Thuja: dense wall
The qualities of the western thuja (Thuja occidentalis) as a hedge plant are undeniable. Although in winter the needles of this evergreen plant sometimes turn brown and it somewhat loses its decorative effect, it is believed that this tree (there are also shrubby forms) is quite winter-hardy and resistant to strong winds. Unfortunately, thuja grows slowly and only after 10 years it forms a dense, completely impenetrable living wall. The plant is very undemanding to the soil, provided that it is not too dry. A thuja hedge should be trimmed regularly, but little by little, since this plant does not tolerate radical pruning. Some of the best varieties are: ‘Smaragd’ with tender, all year round green scaly needles and well-branched ‘Sunkist’ with golden-yellow needle leaves.
Cypress: colorful variety
Lawson cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) is another evergreen coniferous hedge plant, comparable to arborvitae. Cypress grows straight up and is not as powerful as thuja; it has more filigree branches with delicate scaly needles. It also feels great in shady corners on any normal, but not too dry garden soil. Available for hedges big choice varieties with blue or gray-blue needles ('Alumii', 'Columnaris', Ellwoodii'), with yellow or yellow-green needles ('Alumigold', 'Golden Wonder', 'Stewartii'), as well as with cream-tipped green needles ('White Spot'). Unfortunately, this type of cypress is not very cold-resistant, so it can only be recommended for the southern regions of Russia, and for the middle zone, the no less beautiful pea cypress (C. pisifera) with scale-like pointed needles, dark green on top and bluish-white below, is more suitable. Like thuja, cypress does not tolerate heavy pruning and requires shading at the end of winter and in early spring.
Yew: tolerates shearing well and lives long
Yew berry (Taxus baccata) is a real relict plant: there are specimens that are more than 1000 years old. Hedges grown from yew also last a long time, but in order to obtain such a hedge, it will also take a lot of time, since yew grows very slowly. A well-kept yew hedge is so thick that even immediately after trimming it looks like a solid green wall. Yew grows both in the deepest shade and under the canopy big trees, without fear of competition with their roots. The main thing is that the soil is not too acidic. And it is important to remember that all parts of the plant, right down to the pulp of the fruit (the red berry-like cones surrounding the seeds) are very poisonous to both humans and animals. Varieties recommended for hedges: ‘Hicksii’ (erect, with bright green needles) and ‘Semperaurea’ (densely branching, with yellow needles). A yew hedge can withstand heavy pruning, but it will take a long time before it becomes dense again. Yew berry is quite cold-resistant and, in principle, can grow in central Russia; for the winter it must be covered with burlap, protecting not so much from the cold as from sun rays, which cause burns.
Red beech: noble metallic shine
The red-leaved form of European beech (Fagus sylvatica f. purpurea) contains a particularly large amount of red pigment in its leaves, thanks to which the hedge of this plant has a dark metallic sheen and looks very noble. In autumn, the beech foliage turns yellow-orange and partially remains on the tree until spring. Beech for hedges is propagated by seeds, so the color of the foliage, unlike grafted plants, can vary. Sometimes you come across green-leaved specimens, which you will have to replace with next year. Both forms of forest beech - green and red-leaved - have the same properties: it can grow in the shade, tolerates radical pruning very low to the ground and is suitable for very narrow hedges. Beech trees' soil requirements are quite high: they prefer fertile, loamy soil and will not grow in damp, acidic or alkaline soil. Creating beech hedges is possible only in the southern regions of Russia.
Hornbeam: the gold of autumn foliage
The true or common hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is very similar in appearance to beech, although it belongs to a completely different family. The most reliable hallmark- buds: in beech they are fusiform, pointed, up to 2 cm long, and in hornbeam they are short, sessile. Hornbeam foliage has fresh green color and looks more filigree than beech, since the leaves themselves are thinner, with clearly defined veins and do not shine so much. They turn golden yellow in the fall and don't fall off until winter. In terms of shade tolerance and pruning tolerance, hornbeam is not inferior to beech, and it makes much fewer demands on the soil: it can be moderately dry or moist and even purely sandy. But the survival rate of plants after planting is quite poor, so it is better to choose younger seedlings; by the way, they are easy to grow from seeds. Hornbeam is good for creating very dense hedges. In central Russia, this tree often takes on a bush-like form.
