What is used for hedges. Perennial fast-growing hedge: evergreens and their description. Which thuja is best suited for hedges





















The article contains detailed information about a hedge for a private house, which will help you understand the nuances of arrangement: which plants to choose, how to plant them correctly. We will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of each, so that you know what problems you will face in the process of growing.

A hedge not only decorates the site, but also takes care of the purity of the air. Source sadogorodsad.ru

What is the best way to make a hedge? fast growing hedge

It all depends on the function that the hedge fence should perform, the owner's wallet and personal preferences. Plants can be very different: deciduous or evergreen, curly or with a straight strong trunk, thorny and smooth, tall and knee-deep, dense and fairly loose.

Some can fulfill their purpose along the border of the site with their neighbors, while others can frame the perimeter of the flower bed. First, decide what you want first. If - to block from the eyes of a neighbor, then the fence should be high and thick. Plants for him can be planted in 2 rows.

When a “living” hedge runs along the border as a picturesque frame, the height is not important. In this case, you need to pay attention to the decorative qualities and combination with the nearest neighbors. For most, the price tag and unpretentiousness are still important.

Which plants are better to choose for hedges on the site, you decide. Take a look at the most common for this purpose:

    girlish grapes;

    hawthorn;

  • rose hip;

    barberry;

    privet;

  • vesicle.

Spruces planted in a row can also become a kind of hedge, but they grow for a long time, and when they become very large they will close the yard from the sun Source hvorast.ru

When choosing a plant for your garden, pay attention to whether it is an evergreen or deciduous plant. Evergreens are most often characterized by a long growth process. In addition, all of them (pines, spruces, larches), except for arborvitae, pose a certain danger when they grow up. The disadvantage of deciduous is the loss of their functional features in winter. Many are also very littered with leaves in autumn.

development of landscaping projects and landscape works of any complexity. You can directly communicate with representatives by visiting the exhibition of houses "Low-Rise Country".

What shrubs can be used for hedges

Creating a hedge requires a serious approach. You need to think through everything, so as not to redo it later. In order to isolate oneself from neighbors, not only shrubs, but also climbing plants can come up. True, they will require strong support, but they will create a dense mass of leaves.

One of these is girlish grapes. It is unpretentious, grows quickly. And in a few years, it will require strict control so that it does not spread around the site. If you appear on the site relatively rarely, then this option is unlikely to suit you. It is necessary to plant such plants, which will not require regular care.

Any shrubs require pruning, the formation of a "fence" Source secretgardens.ro

For example, for a hedge in the country, almost any berry bushes are suitable:

  • currant red, white, golden;

  • black ashberry (chokeberry);

  • rose hip;

    hawthorn.

If you want to not only protect your garden from prying eyes and stray animals, but also to harvest useful products, then you should think about creating a hedge of berry bushes. They also need to be trimmed regularly to control the height. At the same time, aesthetics will be preserved, and it will be much more convenient to pick berries.

Strawberries over a wicker fence - it is easier to harvest from such a fence Source houseadvice.ru

Among the shortcomings of such a fence are the following:

    They cannot be used along the track as protection against exhaust and dust. Or as an option - do not pick berries from such bushes. But do not forget that others can do it.

    Most of the plants listed give abundant growth, which is difficult to deal with, given the length of the boundaries of the site.

    Measures to improve fruiting and high-quality live fencing often contradict each other (thickness, attitude towards growth). Therefore, you have to sacrifice the harvest in order to make a thick and beautiful hedge from the bushes.

    Harvesting will be not only you, but also the neighbors.

If you are going to opt for berry bushes, you must choose from those listed by height, presence of shoots and thorns. For example, a raspberry will grow about 2 meters, but it gives a shoot that, on the one hand, makes the “fence” denser, and on the other hand, takes the strength of the fruit-bearing branches.

