Taken for granted, hedges can be an ideal boundary screen, providing a living barrier for privacy and structure in the garden.
Hedges serve several functions in the home landscape. Hedges can provide privacy, screen-off undesirable neighbors, help reduce winds, and act as a natural snow fence. Hedges commonly mark boundaries, direct pedestrian traffic, and as barriers. They also provide habitat for birds and wildlife. Hedges come in many forms: they can be deciduous or evergreen, sheared or natural, short or tall.
Hedges form one of the major components of your landscape. Hedges define the limits of your landscape and thus should be the starting point in your landscape design. Before selecting plants, you should carefully consider their landscape requirements and the characteristics of the plants. For example, deciduous plants drop their leaves in the fall and are effective screens mainly during the growing season. Evergreens provide good screening all year. Gardeners considering a sheared, formal hedge should realize that they may need to be pruned (sheared) several times a year to remain attractive. In comparison, an informal, natural hedge is relatively low maintenance. Select shrubs that grow to the desired height. Planting a tall-maturing shrub where a short, informal hedge is desired creates work. Many landscaping problems are prevented by selecting the correct planting material.
Our plants are well suited for many hedge plantings. We sell many types of plants and shrubs which can work well as a natural privacy boarder. Bare-root material is the most economical type of nursery stock when planting a hedge. However, bare-root plants are rather small. For the beginner, bare root is the hardest type of plant to grow out. Container-grown and balled and burlapped plants are larger, but are more expensive. You will have better luck with potted and B&B stock...The added cost will be worth it.
Most B&B and potted stock can be planted whenever the ground is not frozen as long as you have the knowledge to help the plants along.
Plant spacing is determined by the plant species and hedge type. Most plantings will range from a spacing of a foot or two to a couple of feet. Many people will plant the shrubs and fail to prune them back hard. Pruning generally will make the shrubs more dense and compact.
The following shrubs are suitable for hedges that we sell:
This dense, compact, 3' green arborvitae is carried by many growers. This arborvitae is not deer resistant. Their maximum height is about ten to fifteen feet. It retains its color through out the winter. They are $28 each.
This dense, compact, 5' Balled and burlapped green arborvitae is carried by many growers. This arborvitae is not deer resistant. Their maximum height is about ten to fifteen feet. It retains its color through out the winter. They are $38 each.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Amur maple
Acer ginnala 15 to 18 feet natural
Barberries
Berberis species 1 to 5 feet natural or sheared Boxwood Species 2 to 4 feet natural or sheared
Redosier dogwood (D)
Cornus sericea 8 to 10 feet natural
Burning bush (D)
Euonymus alatus 6 to 15 feet natural Junipers (E) 8 to 15 feet natural
Beautybush (D)
Kolkwitzia amabilis 8 to 10 feet natural Spirea VanHoutte (D) 6 to 8 feet natural Lilacs (D) 4 to 15 feet natural
Yews (E)
Taxus species 2 to 10 feet natural or sheared Arborvitae
(E) 3 to 15+ feet natural or sheared
Arrowwood viburnum (D)
Viburnum dentatum 6 to 8 feet natural American Cranberry
(D) 8 to 12 feet natural
Do you need help in planning or selecting a tree or shrub? Why not email us a picture of the site and let us give you choices for your landscape? We can also have John Murray our in house designer give you a free landscape plan based on the photo. Just let us know what kind of plants you prefer...Evergreen...Natives...Flowering and he will do the rest.
Highland Hill Farm
