HEDGES IN THE GARDEN
I have personal experience of this in action a few years ago, when we had a storm with hundred miles per hour gusts. Damage in the area was considerable with the roofs of houses blown of, and lots of trees down. My little greenhouse surrounded by hedges didn't loose even one pane of glass. I have a lattice fence on my side of the hedges which adds the filtration of the wind as well as helping to keep the hedge in some sort of order. It is just a matter of trimming the pieces that grows through the gaps in the fence.
My hedges consist of, Escallonia macrantha, Golden privet, (ligustrum aureum) green privet, (ligustrum ovalifolium) Pyracantha orange glow, and Grisillinia littoralis. These particular species of Escallonia and the Grissilinia would not be fully hardy in a very cold area, but they make excellent hedges for coastal regions, where difficulties sometimes arise in getting a suitable hedge established as a wind barrier, both a fairly salt resistant.
The type of hedge used is a matter of choice and the local conditions, but once established and properly maintained they usually serve their purpose well. Beech, (Fagus sylvatica) a long established favourite makes an excellent hedge with the sudden burst of new growth in the spring dislodging the old copper coloured leaves that have clung to the branches all winter. A little slow to get going at first, one is best advised to keep a few spare plants potted up, as an odd one sometimes fails to take and needs replaced to avoid ugly gaps appearing in the summer when you can't replace with bare root stock.
Hornbeam (Caprinus betulus) the beech look-a-like also makes a good hedge and requires the same conditions as the beech but can be said to establish and grow a little quicker. Of coarse it does not have the same polish and shine on leavers as the beech.
Green Privet (ligustrum ovalifolium) is a well-tried hedging plant and is almost foolproof, growing anywhere in any situation. It is completely hardy but in very cold conditions it loses the leaves in the wintertime. I have never found this to be a disadvantage and it certainly does not inhibit growth compared with those that keep their leaves.
Golden privet (ligustrum aureum) on the other hand is much more fussy and a slower in growth than its green brother. This variety is harder to establish and requires a lot
Latest Articles