Privet: grows quickly and propagates easily
IN Western Europe Evergreen species of privet, such as shiny privet (Ligustrum lucidum), are considered the best for creating hedges, but for the conditions of central Russia they are completely unsuitable due to their low winter hardiness. For us, the deciduous common privet (Ligustrum vulgare) is more suitable, as it can withstand short-term frosts down to -30°C. In addition, it is drought-resistant, can grow in saline and alkaline soils, but prefers nutrient-rich and well-moistened, as well as sunny locations. This privet grows very quickly and bushes well, and is easily restored even after barely radical rejuvenating pruning. Regular formative pruning should be carried out immediately after flowering, in July. There are forms and varieties with bluish, golden or variegated leaves. Common privet is easily propagated by seeds, root suckers, layering, lignified and green cuttings. Therefore, having just one bush of this plant, you can very quickly grow a large number of seedlings for a hedge.
Barberry: prickly beauty
Barberry is the thorniest plant in the range of hedge crops. It is not very pleasant to cut it, but such unwanted guests as other people's dogs and cats are unlikely to risk crossing such a barrier onto your site. The plant is beautiful in its own right: the deciduous multi-leaved Thunberg barberry (Berberis thunbergii) ‘Atropurpurea’ convincingly proves this with its small foliage with a velvety sheen. No less attractive is the more cold-resistant common barberry (B. vulgaris), as well as other species valuable for landscaping: Siebold barberry (B.sieboldii), Amur barberry (B. amurensis), birch barberry (B.heteropoda) and many others. But heat-loving evergreen species, such as Juliana barberry (B. julianae) with hard glossy leaves, are not suitable for the rather harsh conditions of central Russia. The common advantage of all barberries is their elegant golden-yellow or reddish flowers and small red or bluish-black fruits. Barberries tolerate pruning well, so they are suitable for low hedges and borders. Plants of all types prefer sunny places, undemanding to soil conditions, drought-resistant and does not tolerate stagnant moisture.
Hawthorn: spring bloom
Hawthorn - classic plant for hedges. For example, single-pistillate hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is great for a natural garden. This is a small tree or shrub 3-6 m high with a symmetrical light crown, dark green leaves that turn red in autumn and spines up to 1.5 cm long. It is close to prickly hawthorn, but differs from it in its rapid growth and the presence of pinkish flowers. The fruits are round and red. This type of hawthorn is shade-tolerant and less demanding of heat and air humidity than other types, so it can be used in areas with a more continental climate. Grows well in dry or moderately moist calcareous soil, in sun or partial shade. Hawthorn is pruned once or twice a year. If you prune once, it should be done no later than mid-July. When pruning twice, the first one is done in early spring.
Field maple: beautiful and unpretentious
If you want to grow your hedge as quickly as possible, choose field maple (Acer campestre). This fast-growing deciduous tree is winter-hardy and highly resistant to wind. Maple is especially beautiful during spring flowering and autumn. Optimal height for a hedge 2-4 m. Young shoots appear in early spring; Since they contain a large amount of milky sap, the hedges are not trimmed at this time of year, but are postponed to the end of June. If necessary, a second pruning is carried out in August. Field maple is drought-resistant, loves fertile, lime-containing soil, and grows in sun and partial shade. Many other species can be placed on a par with it, primarily the Tatarian maple (A. tataricum) and the Ginnala maple, or riverine maple (A. ginnala). All of them perfectly tolerate any formation and are easily propagated by seeds.
Not only classics
For a hedge, it is not at all necessary to take the classic, pruning-tolerant plants listed above. Why not, for example, choose this fruit crop like an apple tree. A hedge made from it is no worse in decorativeness than a hawthorn hedge, and even with fruits. Apple tree plants can be planted almost close to each other, then over time they will form a dense, almost impenetrable wall that perfectly protects the area from the wind. A good high hedge can be formed from common spruce, linden, hazel (hazel), decorative apple tree, serviceberry, yellow acacia or other tree species, however, it will be a fence, so to speak, “on supports”. From below it will have to be additionally compacted with clipped or free-growing shade-tolerant plants. And for a low green wall, low-growing shrubs such as cotoneaster, currant, cinquefoil (Kuril tea), spirea, bladderwort, evergreen mahonia holly, and many others are suitable.
When people buy land plot, the arrangement of its territory, as a rule, begins with a fence. That's right, we built a fence, and then we do whatever we want on our land - we build a house, plant a garden, sow a lawn, grow flowers. What if instead of the usual slate and brick, you use living plants for fencing? It will be cool, original and very beautiful. What are the best shrubs for hedges? There are many options, let's choose.