Often in the country you can see a blackberry hedge, but it does not always look perfect, as it grows strongly. Source stroypay.ru

Irga will not grow without watering, but when favorable conditions are created, it will give a lot of berries and a good fence. In addition, it withstands the most severe frosts. Rosehip will not grow very quickly, but with the help of thorns it will help protect against uninvited guests and animals. Currants can form dense rows, but its bushes do not grow more than one and a half meters.

Cherries will grow wonderfully in any area, but will produce abundant shoots that will be difficult to fight. The disadvantage of viburnum is the frequent damage by pests. Thus, studying the pros and cons of each plant, you need to choose it "for yourself" so that care does not take much time.

Video description

Ideas for inspiration and creating a hedge on the site in the video:

On our site you can find contacts of construction companies that offer the service of designing and building small architectural forms - gazebos, sheds and other turnkey ones. You can directly communicate with representatives by visiting the exhibition of houses "Low-Rise Country".

Selection of shrubs for hedges

When choosing plants, first of all decide on a place for them. Mentally imagine this place in 5-10 years, at a time when the fence will grow more than human height. Plan in advance how wide it will grow, where and how much the shadow will fall.

Many experienced gardeners advise planting trees rather than shrubs as a green hedge. The following are given as arguments: growth rate (larches, birches), unpretentiousness.

Green hedge from a larch Source yandex.kz

Why shouldn't this be done? Such trees eventually form a huge crown, which is almost impossible to form. Their roots extend to several meters in diameter. They suck water and nutrients from the soil in proportion to their size.

Hedgerows have many benefits:

    they are more compact than trees;

    amenable to pruning and shaping;

    much less effort will be spent to remove the "green" fence.

When choosing a place, do not forget about regular watering. At first, planted plants will need a lot of moisture. Over time, watering can be reduced. After 2-4 years, the hedge can be watered only on dry days.

Overview of fast-growing perennial shrubs for hedges in the country

Not all shrubs that form a beautiful dense hedge grow quickly. For example, thujas grow very slowly at the beginning. The annual growth is 5-10 cm. Gradually, the rate increases to 30 cm, and in 10 years they can reach a height of two meters. Of course, the place of landing and care is of great importance.

When choosing plants for planting, you need to take into account their features Source krrot.net

Types of fast-growing shrubs for hedges:

    Fast growing plant. In landscape design, the viburnum vesicle is especially famous, with beautiful leaves. For different varieties, they can be of different colors: maroon - Diabolo, Andre, Lady in Red, Red Baron, green - Amur, Nanus, yellow - Luteus, Darts Gold.

The vesicle can grow both as a separate shrub and planted in a row for a hedge Source mytree.by

    Lilac. It grows very quickly, and you can and should cut to the desired height. Without a haircut, it can grow over 3 meters. One of the most unpretentious plants, practically does not get sick. But it has one drawback: some varieties give abundant growth, which must be constantly removed.

Abundant flowering in spring, freshness from bright green leaves in summer Source pinterest.com

    Chubushnik. This shrub is better known to us as jasmine. In summer, fragrant white flowers appear on it. Suitable for pruning. From several plants, you can form a dense hedge of the desired height.

Mock orange or "bride" is often found in city parks Source kak-zabor.ru

    Willow. It grows very quickly, and is also unpretentious. Many ignore this shrub only because of its mediocrity. This is not entirely true. Now on sale there are many varieties of willow, which differ in leaf shape, height. But, all lend themselves well to a haircut. From some you can even create shapes: the willow is purple and sinuous.

Forming a willow hedge is not an easy process, but it turns out beautifully. Source pinterest.com

    Spirea. It has many different types and varieties, which can be completely different from each other. The height of different spirals ranges from 15 cm to 2 meters. Some of them are perfectly trimmed and need pruning (oak-leaved spirea, Japanese spirea), others (gray spirea) have a natural shape.

Spiraea of ​​low grades is more used to protect garden paths from lawns and gardens Source softlot.ru

    Doren. Fast growing shrub that reaches a height of 3 meters. Easily pruned, forms dense thickets. Its only drawback is that in winter, like all deciduous plants, it loses its decorative effect. Keep in mind that deren loves water.

