Whether you’re looking to create more privacy, define a boundary, provide a home for wildlife or simply add year-round structure to your garden, a hedge is a practical and attractive choice. Choosing the right plants and giving them the best start will help you grow a healthy, long-lasting hedge that looks its best throughout the seasons.
Investing in a live, growing hedge has many benefits.
- Increased security for your home
- Privacy from neighbours
- Reduce noise and air pollution
- Create a windbreak
- Mitigate flooding
- Stabilise land and prevent soil from being washed away
- Cool temperatures in urban heat islands
- Sequester carbon
- Support wildlife
- Provide structure and add a backdrop for other garden plants
- Increasing natural greenery in our surrounds helps to improve our mood and reduces stress
Evergreen or Deciduous Hedges?
Evergreen plants provide year-round shelter, structure and privacy, making them ideal for creating boundaries and screening in gardens that need consistent coverage. Evergreen plants usually require more maintenance, and should be trimmed at least twice a year to keep them in good shape. Be wary when trimming conifers in particular, as they do not grow back from old wood, so cutting them back too hard can cause permanent damage to the plant.
Deciduous plants, although they loose their leaves in autumn offering less winter screening, have several practical advantages. Their open structure helps filter strong winds more gently, reducing turbulence compared to dense evergreens. Deciduous plants are generally lower maintenance, more forgiving if neglected, and respond well to hard pruning. Many also provide seasonal interest with flowers, colourful foliage and berries that support wildlife.
Our Top Plants for Hedges
Conifers: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, Cupressus x leylandii, C. x leylandii ‘Castlewellan’, Taxus baccata, Thuja plicata
Evergreen Trees and Tall Shrubs: Aucuba, Berberis darwinii, Cotoneaster lacteus, Elaeagnus × ebbingei, Escallonia, Griselinia littoralis, Ilex aquifolium (common holly), Ilex × meserveae, Ligustrum ovalifolium (privet), Osmanthus, Photinia, Pittosporum tenuifolium, Prunus laurocerasus (cherry laurel), Prunus lusitanica (portuguese laurel), Pyracantha, Viburnum tinus
Smaller Evergreen Shrubs: Brachyglottis, Buxus, Euonymus fortunei, Euonymus japonicus, Ilex crenata, Lavandula angustifolia, Lonicera nitida, Rosmarinus, Santolina, Taxus baccata (yew)
Deciduous Trees and Shrubs: Acer campestre, Alnus, Berberis thunbergii, Carpinus betulus (hornbeam), Crataegus (hawthorn), Fagus sylvatica (beech), Prunus cerasifera, Prunus spinosa (blackthorn), Ribes (flowering and fruiting), shrub roses, Spiraea ‘Bridal Wreath’, Syringa, Viburnum opulus
Do You Know Your Legal Obligations Surrounding Hedges?
When planning your garden, it is worth noting that two or more evergreens in a line over 2m tall constitutes a ‘High Hedge’ by UK law.
You can grow a hedge over this height, but if it impacts your neighbours ‘reasonable’ enjoyment of their house or garden, its recommended to get their mutual approval, or they could make a formal complaint.
Continue your Gardening Journey
Need a little extra advice? Visit your local Tates of Sussex Garden Centre today, where our friendly knowledgeable, team will be happy to help you choose the right plants and offer expert guidance.