Cotoneaster brilliant
A fence made from shiny cotoneaster looks very harmonious and neat. Bright mixborders and multi-colored flower beds look good against its background. And the plant itself does not require complex care.
Belongs to deciduous and fast growing shrubs. You can make quite high hedges from it (up to 3 m). The growth is formed by straight shoots directed in all directions. The diameter of the crown is 1.5 times greater than the height.
Cotoneaster leaves have the shape of a pointed ellipse or egg; on top they dark green, and shiny underneath, which is how this variety got its name. In autumn, the color of the leaves changes from red to dark brown, which gives the hedge a special colorfulness.
But such a natural fence will be the most beautiful at the end of May, when the cotoneaster begins to bloom. During the flowering period, which lasts for a month, the bush is simply strewn with small pink flowers, so many of them that the leaves are almost invisible.
Be prepared for the fact that during flowering a lot of bees fly around such a hedge, because cotoneaster flowers give off a simply intoxicating aroma. But on the other hand, this is good, insects pollinate the buds and fruits are set on the bush.
At the end of September the fruiting period begins. The shiny and black cotoneaster berries are spherical in shape, inside them there is red-brown pulp and two seeds containing seeds. The fruits on the bushes last until the first frost hits. The berries do not have any special taste, so they are most widely used for medicinal purposes.
Cotoneaster can be propagated by seeds or cuttings.
The main advantage of the shrub is its good resistance to frost and drought. It can grow normally in sunny and shady places. Cotoneaster is calm about gas pollution, dust and dirty air.
What the brilliant cotoneaster will require from its owner is good drainage when planting, because the plant does not like stagnant water. He also needs to be given regular haircuts. The shrub grows quickly, so a mature hedge will need to be cut 2-3 times per season.
Inexpensive and very beautiful solution there will be a hedge of spirea. Be prepared for the fact that when the plant blooms in the spring, people will not be able to calmly pass by your fence. Well, this is rather a reason not for irritation, but for pride.
This is a fast-growing and deciduous shrub. Different varieties of spirea have different branches - erect, creeping, spreading. The height of such a fence will be about 1.5 m, but there are some plant species that reach 2.5 m.
Spiraea has varieties that bloom in spring, and there are late-blooming ones. If you plant several different varieties, you can get a hedge that blooms from spring to autumn. Spiraea, which blooms in the spring, is quickly covered with white buds, but such beauty quickly ends; the flowering period for these varieties is very short. Summer-flowering spirea also bloom en masse, their period is longer, the flowers come in different shades - from white to pink-red. In late-flowering varieties, the bush gradually becomes covered with inflorescences, some have already withered, while others are just replacing them.
The spirea hedge will begin to bloom profusely 3-4 years after planting.
Spiraea can be propagated by seeds, cuttings or by dividing the bush.
The plant tolerates drought and winter cold well.
Spiraea will not cause any trouble in caring for it; any soil composition is suitable for it; it does not need to be constantly fed. Loosen the soil around the bush and provide moderate watering. Prune early-blooming spireas after their flowering period ends.
Late flowering plants are pruned in early spring. For these shrubs, pruning comes down to removing dry, diseased and damaged branches. For such a little care, the plant will generously reward you with its wonderful appearance.
There are low-growing varieties of spirea, they grow up to 0.5 m in height. They make very beautiful hedges along garden paths, they look great as a border or in the foreground of a coniferous fence.
Yew
Do you want to plant evergreen shrubs for a hedge? Then the best option would be yew.
The shrub is slow-growing, woody, compact, and has a very dense crown. This is the most accessible type coniferous plants. Yew quickly adapts after planting and reproduces easily.
A yew fence has undoubted advantages:
- it has very juicy greens;
- dense and perfectly smooth surface;
- impeccable appearance;
- has good resistance to pests and diseases.
And with all this, yew requires almost minimal care.
Usually this plant is used to create fences no more than 1 m high. There are many various types and yew varieties, the most common for hedges is berry.
Among all coniferous species This plant is the most shade-tolerant. A semi-shaded place would be ideal for yew; here it will retain all its decorative qualities and properties. You can plant it in the sun, in such a place it will grow quickly, but over time it will begin to lose resistance to frost. The plant will tolerate heavy shade, but its growth will slow down.
Berry yew is not demanding on the soil; it should be of average fertility, fairly loose, but not waterlogged.
When planting seedlings in the soil, you need to add the complex mineral fertilizers, after a year, re-feeding is carried out.