Derain is beautiful with the proper approach, but in winter, like all deciduous shrubs, it loses its attractiveness Source fermilon.ru

    Rose hip. A thorny version of the fence that will be difficult to pass through. Its height will not be higher than human height, but by preserving the growth, it is possible to achieve such a density that neighboring animals bypass the site. The advantage of this bush is its high decorativeness during flowering. Minus - the abundance of overgrowth and difficulties in processing due to thorns.

Rosehip can be used for hedges, but it is difficult to work with because of the thorns Source doka-metal.ru

    Rose. Despite the fact that in the minds of many a rose is a capricious, heat-loving flower, this is not entirely true. Now there are many frost-resistant varieties (for example, Canadian roses) that can withstand temperatures down to -40 ° C. There are so-called park roses, from which you can form an excellent hedge.

Roses planted in a dense row become a beautiful fence, but for the winter period it is better to choose special varieties Source news.hitsad.ru

Of the above plants, the vesicle and willow grow faster. If they create favorable conditions: watering, fertilizing, lighting, then after 2 years they will create a high and fairly dense fence.

Video description

How to choose hedge plants in detail in the video:

From what plants can you still make a hedge with your own hands

Answering the question: what is the best way to make a hedge, you need to remember about shrubs that grow for a long time, but give a high-quality fence. There are many plants that will grow to the desired height in 5-7 years, but will give an equally high-quality fence.

Green hedge in the country from shrubs and trees

Among them there are both shrubs and trees:

    barberry;

    blackthorn;

  • euonymus;

    honeysuckle.

Pay attention to the barberry. It cannot be said that it grows quickly, but at the same time it turns out a 2-meter impenetrable hedge with huge thorns. It does not produce shoots, and in autumn it pleases the eye with purple foliage and an abundance of berries. Barberry thunberg Atropurpurea has red foliage all season long.

A barberry shrub with red leaves does not need to be decorated with flowers or berries - it looks beautiful anyway Source mirlandshaft.ru

Evergreens for hedges

Many people prefer to have a hedge of coniferous plants. These are spruce, arborvitae, pines. The latter are growing very fast. But they are suitable for fencing only in exceptional cases, given the size to which they grow. Evergreens have one significant advantage - they are decorative all year round and purify the air even in winter.

Often larch is also included in this group. But this is a mistake, since it is a deciduous tree. Currently, thuja is used in ornamental gardening and as a fence. It is relatively hardy and hardy. But thuja grows long enough.

Which thuja is best suited for hedges

Most often, the choice falls on one of two varieties: Brabant or Smaragd. Thuja western Brabant is characterized by high winter hardiness and unpretentiousness. But, despite this, at first it must be covered for the winter. After 2-3 years, when her root gets stronger, she will be able to winter without shelter. Grows up to 5 meters, does not suffer from frequent haircuts.

Thuja is the best way to take care of the health of the owners of the yard, purifying the air around Source mycountry.house

Thuya Smaragd has a height of up to 8 meters. Just like Brabant is able to purify the air from pollution. But, unlike the previous variety, it has a dense pyramidal crown. Due to the natural shape, the plant does not need to be cut, but only trimmed.

Tuya Columna. It has a narrow columnar shape. The height of an adult tree is from 6 to 8 meters, but we stop at 4.5-5 meters. It is able to keep the shape of the crown on its own, but also, like other varieties, lends itself to pruning. The crown of the thuja Columna is lighter and more delicate than that of Smaragd.

An evergreen sheared hedge is suitable for those who have the time and financial ability to not only plant, but also care for the thuja. To create dense landings, you will need many copies, each of which is sold in stores at a fairly high price. Grooming and haircuts require special attention.

Tui in the spring suffer from burns if they are overlooked. Otherwise, these are quite unpretentious plants that can grow in the shade and on any soil. They give a small increase in the first years - 8-10 cm, then - 20 cm. 6-10-year-old seedlings are able to grow already by 30 cm, depending on the variety.

