Natural Alternative to the Fence

My husband and I live in an area where fences are not allowed. But we have been told that hedges are just fine. I am hoping to use this article as an instigator to others sharing their ideas and experiences with hedges. Many of us have had the experience of trying to cut back a badly overgrown hedge. But we have also seen hedges and topiary that are beautiful.

In our case, we are currently searching some of the different varieties of hedge material. One that I have come across that sounds very interesting is the Leyland Cypress. Apparently this plant can grow over 20 feet tall depending on the "breed" and how you maintain it. This would make an excellent natural screen against your neighbors' eyes. Several folks have used these because they live in a hilly area and have neighbors that tend to look down from a hill. Depending on your area of the country, the Leyland Cypress is semi-evergreen. Basically this means that you will have green through most of the year.

Another variety is the Privet. Again, this comes in different "breeds" but all tend to have a lovely fragrant flower. Some have considered the scent to be very strong, but it depends on how you maintain the hedge. If you keep it trimmed back, and in control, there are less flowers and thereby less scent.

In addition to these there are some of the more traditional hedge plants like the Juniper. This is the hedge material that most of us are probably most familiar with. The Juniper comes in a number of varieties and can be extremely hardy. Once they have taken good root, it can be very hard to get rid of them. It is very important to keep these pruned and trimmed at the level that you desire. It is helpful to have a planting edgeing, like brick or wood planks to have a visual cue as to when the hedge is becoming overgrown. If you let it go too far and then try to cut it back, it will look, and for the most part remain, very woody.

Another wonderful hedge plant is the Boxwood. This is the traditional material used in the English hedges. The boxwood also tends to be very hardy and has a bit of a "softer" look to it than the Juniper. One consider with the Boxwood is that the older English hedges have varied looks to them. This is because over the years, the seeds of other plants have been dropped and taken root. I suppose that it can be said of the Boxwood, that it plays well with other plants.

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