While the yew trees are still young and have not closed into a continuous hedge, they need to be watered monthly, using the sprinkler method. The soil requires loosening to a depth of 15 cm. Yew likes the soil around it to be mulched.
For the first two years after planting, do not touch the plant, then carry out the initial pruning of 1/3 of the branches. And then there are shaping haircuts, which yew tolerates well. Due to the fact that the plant takes root well in the shade, the hedge can be shaped not only into a circle, trapezoid or cone, but also into a strict classic rectangle.
Juniper
A juniper hedge will delight you with its rich greenery all year round.
This is an evergreen coniferous plant from the cypress family. The second name for common juniper is heather. Some varieties of shrubs have a spreading crown and flexible branches. There are tree-like junipers with a lush cone-shaped or pyramidal crown.
Juniper blooms in June. If you see green bumps round shape, then these are female flowers, and male ones look like earrings. The bush bears fruit from mid-August to late September.
Juniper cone-berry fruits are widely used for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes.
To form a fence you need to purchase planting material 3-4 years of age. This plant is not too picky, but it is still advisable to use a nutrient mixture of sand, peat and turf soil when planting instead of regular soil. For good water drainage, it is necessary to pour a drainage pad made of pieces of brick or crushed stone.
This shrub tolerates drought well, but in very dry summers it must be irrigated periodically.
Juniper likes spraying the crown; it is advisable to do this once every 10 days, early in the morning or late in the evening.
The plant is quite resistant to frost, but in the first winter after planting, the seedlings should still be covered.
Juniper is used to make both free-growing and molded hedges, and low-growing varieties can be used to create beautiful borders. The shrub grows slowly, but it is durable and rarely damaged by diseases and pests. It tolerates a haircut well and then retains its artificial shape perfectly.
If there is a hedge of juniper on the site, we can say with confidence that colds are no longer a problem. This plant evaporates biologically active substances that inhibit the development of bacteria. The pine scent of juniper will calm you down nervous system, improve sleep, relieve headaches.
Ivy
An excellent solution to give the new kind The old fence will be replaced with climbing plants for a hedge. The most common among them is ivy.
This climbing, fast-growing plant has many varieties, but it is advisable to choose the unpretentious and simple one - common ivy. If you happen to visit mountainous areas (Crimea, Caucasus), then this plant is found there at almost every step. You can dig it up, transport it and plant it on your site, the ivy will easily and quickly take root.
Its beautiful leathery glossy leaves can have different shapes and colors. A plant with dark green leaves is best planted in areas with diffused light or shady areas. This type of ivy is considered frost-resistant. Varieties with variegated leaves need a sunny location, but this ivy can freeze slightly during severe frosts.
The plant is absolutely unpretentious to soil composition and watering. Ivy grows quickly, during the flowering period small flowers appear, and then blue-black berries ripen in their place.
The Colchis ivy variety will look very beautiful as a hedge. It does not grow as quickly as the common one and does not tolerate frosty winters well, but it has incredibly attractive leaves, thick, large, reaching a length of up to 20 cm. If you rub its leaves in your palms, a pleasant nutmeg aroma will appear.
The basis for such a green fence can be an existing fence made of brick, slate or wooden planks. Or you can mount some light structures made of metal wire or mesh, tie young ivy shoots to them, and then it will climb in height on its own.
Ivy branches need to be constantly guided and trimmed if necessary.
The plant is not covered for the winter.
Deren
A hedge made of derain looks beautiful at any time of the year. In summer it has a spreading crown, strewn with flowers of cream and white shades. In autumn, the bush gradually changes its color, so at the same time you can see leaves of orange, bright green and purple, in addition to them, black or red-gray fruits appear. And on winter days, the yellow or light green bark of the bush simply looks wonderful under fluffy snow coats.
It is thanks to such beauty and simple care If the question arises, which shrubs to choose for a hedge, more and more gardeners give preference to fences made of wood.
Although the Siberian forests are considered the birthplace of derena, the plant has spread and taken root throughout Russia. White dogwood is also called svidina; it is not difficult to care for and can withstand any natural vagaries, be it drought, frost or rainy weather. It develops normally in urban environments, where the atmosphere is often polluted.
The shrub is a fast-growing deciduous shrub; it can reach a height of 1 to 3 m. It blooms twice per season, cream and white flowers appear in May or early June, and then again in August or early September. In autumn, small round berries can be seen next to the flowers on the bushes.
A very common variety of white tree is Elegantissima, it has a luxurious green crown, and green leaves they have a white border along the edge, which gives hedges made from such a plant a special decorative effect.