Blackthorn and other thorny fast growing shrubs for hedges

Turn as a hedge has a lot of advantages:

    edible fruits;

    tolerates a haircut;

    unpretentious

    growing fast;

    height 2-3 meters;

The prickly blackthorn will save from uninvited guests, but when pruning, it will not regret the owners either. Source domvpavlino.ru

Not everyone likes the latter, since the bush needs to be looked after. But those who need a barbed wire fence can choose not only blackthorn, but also wild rose, barberry and even sea buckthorn to their taste.

Unwanted Plants for Perennial Hedges

A matter of taste, but most often plants are undesirable, which, despite all efforts, fill the garden and vegetable garden with root offspring. The most famous in this group will be Sakhalin Mountaineer. It creates a beautiful hedge, but gives a huge number of offspring.

Trees that are difficult to form are undesirable as hedges. If the distance between the plants and the main garden is small, then you do not need to plant birch trees, the roots of which resemble pumps in their ability to draw moisture around. This will harm nearby plants.

Video description

In the video, the process of trimming a hedge:

Trimming and trimming hedges

In order to make it easier to take care of the plants, they are cut to an accessible height of 2-3 meters with a special pruner with long handles and powerful blades that can “bite” the middle branches. A bush or tree should be inspected annually in the spring and make adjustments: completely cut out thick, old and withered branches.

Pruning plants requires knowledge, the wrong approach to the formation of bushes can lead to the death of plants Source garshinka.ru

Shrubs are formed by shearing 2-3 times per season, as needed. In this case, you need to shoot 10-15 cm of growth at a time. So, the plants will retain their shape and will grow thicker. Willow can be cut more often, arborvitae and other evergreens - it is enough to “pass” with secateurs 2 times a year.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why a site owner prefers a hedge over a blind fence. Some plants perform an aesthetic function, others protect the site no worse than a real fence. Now on the market there is a huge selection of species and varieties of shrubs that are planted instead of a fence.

A summer cottage is a place that every owner of a country house can decorate and equip as he wants. If you connect your imagination and spend a little time and effort, you can make a suburban area beautiful and cozy.

For example, instead of the ordinary and boring, you can build a hedge, which will become a real decoration of the territory. It is also worth noting that the fence of green plants will protect the site from prying eyes and noise, reduce the penetration of exhaust gases and dust from the street.


Types of hedge

By size, plant hedges are divided into three types.

type of hedgeDescription
bordersThey differ in small height (up to 1 meter), lush bushes are most often used for this type of fence. They are mainly used for decorative purposes to highlight areas of the yard space.
HedgesTo create this type of fence, tall plants (from 1 to 3 meters) are used, characterized by slow growth and good branching.
living wallsPlants that are planted to create walls at the boundaries of the site should be distinguished by a deep root system, good branching, and shade tolerance. Height - from 3 to 5 meters. These living fences perfectly protect the site from noise and dust, prevent the penetration of strangers from the street.

Also, plants are perfectly combined with fences made of various materials: wood, metal, natural stone, plastic.

The fence in the summer cottage does not have to be made high and monumental, you can create an unusual and festive fence of flowers. Openwork will serve as a frame for the structure, and climbing flowering plants will serve as decoration.

Materials and tools for the construction of a lattice wooden fence structure


  1. Posts to support sections (40 by 40 mm). You can use a rounded or square bar. Height - 1.5 meters. A third of the timber should be dug into the ground, which will ensure the stability of the structure.
  2. Planks for mounting the crate.
  3. Cross bars.
  4. Wood preservative.
  5. Rope and stakes to ensure correct marking.
  6. Screwdriver and wood screws.
  7. Cement mortar and crushed stone for fixing the pillars.

Step 1. Marking the location of the fence

For these purposes, stakes and ropes are used. It is advisable to correctly mark the length of the fencing structure in advance in order to accurately calculate the amount of wood and poles for the fence sections.

