As with any kind of gardening, you need to choose plants that are suited to the conditions.
As with any kind of gardening, you need to choose plants that are suited to the conditions.
The partner is working for a client who loves hedges. Like a woman with a shoe fixation, he has hedges in a wide variety of colours, scents, shapes and sizes.
Even though I'm not a hedge person, I have to admit they have their uses. I'm hoping that this turnaround is a genuine change of heart and not a slavish devotion to fashion, since hedges are becoming trendier by the minute.
A few years ago when hard landscaping was the go, most people would have gone for a smart plaster wall or a funky fence rather than a hedge. But times have changed and hedges have made a spectacular comeback, possibly for their ability to add romance, colour, fragrance, texture and mystery to the landscape, none of which you get to the same extent with a fence.
The reason I've never been much of a devotee is that I'm an impatient gardener and hedges are not something you can throw up in a day. It's really the only thing they don't have all over walls and fences - they're not as rapid as construction and throwing money at them doesn't get them up any faster.
One of the best things about planting a hedge is that it's best to buy smaller - and therefore cheaper - plants because they establish quickly and often soon outgrow taller specimens. More importantly you can train small plants to grow into dense, compact hedges, while bigger plants may be inclined to be gangly and open.
Step one, whether you're planting something new or replacing a fence, is to decide whether you want something classic and formal or casual and carefree. The style you choose will, to a degree, dictate the type of plants you use.
As with any kind of gardening, you need to choose plants that are suited to the conditions. Nowhere is bad plant choice more obvious than in a hedge. If a sole camellia in the middle of your lawn dies nobody will really notice, but one dead hedge plant in a line of 20 will be obvious. So be prepared to spend a little more and get good quality plants. Bargain bin specials will not do the business in this case.
Map out and prepare the hedge line. If you want it straight and formal, with sharp, right-angled corners, you'll need a string line and an eye for precision.
If casual is your style you can offset your plants, or plant in clumps or triangles. You can mix and match plant types, too, although it pays to choose plants that require the same kind of care and maintenance.
Don't forget that hedge plants grow outwards as well as upwards and if you miscalculate you may end up obliterating your path instead of edging it. Leave space.
Set your plants out along one side of the string line with the correct spacing between them, and then plant as you would any tree or shrub.
Check the planting depth with a stake; plants placed too deep or not deep enough will not establish well and you don't want to be getting replacements.
Make sure the soil is friable, add compost and water, and plant.
Water them in and stake if necessary, and keep them watered during any dry periods for up to a year. Feed and mulch as you would other plants. Hedges need feeding just as much as the rest of your garden.
Formal or free-spirited, there's plenty of opportunity for design.
Once they're off to a good start you can start training them to be dense. Whack a third off the tops as soon as they start to grow and do the same the following year. Then reduce the amount you are cutting back by until they're as tall as you want.
Formal hedges need to be trimmed in early summer or autumn, sometimes in both, to keep them neat. Train the hedge so the top is slightly narrower than the base. This allows light to get to the bottom of the hedge, which might otherwise become straggly.
If you want that absolutely perfect look you'll need a bit of gear, including a plumb-line, a plywood template, a selection of clippers and a scaffold.
Leaning a ladder against the hedge to cut it pushes it out of shape as you cut and what seemed straight when you were doing it takes on a drunken lurch as soon as the ladder is removed.
Tempting, then, to go for the informal look, which doesn't need nearly as much attention. However you will still need to keep it tidy and remove any dead or damaged wood, and delinquent branches that are spoiling the shape.
The nice thing about an informal hedge is that you can create indentations and pockets in which to tuck a piece of garden art, or a private garden seat where you can hide with a book.
Hedges don't have to be tall, long and straight.
Today's look is to use them to enclose small spaces, create geometric designs in the garden, or simple make a design statement in their own right.
Plants you might like to choose
The most popular hedge plants are popular for a reason, so if you want something that's sure to rise and that will behave itself for years to come, choose carefully.