Derain has no special complaints about the soil composition; the main thing it requires is a sufficient amount of moisture.
This plant loves the sun, but also grows well in the shade.
Seedlings at the age of 4 years will take root best and produce many young shoots. When planting in a trench, it is recommended to add organic fertilizers. Young, newly planted bushes need to be watered every day. Mature plants can for a long time do without water, but in too dry summers they need to be watered 2-3 times a month.
Hedges are multifunctional and therefore very diverse. They can be single-rowed, double-rowed or triple-rowed, forming or non-forming, grown from thorny and non-thorny plants. For hedges, both coniferous and deciduous plants are used, which can, in turn, be evergreen and deciduous. Depending on the purpose of planting, hedges can be tall or trellises - over 2 m, average - from 1 to 2 m and low, or curbs, - from 0.5 to 1 m.
Medium height hedges
They are usually created inside the site. They may not be too dense. Coniferous trees are used for such hedges: thuja occidentalis and its medium-sized garden forms - both with green colored needles and with golden or variegated ones; spruce with more intensive cutting to a height of no more than 1.5 m, common juniper and virginiana, as well as their garden forms, which usually do not require molding.
Trellis
planted along the borders of the site, less often inside it, in two or three rows. Conifers look great in trellis planting: Thuja occidentalis and its pyramidal forms, Virginia and common junipers, even spruce, which, when cut, forms very dense plantings that are insurmountable even for dogs and cats.
Trimmed hedges
They can be two-, three- and even four-tiered. Plants for planting are selected in accordance with the desired height of the tiers. For landscaping, deciduous and evergreen conifers are planted ornamental trees and shrubs, climbing and climbing plants are grown
Unformable hedge in landscaping
For an unformable hedge, different types of hawthorn, common elderberry, Maak honeysuckle, Tatarian, blue, different types serviceberry, common viburnum, as well as varieties of Persian lilac, mock orange, common mackerel, golden currant. For unformed hedges in landscaping, rugose rose, white snowberry, oak-leaved, medium, willow-leaved and Vangutta spirea, Thunberg barberry, different varieties of mock orange, low almond, and felt cherry are used.There is a wide range of non-thorny shearing deciduous plants for landscaping: caragana tree, European birchcrest, common privet, squat elm, honeysuckle, brilliant cotoneaster, bladderwort, common viburnum, gordovina. In Western Europe, evergreen species of privet, for example, brilliant privet, are considered the best for landscaping creating hedges, but for the conditions of central Russia they are completely unsuitable due to low winter hardiness. For us (greening of central Russia), the deciduous common privet is more suitable, which can withstand short-term frosts down to - 30. In addition, it is drought-resistant, can grow on saline and alkaline soils, but prefers nutrient-rich and well-moistened, as well as sunny locations . Easily restored after pruning. Common privet is easily propagated by seeds, root suckers, layering, lignified and green cuttings.
Barberry hedge
For example, barberry- the most prickly plant in the range of crops for hedges. It is not very pleasant to cut it, but such unwanted guests as other people's dogs and cats are unlikely to risk climbing over such a fence onto your site. The plant is beautiful in its own right: the deciduous, variegated Thunberg barberry convincingly proves this with its small foliage with a velvety tint. No less attractive in landscaping is the more cold-resistant common barberry, as well as other species valuable for landscaping: Siebold's barberry, Amur barberry, multi-horned barberry. Barberries tolerate pruning well, so they are also suitable for low hedges and borders.
Hawthorn
A classic hedge plant. For example, hawthorn monopistillate is excellent for a natural garden. This is a small tree or shrub 3 - 6 m high with a symmetrical light crown, dark green leaves that turn red in autumn and thorns up to 1.5 cm long. It is close to prickly hawthorn, but differs from it in its rapid growth and the presence of pinkish flowers. The fruits are round and red. This type of hawthorn is shade-tolerant and less demanding of heat and air humidity than other types, so it can be used in areas with a more continental climate. Grows well in dry or moderately moist calcareous soil, in sun or partial shade.