Step 2 Installing the Poles


At an equal distance from each other, holes are dug more than half a meter deep. It is desirable that the supports are located at a distance of 1200 -1500 mm from each other. Since the height of the fence is 2 meters, you need to dig the pillars into the ground by 70-80 cm. Do not make the pits too wide, as you will need a lot of rubble and cement to fix the pillars.

Before immersing the pillars in the ground, the wood must be thoroughly impregnated. The pillars are installed in a horizontal position, the pits are covered with rubble and filled with cement mortar. This will ensure high-quality fixation of the supports. So that in the process of drying the solution the pillars do not mow, you can strengthen them with wooden spacers.


Step 3. Installation of fence sheets

This stage is performed after the concrete has hardened. First, with the help of self-tapping screws, the upper and lower transverse strips are screwed to the posts. Together with the supports, they form the power frame of the fence. The upper planks are fastened below the tops of the pillars by 15-20 cm. The lower ones are at a distance of 20-30 cm from the ground.

Step 4. Mounting the crate of wooden planks




Since the fence is made specifically to support climbing plants, the crate should be with large cells. Plant shoots should easily penetrate the holes in order to completely hide the wooden structure. Wooden planks laid crosswise are best fastened together with small self-tapping screws. This will give the whole structure stability and strength.

Prices for different types of building boards

Building boards

Step 5. Wood processing

After the fence is ready, it is imperative to treat the tree with a deep impregnation antiseptic. This is necessary to protect the wood from moisture and pests, especially if the planks are densely covered with plants.

Step 6. Landscaping



After installing the fence, you can start landscaping and designing the structure. If the owner of the cottage loves bright and densely flowering plants, then you can decorate the hedge with the help of climbing roses, barberries, hydrangeas, spireas.



Video - 8 ways to decorate a chain-link fence

Plastic mesh for creating a hedge


Plastic is a fairly strong material that can easily withstand changes in weather conditions, high humidity. If you want to protect your summer cottage in an original and affordable way, then you can use a special plastic mesh for climbing plants for this purpose. The advantages of such a fence are obvious.

  1. Light weight.
  2. Corrosion resistance.
  3. Ease of installation and installation.
  4. Affordable price.
  5. Variety of sizes and colors of the plastic sheet.
  6. Good light and water permeability.
  7. Thermal resistance.
  8. Strength and durability.

Installation of plastic mesh to support hedges


Tools and materials


Step 1 Since the fabric of the plastic fence itself is light in weight, it is not necessary to deepen the posts much. It is desirable to have supports at a distance of 1.5-2 meters from each other. To install the pillars, you need to dig holes with a depth of 40-50 cm. After installing the pillars, crushed stone must be poured into the recesses and cement mortar should be poured. Such structures dry for 2-3 days.


Step 2 After the pillars are firmly fixed in the ground, you can proceed with the installation of the plastic sheet. The canvas does not need to be cut into pieces. If metal pipes were used for the supports, then special hooks can be welded on them, for which the mesh will be attached. If welding is not possible, then ordinary plastic clamps can be used.

Step 3 When installing the mesh, it is important to observe a uniform tension of the material. The canvas must not sag. If the distance between the supports is more than 1.5 meters, then it is advisable to use a wire that will serve as the upper and lower stiffeners. The wire is stretched along the upper and lower edges of the grid, attached to the posts.

Step 4. The connection of the mesh sheets must pass along the supports. You can not build up the canvas between the pillars.

Step 5. After the mesh fence is installed, you can start planting the structure. Plastic is a durable material, it can easily withstand the weight of grapes, ivy, honeysuckle, campsis. These perennial plants will become a real decoration of the backyard and will reliably cover the territory from prying eyes.




A living arch would be appropriate next to the hedge

Video - Installation of a plastic mesh

Prices for various types of plastic mesh for the fence

plastic mesh


If for some reason the owner of the site does not want to install a standard wooden fence or, but dreams of a reliable and high fence, you can pay attention to a hedge on an earthen rampart. Plants, coniferous or deciduous, are densely planted on a cushion of earth.

