Hebe varieties (Hebe spp and cvs)
MORE
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7 Common Garden Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
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There are so many great reasons to use hedges in the landscape. Just some that come to mind include: privacy; security; windbreak; obscuring undesirable views; a living fence alternative; delineating different garden areas; creating good structure; framing special areas; creating rooms; adding beauty; and the good old vegetable garden.
Of course, if you have a penchant for beautifully maintained formal garden styles, hedging is simply a must.