The border of coniferous plants is very beautiful:
Yew berry, low growing garden forms thuja. Borders are very decorative; they are planted along paths, the borders of terraces and lawns in one, two or three rows, and are very popular in landscaping areas. last years. A very beautiful border of coniferous plants: yew, low-growing garden forms of thuja. The following deciduous plants are suitable for trimmed borders: from non-thorny ones - common privet, shrubby cinquefoil, alpine and golden currants, holly-leaved mahonia, evergreen boxwood; from prickly ones - Japanese quince, Thunberg barberry
Yew berry hedge
Yew berry this is a real relict plant: there are specimens that are more than 1000 years old. Hedges grown from yew also last a long time, but in order to obtain such a hedge, it will also take a lot of time, since yew grows very slowly. A well-kept yew hedge is so thick that even after trimming it looks like a solid green wall. Yew grows both in the deepest shade and under the canopy of large trees, without fear of competition with their roots. The main thing is that the soil is not too acidic. And it is important to remember that all parts of the plant, right down to the pulp of the fruit, are very poisonous to both humans and animals. Yew berry is quite cold-resistant and, in principle, can grow in central Russia; for the winter it must be covered with burlap, protecting not so much from the cold as from sun rays, which cause burns.
What is a hedge? A hedge is a dense planting of a group of shrubs in one or more rows to create a barrier similar to a standard fence. If you decide to create a hedge with your own hands, then we can say that you have chosen one of best options fencing. Hedges are used not only to fence the perimeter of a site, but also to divide it into zones. A hedge is planted in the autumn. This way the plants will take root better and become stronger in the ground.
A hedge is much more useful in the garden than a fence made of brick, stone, wood or metal. For example, on hot summer days, a hedge creates a good atmosphere, slightly shading the garden and thereby giving coolness. Various beneficial insects and birds can find shelter in it.
The hedge needs to be trimmed and shaped 1-2 times a year, otherwise it will grow willfully, which will reduce the decorative and practical function bushes Practical - because an evenly trimmed hedge allows you to move comfortably around the garden. Be prepared for the fact that some plants grow slowly, although they are much more decorative than their fast-growing comrades. Therefore, you will have to wait until the hedge grows to required height and width.
If you are planning to replace an ordinary, banal fence with a hedge, then the best period for its creation is the end of summer, the beginning of autumn. Planting hedges can begin at the end of August and continue until mid-September.
In order to create a green hedge on your site, you need to either grow the plants yourself, or buy coniferous or deciduous species. If you don’t want to wait for the green hedge to grow from small plants to quite tall ones, then you can buy plants at the nursery at the height you need.
Planting a hedge. First you need to decide on the type of plant, the living height green hedge and with space for a hedge. The place for the hedge should be marked with a cord or sprinkled with a thin line of sand. The fact is that shrubs for hedges are most often planted not in separate pits, but in a trench. Choose a plant that suits your preferences - a shrub for a hedge. Study well its characteristics, height in adulthood, and care for this plant. Having grown bushes or purchased them from a specialist. stores, it is advisable to drop them off on the same day. You need to dig a trench along the marked line. The depth and width of the trench depends on the earthen ball of the root system. Always make holes and trenches 5 - 10 cm larger than the earthen ball of the plant. We will fill these gaps between the soil and the lump with nutritious soil. You also need to put peat, humus, manure or compost on the bottom. Only conifers don’t need so much nutritious soil, otherwise they will “burn” from the excess. Bushes are planted in the prepared trench at equal distances and the earth around the earthen ball is pressed a little. The distance depends on the size and type of bushes. Immediately after planting or the next day, the plants are trimmed, especially cutting out long and unbranched shoots. Don’t be afraid of a drastic haircut, literally in 2 - 3 weeks the bushes will become lush and new branches will emerge. For several weeks, the hedge needs to be well watered to the depth of the roots, since the development of the bushes requires a lot of water.
In order for bushes to grow well, you should choose them not only for their beauty, but also for how well they will feel in your soil and the climate of your area. As an example, we will tell you about the 11 most famous, popular, and well-growing shrubs in the central region. So, let's go...
Yew berry photo:
1. Yew berry (Taxus baccata)- one of the most popular long-lived conifers, with good care can live up to 1000 years. Grows well in well-drained, loose, moisture-permeable soils. It can be used for hedges from one to four meters high. It tolerates shearing and bush formation well, it grows slowly, so it needs to be sheared once a year. It develops normally both in the shade and in the bright sun, but in the spring it needs to be covered a little, since the bright spring sun can cause “burns” on it. Since it grows slowly, you need to wait until it develops normally before planting can be called a hedge. The fleshy part of the yew fruit is edible, but the seeds and other parts of the plant are poisonous - warn children about this!
In addition to wild yew, the hybrid ‘Hicksii’ (Taxus x media) is also used for hedges.