This method of creating a hedge has many advantages: the territory of the site is reliably isolated by an earth embankment. The shaft allows trees to be planted at higher elevations, which shortens the time it takes for plants to reach a certain height. But there are also disadvantages in this method of fencing the territory: a shaft of earth can take up quite a lot of space.


Creation of an earthen rampart

Step 1. A site is selected on which a hedge will be installed on a hill. The width of the shaft can vary from 50 cm to 1 meter.

Step 2. A frame for an earthen rampart is created. To prevent the earth from crumbling, it is required to create a double-sided frame made of bricks or natural stone. Earth will be poured between bricks or masonry. The side of the masonry, which is located closer to the site, should be half as high as the second side of the masonry. For example, the height of the inner masonry is 1 meter, the outer one is 50 cm.

Step 3 Between the masonry, the earth is filled up, into which coniferous or deciduous trees are later planted.

The resulting slope of the shaft provides a runoff of excess moisture, and the side walls prevent subsidence of the soil.


It is worth knowing that the construction of such a fence is a rather laborious process and requires a lot of time and effort, especially if you need to fence a large area. But, a hedge, which acts as an impregnable bastion, will eventually protect the summer cottage from outside visits and views no worse than a metal or wooden fence.



The traditional fence of their picket fence or mesh reliably protects the site from prying eyes and, most importantly, from uninvited guests. But only a hedge can fit into the landscape as harmoniously as possible, what is the best way to make such a fence?

Types of hedges in landscape design

The world of plants is incredibly vast, but not all are suitable for solving the problem facing the summer resident. The choice of plants depends on the intended appearance of the future fence and its purpose.

Hedges are used:

  • for external fencing of the site;
  • for dividing the territory inside according to the functional purpose;
  • for framing flower beds and, lawns and mixborders.

At the same time, plantings can be of different heights and densities, evergreen and retain foliage only in the warm season. Shrubs for hedges are given strict forms by shearing, or the plants retain their natural shape throughout their lives. Fences made of intertwined living shoots of bushes or trees look especially decorative.

To give the hedge proper density or originality, plants are planted in one, two or three rows.

When planting a living wall, sometimes not one species is used, but several ornamental plants at once, the main thing is that they have a similar growth rate, frost resistance, as well as requirements for soil composition and care.

An excellent example of this approach would be a hedge of different types of currants:

  • golden or fragrant;
  • alpine;
  • blood red.

Evergreens for hedges

Evergreen fences and borders are very popular for a variety of reasons. Among them:

  • high density green fence;
  • decorative effect that persists even in the cold season;
  • easy portability of a haircut, which is indispensable if the hedge is to be given a clear shape;
  • slow growth of shoots, helping to maintain a neat appearance of the shrub for a long time.

In addition, evergreen hedge plants are low maintenance and versatile. Unfortunately, not many such cultures are adapted to Russian conditions. Almost all of them are conifers.

Popularity leaders are:

  • spruce of various subspecies;
  • common juniper;
  • dwarf mountain pine.

With the help of plants of modern varieties with needles in green, silver and golden colors, it is possible to get around one of the weakest sides of conifers - the monotony of the color of the hedge.

Evergreen shrubs, such as juniper, are used when planting a hedge of deciduous plants. Gradually weaving crowns strengthen each other. Ephedra all year round paints the fence in green tones, and deciduous culture makes its appearance bright and changeable.

Deciduous crops for hedges in the country

Coniferous hedges are almost a classic. But what is the best way to make a hedge if you want to decorate the site with something original?

Numerous deciduous crops will come to the aid of the summer resident, which:

  • well adapted to the climate of the middle zone;
  • do not require time-consuming care and special conditions
  • tolerate pruning painlessly;
  • form a crown dense enough for a fence;
  • change their appearance throughout the year, determining the seasonal appearance of the site.

When choosing species for hedges in the country, it is better to give preference to plants that have proven their unpretentiousness and winter hardiness. Best of all, small-leaved varieties with strongly branching shoots have proven themselves as a fence.

