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The first thing to consider when planting a hedge is to ask: is this really necessary? What is the function of this hedge? Surprisingly often, these questions are not asked and unnecessary hedges are planted with considerable attendant maintenance than required.
The hedge has one or other of two roles. It can have a practical value as a barrier and screening or it can have ornamental value, sometimes both at the same time. If an existing boundary is a wall or fence, there is no need to plant a hedge.
There are much better ways of decorating a wall or fence. Hedges also play an important part within the garden, defining areas and offering shelter, and these hedges have an essentially decorative value.
When choosing the kind of hedging to plant, a careful assessment must be made of the location, the site and the soil.
The traditional hedging plants used in the countryside are beech, laurel, hawthorn, holly, fuchsia, lonicera and privet.
Of these, only hawthorn and holly are actually native – privet is too, but not the evergreen privet used in hedging. But the others have become traditional by virtue of their widespread use.
Beech is an excellent country hedge with green leaves in summer, good autumn colour and the brown leaves held on for winter.
Common laurel is excellent too, a complete screen, fast-growing, it is easily reduced in size if it gets too big.
Portuguese laurel has become very popular in recent years, but in some places is showing signs of downy mildew damage.
Although holly is thorny, it is not stock-proof
Hawthorn is the classic countryside hedge where a small hedge is required from one metre to about two metres, it has been traditionally used for field hedges but can be very attractive in a garden setting too. It is thorny.
Holly is also an excellent hedge, dense and evergreen, it makes a good medium-sized hedge. Although holly is thorny, it is not stock-proof.
Fuchsia has become a traditional garden and field hedge in some parts of the country, especially in mild areas close to the coast. It can be clipped or left as a free-form, flowering hedge.
Most hedging kinds of escallonia are prone to a damaging leaf spot disease
Lonicera hedge is widely seen in older gardens and although evergreen and dense and capable of being shaped into precise lines, it tends to lack rigidity, and its use has declined except for small hedges. It needs clipping at least twice a year and this is not ideal.
Privet is a traditional hedge but very prone to honey fungus disease and not a good choice for this reason.
Escallonia is a good evergreen hedge, though a little floppy, and needs more than one clip a year to keep it neat. Most hedging kinds of escallonia are prone to a damaging leaf spot disease.
Olearia is also good, especially for a tall hedge or screen. Griselinia is bright green, a little too noticeable in a country area, and it is prone to honey fungus root disease. These three are really seaside hedges, not totally hardy in cold inland areas, and they suffered badly in the cold winters of 2010.
Hornbeam is a good alternative to beech in heavy ground, which beech detests
Lawson cypress is a good evergreen hedge in well-drained soil but commonly suffers root rots.
Leyland cypress has a tendency to grow too big if not managed well, but it is reliable and wind resistant, though not salt resistant. It has developed dieback diseases of the foliage.
Thuja makes a good hedge and can be cut back hard but it needs well-drained soil to avoid root troubles.
Hornbeam is a good alternative to beech in heavy ground, which beech detests, although it does not hold its leaves as well as beech in winter.
Other hedges for use as garden boundaries or within the garden include berberis, lauristinus, yew, box, cotoneaster, hypericum, osmanthus and skimmia. Berberis of various kinds makes large or small hedges, thorny and some are stock-proof, but they need well-drained soil.
Lauristinus is an excellent dark evergreen hedge and quite shade-tolerant.
Yew is an excellent hedge, long-lived dark evergreen and can be shaped with great precision but it is poisonous to stock and must never be accessible. Box is a neat evergreen small-sized hedge, not disease prone. The others would be a rare choice.
Wise choice
This careful choice of the hedging species is the key to success and a good guide can be had by walking around the neighbourhood to see which hedges have done well.
Good ground preparation is vital. Control all weeds and vegetation over a strip one metre wide. Cultivate the soil and dig a trench or holes. Feed a hedge well in its early years to get fast initial growth and water in dry weather in the summer after planting.
Be careful not to plant too deeply and stake the hedge in a windy area until it is established, or use small hedging plants. Small plants are a lot cheaper and often establish better.
In a very exposed area use shelter fencing to protect the hedging in the early years. Plant close enough to have the hedging closing the gaps within two or three years.
Planting double lines of hedging is a waste of money. Begin the shaping of the hedge from an early stage, trimming the side growth first to keep the hedge relatively narrow and cutting the top before it reaches the final desired height.
Make sure to set up adequate fencing to prevent damage by livestock.
Although the idea of perennial flowers might be very far from the mind at this time of year, it is a good time to plant new flowers or to lift pieces of existing clumps and start new clumps in other parts of the garden.
If there are any gaps in front of shrubs, perennial flowers are ideal for filling in and giving colour in summer when shrubs have mostly gone out of flower.
Splitting existing flower clumps is an easy way to get new plants with the advantage of repeat planting that will give extra impact when the clumps flower all together. If some kinds have done especially well, they are the ones to choose because they will perform just as well in the new sites.
Fruit, vegetables and herbs
Plant new fruit trees and bushes. Dig over vegetable ground, removing old crops. Control weeds over areas of ground that will be dug over later. Spread compost before digging in.
Lawns
Lawn mosskiller such as sulphate of iron can be used. Occasional mowing in winter is a good idea if the soil is not too wet. Grass tends to grow a little over winter and an occasional mowing will keep it neat.
Trees, shrubs and roses
Planting of bare-root deciduous trees, hedging and shrubs can continue during dry weather. Do not plant in wet conditions. All kinds of pot-grown trees and shrubs can also be planted, of course. Stake young trees.
Flowers
Spring bulbs should be in the ground by now but should be planted if not. Tulips can be planted later than others. Bedding plants for spring colour should be put in now, if not already done. Lift dahlias and begonia.
Greenhouse and house plants
Remove all debris and dead plants and ventilate occasionally. Water very little to reduce the risk of grey mould disease. Set up a greenhouse frost protection heater to protect tender plants.
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