Uncommon Hedges By Marty Wingate

Look beyond the ordinary to create a spectacular hedge that’s more than a green wall.

One of the most useful plantings in the garden is the one that divides us from something else. Hedges are plantings with a purpose; they work for us. They delineate property boundaries, provide enclosure, and divide large spaces into smaller, distinct areas. And they hide things, such as the neighbors, the bus stop across the street, or the garbage bins.

But when it comes to selecting plants for hedges, we seem to be stuck in arborvitae mode. When a hedge of some sort is needed, we throw up a row of Thuja occidentalis—most likely ‘Smaragd’ or ‘Pyramidalis’—and call it good. While the solid line of green has its place, it isn’t the only option for a hedge, and if we limit ourselves to that concept we are missing an exceptional opportunity to add interest to our gardens. Other evergreens, both coniferous and broadleaf, along with a host of deciduous plants, are ready to assume the hedge billet, adding much more to the landscape than just a green wall.

Single Species Hedges

Formal hedges—plantings of a single species that are sheared to maintain their size and shape—certainly have their place, although they may appear incongruous with the informal landscape styles popular today. But many single species hedges adopt a more adaptable, relaxed attitude when the plants are allowed to develop their natural form.

Landscape designer and author Judy Mielke says that her favorite hedges, “are more like loose masses of plants rather than sheared shapes.” With respect to pruning, she advises gardeners to “leave the shears in the tool shed. If any trimming needs to be done, it should be with individual cuts to branches at varying lengths, to maintain a naturalistic rather than sheared effect.”

A deciduous hedge has its own strong points. First, we commonly need to screen off scenes that we view only in warm weather—late spring to fall. If we aren’t out in the garden in the dead of winter—and our neighbors aren’t out on their deck—then a hedge that lets some light in during winter is a reasonable option. A deciduous canopy also gives you the chance to carpet the ground with spring-flowering bulbs.

Some deciduous plants don’t drop all their leaves in fall. Juvenile oaks, beeches, and hornbeams tend to retain their dried leaves until spring. This lends a rustic and ancient look to a row of plants that might only be a few years old.

A hedge that provides a scrim effect obscures unwanted views without completely blocking them. It’s sort of like using a Venetian blind: Enough of your view is obstructed to make a screen, but it doesn’t have the feel of a solid wall you get from a dense evergreen. Small-leaved plants fit the bill. In mild regions, the large evergreen shrub Azara microphylla is a fine choice (USDA Hardiness Zones 8–10, AHS Heat Zones 12–10), but even larger-leaved plants, such as the semi-evergreen Viburnum 5burkwoodii (Zones 5–8, 8–1) would work well.

Size and Placement

Along with what to plant, consider how much of it you need. In large landscapes, 100 feet of neatly clipped yew appears the epitome of class. In smaller residential landscapes, a hedge can be employed similarly, but it is critical to keep the dimensions of the hedge proportional to the overall size of the garden.

Robert Bowden, director of Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, Florida, advises gardeners to consider the effect they want to achieve. “Do you want a small hedge to act as a garden divider or do you want to screen your neighbor’s boat?” The mature size of hedge plants is another important factor. Because frequent pruning is needed when plants outgrow their space, Bowden suggests that “there is no sense in creating more work for yourself.”

Often there are particular sights that we want to block out, not the entire world. Does the hedge really need to run the length of your property? If your neighbor’s deck looms over your back garden, consider screening out only what is unwanted. A short row of something may be the easiest solution.

Recently, I visited a garden where a trio of tall, slim Juniperus scopulorum ‘Skyrocket’ (Zones 3–7, 7–1) successfully blocked a neighbor’s second story window from the small patio below. In my yard in Seattle, Washington, two plants of Ilex crenata ‘Northern Beauty’ (Zones 5–7, 7–5)—four feet wide and five feet tall—provides some privacy from the adjacent lot and redirects the view beyond to a lovely woodland scene. Where I needed a little more screening, a 15-foot row of the narrow-leaved, soft-textured Phillyrea angustifolia (Zones 7–9, 9–7) disguises the recycling and garbage bins.

Mixing It Up

A mixed hedge—often called a hedgerow —requires more planning than a single-species hedge, but the results can be spectacular. Combinations of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs lend depth and year-round interest to garden plantings, as well as increasing habitats for birds. They still accomplish the job of separating us from the rest of the world, but they do it subtly, by distracting us with their seasonal displays. Evergreens hold places during the winter and provide a foil for shrubs with colorful flowers, fruit, and foliage. The mix of forms, textures, and color creates a tapestry that is a feast for the gardener’s eyes and its fruits are a feast for the birds.

Planting a hedgerow is a loose affair. You aren’t obligated to hold to a certain number of inches between each plant in order to give that regimented effect. And if one plant dies right in the middle of your hedge, you won’t have to tear your hair out trying to find a plant exactly the same size as the others in the line to replace it. Let its neighbors fill in the breach, or choose another hedgerow-friendly plant to include.

It’s certainly appropriate to repeat plants within the hedgerow, to give it that natural look, but a random repetition is more appropriate than one-two-three, one-two-three. And work with the depth of the bed to allow room for smaller shrubs among the taller plants.
Maintenance for a hedgerow is different from the shearing requirements of a formal hedge. To reduce the size of your hedge while maintaining its natural look, selectively remove branches. Another pruning option for your hedge is stooling—that is, cutting plants down to the ground. Although this doesn’t work for all plants, it’s great for elderberries (Sambucus spp.), twig dogwoods such as Cornus stolonifera (Zones 3–8, 8–1) and C. sanguinea (Zones 4–7, 7–1), as well as smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria, Zones 5–9, 9–3)—you miss the puffy inflorescences, but you still get the fabulous fall color.

Regional Options

When choosing plants for your hedge, consider the size of your garden, the effect you are trying to achieve, and, of course, the region where you garden. With that in mind, gardening experts from different regions of the country offer some of their favorite hedge selections …

Photo credits:
Bottlebrush buckeye by Carole Ottesen; mixed hedge by Lynne Harrison.
 

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