The list of such shrubs and medium-sized plants is quite large:

  • blackthorn;
  • yellow acacia or caragana;
  • elder;
  • small-leaved elm;
  • snowberry;
  • viburnum;
  • laurel cherry;
  • mock orange;
  • black chokeberry;
  • honeysuckle of infertile varieties;
  • euonymus;
  • hawthorn;
  • vesicle;
  • derain white;
  • currant;
  • irga.

At the disposal of the summer resident there are dozens of worthy deciduous plants that not only form a reliable and durable hedge, but also attract the attention of variegated foliage, like barberry or deren, lush flowering characteristic of mock orange, lilac, fieldfare, vesicle, viburnum or hydrangea. There are many plants with ornamental or edible fruits. These shrubs include barberry and euonymus, chokeberry, shadberry and blackthorn. The special charm of the site is given by the views with the appearance changing from season to season, like white turf.

Plant selection for molded hedges

The green fences of geometric shapes, achieved thanks to regular haircuts, look incredibly beautiful. However, not all of the above deciduous crops can withstand such a procedure. Which shrub is suitable for a simple hedge?

For plantings that will have to maintain strict, pruned forms for many years, it is most important to choose plants with frequent branching of shoots and small, quickly renewed foliage. This will help create a semblance of a dense living wall, curb, arch over the gate and other structures.

Not only does hedge trimming not harm such crops, the crown of shrubs becomes denser every year and better copes with the protective function of the fence.

Another feature of strict forms of shrubs suitable for planting is a small annual increase. The choice of plants in this case is considerable. This is:

  • numerous species and varieties of barberry, differing not only in height, but also in the color of dense foliage.
  • hawthorn and vesicle with green or purple foliage;
  • currant alpine and golden;
  • privet;
  • euonymus;
  • japonica.

No matter how resistant to shearing the plants are, they should be subjected to this procedure very carefully, having a certain skill in such work.

Having decided to grow a rectangular fence on your site, and then a more rounded one, you will have to stock up on both patience and special hedge scissors.

Free growing hedges in landscape design

If painstaking work on the formation of shrubs is not to your liking, but natural beauty is closer, the plants are planted at a small distance from each other so that the crowns intersect, but they do not give a single shape. On the side, such a hedge seems airy, but inside its intertwining branches create a strong, impenetrable frame.

What is the best way to make a free type hedge? Since the plants are not specially sheared, their crowns actively grow and can take up a lot of space on the site. Ornamental shrubs in adulthood can have a crown diameter of 50 cm to 3 meters. This is taken into account when selecting crops for planting.

In dachas of a small area, it is difficult to implement such a project, but it is possible by planting a low-growing border, for example, from Japanese quince, euonymus, some varieties of arborvitae and juniper. If the summer resident is not constrained in space, the list of shrubs and even small trees expands significantly, including flowering, decorative deciduous and fruit trees.

What to plant in a hedge? For an unpretentious green fence that requires almost no maintenance and winters well in central Russia, suitable:

  • hawthorn;
  • vesicle;
  • fieldfare;
  • barberry, which creates a dense prickly protection for the site;
  • elder;
  • mock orange;
  • spirea of ​​almost all cultural varieties;
  • Hungarian and common lilac;
  • different types and heights.

In order for a hedge in landscape design to be not only an ornament, but also a real protection, it is reinforced with a second tier. It may be higher than the first or lower.

Often the second row is trimmed to form a wall or border to support and limit plants of hydrangeas, lilacs, park roses, and other species. In winter, thanks to such support, the hedge retains its density, and when using conifers, it also remains opaque.

How to make a living fence?

Work on laying planting trenches and planting plants begin only after creating an accurate well-thought-out fence plan. For the outer boundaries of the site, green walls up to 2 meters high are more suitable, and in some cases, for example, in the vicinity of a busy highway and higher. Inside the site for zoning space and edging, borders from 50 cm to a meter high are suitable.

