Hedges are the perfect natural dividers

Many gardeners want a hedge to maintain privacy in their yard or protection from the wind when the cold weather arrives. But Hedges have many uses in your back yard and can be an important feature of any yard or garden. They are living walls that are restful to the eye and offer smooth contours and texture. They are formed by shrubs or small trees, and can be used to
-block views
- delineate boundaries
-direct pedestrian traffic
-act as barriers
-create garden rooms
-or serve as a backdrop for other plants.

They are also important features for other reasons. They provide habitat for birds and other wildlife, and insects from butterflies to bumble bees. When you incorporate living walls into building development, you create aesthetically pleasing environments, help reduce greenhouse gases, and decrease energy costs.

Hedges are the perfect natural dividers for your garden. They do make great wind brakes, and unlike wooden panels they don't create turbulence behind them. They can be trimmed low to define the edge of a walk or to bring neatness and order to a garden. Hedges make a wonderful boundary, even in small gardens, but they do need regular maintenance, such as pruning, in order to retain their shape. By mid summer, most will have that shaggy, unkempt look and are in need of a trim. They vary greatly in form and species. The ideal hedge should be made of a mixture of species, which do not grow rapidly, thus reducing the need for trimming. Trimming is not only done for visual appeal though, but regular trimming is necessary to train the hedge to grow to its fullest capacity. Managing your hedges is critical to the success of your yard.

Evergreen shrubs are an important choice to consider for your hedge, in order to insure green color presence during the long gloomy days of winter. Evergreen hedges are also easier to grow and require less training and pruning than deciduous hedges. Evergreens are my first choice, think of cedar, yews, blue or white spruce, hemlock, cypress, and juniper. They are, however, more susceptible to damage from heavy snow in the winter months.

Evergreen hedges are almost always used to define spaces and create a visible structure within the garden. These vegetative fences, tall or small, keep the garden organized by subdividing it into compartments that are proportionate to one another.

Deciduous hedges on the other hand can provide a great variety of leaf color and texture, interesting berries and beautiful displays of blooms in season. An example is the Fuchsia which can be grown into low hedges where they will give a spectacular show of flowers and edible berries. Trimming these hedges annually drastically reduces the availability of berries as they are produced on second year growth in woody hedge species, such as hawthorn. Also rotational trimming can save time and money. Cutting interior branches can promote good health but can make the hedge look bad and, if done after the main spring growth, may remain visible for months.

On the down side Hedges can be the cause of disagreements between neighbors. These often relate to the size and tidiness of the hedge, and about cutting the hedge. However if you get along with your neighbors you should be able to come to an agreement with them.

Hedges at their simplest are vertical gardens and are also known as green or eco-walls and as vertical wetlands. In addition to the stunning aesthetic benefits, they also benefit air quality as the plants can help filter our air and are sometimes used indoors as a sustainable method for curing 'sick building syndrome'.

Next time you think of putting up a fence in your yard stop and think of using a hedge instead. It is not as instant but with a little patience I think you will be pleased with the results.

The benefits of Hedges “by the yard”