Thuja occidentalis photo:
2. Western thuja (Thuja occidentalis)- this plant forms dense shoots well, is wind-resistant and frost-resistant. Can be used for hedges with a height of two to four meters. Grows in sunny places with nutritious, moist soil.
An ordinary, inexpensive thuja grows quickly and will reach eye level in a few years. In order for their thujas to create a continuous wall, they need to be trimmed twice a year. It is necessary to plant in moist and loose soil. But severe drought or stagnant water leads to fungal diseases.
There is no need to carry out a strong, radical haircut, since after this the thuja will not become green again. It is better to trim only the extra branches or the tops of the branches themselves. There is a large selection of thuja varieties with different colors of needles, different heights and crown shapes. But for hedges, the slow-growing variety ‘Smaragd’ is best suited, maintaining both winter time its green color.
Lawson cypress photo:
3. Lawson's cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)- very similar to thuja, but cypress has thinner and more delicate scaly leaves. Its uniqueness is that it has varieties with blue, yellow, and gray leaves. Grows well in sunny or semi-shaded places on moderately moist soils. It is more wind- and frost-resistant than thuja, but just like thuja it does not like strong haircuts. You need to cut your hair once a year. The best variety for hedges is the blue-green ‘Columnaris’.
Cherry laurel photo:
4. Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) — evergreen shrub, belonging to the Cherry subgenus of the Plum genus, like this...
Grown to create a hedge from one to two meters in height. Cherry laurel is not fussy; it can grow on dry soils and in dry winds; it tolerates both open sunny places and deep shade of trees. This shrub with its glossy leaves is suitable for decorating a Mediterranean-style garden. Cherry laurel grows widely, so it is preferable to trim it with garden shears once or twice a year. Varieties with upright growing branches, such as ‘Herbergii’ or ‘Rotundifolia’, are well suited for hedges.
Evergreen holly photo:
5. Evergreen holly (Ilex aquifolia)— a hedge from one to two meters high is created from it. Loves semi-shaded, sheltered places with nutritious, loose soil. Not suitable for cold regions, as variegated varieties often suffer from frost. You need to trim it once a year, holly grows slowly. Not only decorative variegated leaves, but also yellow or bright red berries. Although the holly is beautiful, beauty requires sacrifice - it is often affected by leafminers. The best varieties for hedges are ‘Siberia’ or ‘Heckenstar’ (Ilex x meserveae), as well as ‘I. C. van Tol'.
Common privet photo:
6. Common privet (Ligustrum vulgare)- one of the favorite plants for hedges among gardeners, because it is very unpretentious. It can grow both in the shade and in bright sun, and in any soil. In a hedge it can reach sizes from one to three meters. The plant grows quickly and creates a dense hedge, so it needs to be trimmed 2 times a year. Ungroomed bushes can be shaped with a dramatic haircut. Birds love privet very much - in dense thickets of branches they build nests and hatch chicks, and the berries, which are poisonous to humans, are used as food for birds.
Although privet sometimes disturbs gardeners with its creeping shoots and powerful root system, which can interfere with other plants growing nearby. In winter, most varieties do not retain foliage, forming a hedge of dense thickets of thin branches, but the variety "Atrovirens" and oval-leaved privet retain their foliage better in winter.
Evergreen boxwood photo:
7. Evergreen boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)- we can say that this is one of the most common shrubs for creating landscape design. Even in medieval Europe, he was in first place in creating hedges, borders and topiary figures. Since boxwood grows very slowly, it reaches up to 1 m in height in hedges. Grows well in sun and shade. It prefers nutritious, humus, well-permeable, loose, not dry soil.
Boxwood bushes become denser and denser as they grow. They tolerate haircuts well, no more than once a year. A drastic haircut is not advisable, as it will take a long time for young greenery to grow. Sometimes, in adulthood, it is affected by the Cylindrocladium fungus and symptoms may appear - dark - brown spots And white coating on the leaves.
‘Suffruticosa’ and ‘Blauer Heinz’ varieties can be planted to create low, compact hedge forms, while the wild species Buxus sempervirens is suitable for taller hedges.
European beech photo:
8. European beech (Fagus sylvatica) as well as purple beech (Fagus sylvativa var. purpurea)- are long-lived trees for creating hedges with a height of one and a half to four meters or more. Grows well in moist and nutritious soils, in shade and sun. Haircuts are carried out twice a year. Dark green leaves turn yellow-orange in autumn. Decorative foliage lasts for a very long time, until the onset of snowfalls. It is necessary to ensure that the soil where beeches grow is not very wet; the trunks and roots of beeches suffer greatly from excess water.
Common hornbeam photo:
9. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)- despite the fact that it is also called white beech because of its silver-gray bark, it still belongs to the Birch family. Unpretentious, grows in the sun and shade, tolerates drought and excess moisture. Haircuts are carried out twice a year. The bright green leaves turn lemon yellow in autumn and fall off a little earlier than beech leaves.
Field maple photo:
10. Field maple (Acer campestre)- low, slender tree, which is best planted in landscape gardens. Used to create a hedge of two to four meters. Grows well in both sun and partial shade, grows on any soil except acidic and waterlogged. Maple grows quickly, so it needs to be pruned twice a year; it also tolerates radical pruning right down to lignified branches. Not afraid of drought, heat, dry wind. In autumn the leaves turn golden yellow and fall off in the winter. Maples are sometimes damaged by powdery mildew. And because of their rapid growth, they sometimes look like unkempt bushes. Birds love to build nests in the dense branches of field maple.
Barberry Thunberg photo:
11. Thunberg barberry (Berberis thunbergii)- a slow-growing shrub that forms a spherical shape. Barberry is grown in hedges up to one and a half meters in height. Its short branches have sharp thorns, so this shrub is best suited for protecting your area from uninvited animals. Although barberry grows slowly, it still needs to be trimmed twice a year. If the barberry is neglected, then a radical haircut will do. Barberry foliage is decorative - different varieties have green, yellow, purple and variegated colors. And in the fall the leaves become intensely bright crimson. Also decorative are the coral fruits of barberry, which remain on the branches until severe frosts.
DIY hedge video:
Autumn hedge trimming video:
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A yew hedge is not only a decoration for a site, but a bright, effective landscape device that allows you to judge the owner as a person of high taste. Today, there are more and more people wishing to create such natural splendor on their property every year, since properly created hedges are not only decoration, but also excellent protection, and are also completely environmentally friendly.
The benefits of hedges
“Green fences,” including those made of yew, have the following advantages over conventional fences:
- Excellent air permeability, providing natural ventilation plot;
- Protect from dust penetration;
- Significantly reduce noise levels;
- Is environmentally friendly;
- Create coziness and a comfortable atmosphere.
In addition, there are many varieties of yew, so you can easily zone a site, this is especially true if the area exceeds 20 acres.
Yew hedge: planting
In order to achieve the desired effect and get strong, beautiful plants, you need to plant them correctly. A yew hedge can be formed from the end of August, as during this period the plant takes root well. Planting is also carried out in the spring from early April to mid-May, but always before the active development of the buds. If the yew was purchased in containers, then planting can be carried out from April to October. Important: each plant should be planted with a clod of soil to protect the root system as much as possible.
Forming a yew hedge
A yew hedge demands special attention at the formation stage, since the plant will remain green and attractive throughout the year. In order for the finished “green fence” to look aesthetically attractive, and for the plants to feel comfortable and healthy, they should be planted at a distance of 20-50 cm. If clear boundaries are not planned, then the distance between seedlings should be at least 30 cm.
Choosing soil for planting yew
You should choose light soil for yew, since the plant will not take root in heavy soils. Be sure to additionally fertilize it before planting. The ideal composition of fertilizer for yew is:
- Sand - 2 parts;
- Peat - 2 parts;
- Leaf or turf soil - 3 parts.
It is also important to remember that yew berry prefers slightly acidic or alkaline soils, and pointed yew - slightly acidic or neutral. In turn, medium yew grows well on neutral and slightly alkaline soils.
Caring for yew plantings
After planting, a period of care begins, first for the plants, and then for the green hedge. It must be remembered that yew does not like moisture, therefore, abundant watering is not necessary. A green fence made from this plant will not be able to manifest itself in places with poor ecology, since plants are very demanding on the composition of the air.
Fertilizer is applied again every spring. Yew trees do not like the cold, they can even die at a young age, so they need to be covered for the winter for several years. This is done at the end of autumn using dry peat. The thickness of the protective layer is 6-7 cm. It is best to tie the yew branches so that they do not break off under the thickness of the fallen snow.
Yews are undemanding to light and sun; they thrive in shaded areas, but during the growing season and propagation they need more sunlight than usual. Propagation is by seeds or cuttings, which should be harvested from September to October. Their length should be at least 20 cm. The cuttings are planted in a sand and peat mixture and placed in a warm place, preferably in a greenhouse. Planting of cuttings should be done in mid-spring.