Before making a hedge, based on the average height of plants and the width of their crown, calculate the required number of shrubs. Planted on each linear meter:

  • 1-2 large specimens, for example, hawthorn, common lilac, shadberry, chokeberry, vesicle;
  • 3–5 plants of medium size, which include viburnum, deren, snowberry, barberry, honeysuckle;
  • 5-7 shrubs with a low crown, for example, Japanese quince, spirea, individual varieties of euonymus and arborvitae.

For a single-row planting along the line of the future hedge, they dig a trench 40–50 wide and 50–60 cm deep. The more rows of plants, the greater the amount of land work. With each row of shrubs, the planting trench becomes wider by 30 or 40 cm.

Planting is carried out in mid-spring, using 3-year-old coniferous or 2-year-old deciduous seedlings. Such planting material takes root quite quickly and painlessly. In multi-row hedges, planting is carried out in a checkerboard pattern, adhering to the intervals between shrubs described above. In molded fences, plants are placed closer to each other, and in free plantings - a little further.

Hedge Plants - Video

The fence is necessary to hide our little country world from prying eyes. However, today summer residents want not just to get a fence, but to surround their charming garden with an equally beautiful hedge. Or maybe someone just wants to arrange tracks or. And in this case, a hedge will come to the rescue. What is the best way to make it so that the care is minimal and the efficiency is the highest?

Hedge - what is better to make

A hedge is a kind of "flower bed", planting, which serves to designate a specific area or to protect it. Often performs an aesthetic function. A hedge is traditionally created from shrubs or trees, but natural hedges of grasses and even vines can be found, but these usually still serve to complement and decorate more durable options for a plant “fence”.

The history of hedges dates back centuries, so it is not surprising that they have a large number of varieties of shapes and sizes. First of all, they are classified by height.

Table. Classification of barriers depending on the height.

Type nameHeight, mDescription
Border Up to 1This is the lowest version of the living barrier, a kind of discount. Usually used to frame garden beds, paths, paths. For cultivation, such crops as heather, Japanese quince, alpine currant, wild rose, sea buckthorn are used. The most important thing is that the plants are slow growing, small and have small leaves.
Average Height 1-3 Shrubs and - sometimes - low trees are used to create such hedges. For example, mock orange, barberry, western thuja, acacia, euonymus, juniper, lilac and others are great. Usually such hedges advantageously divide the garden into sections - that is why they are used.
living wall More than 3Such living "fences" are the real defenders of the garden plot from wind, noise, dust and exhaust gases from highways. Willow, spruce, thuja, hornbeam, apple tree are used for growing such walls. The main thing is that the trees are of those species that can easily tolerate a haircut. Such hedges are planted around the perimeter of the site.

Note! Almost each of these options will be quite harmoniously combined with stone, iron. That is why often living fences are not continuous - some of their sections are an ordinary, not natural fence.

Another "dimensional" version of the classification of hedges is their row or width.

  1. Single row- in this case, all the plants that form the hedge are planted in one row and at an equal distance.
  2. double row- respectively, they have two rows of plants planted in several lines, most often in tiers.
  3. multi-row- three or more rows of plants. Usually in this case, crops are planted in a checkerboard pattern, taking into account the distance from the trunks and crowns in the future. Tiered hedges are often made cascading.

Other types of hedges

According to the care technique, two types of hedges are distinguished - these are free-growing and sheared (or shaped). The former usually form their crowns without human help, growing in the way that suits them. The latter, on the contrary, can take the form of various figures at the request of the gardener. Require regular pruning shoots. And the plants that make up such hedges should calmly endure the shearing process and have a thick, dense crown.

Note! Most often, hedges are cut in the form of a triangle (the slope of the sides is 70-80 degrees) or a trapezoid (bevel more than 10 degrees). You can often see rounded hedges - this is the most difficult haircut option.

Also, depending on the types of crops, these types of hedges are distinguished:

  • blooming;
  • curly;
  • evergreen;
  • deciduous.

There is another classification of hedges:

  • single-species - formed from trees of the same species;
  • combined - include various types and varieties of plants;
  • trellis - are formed from plants whose branches are intertwined.

Give the wall a wave shape - so the hedge will look more dynamic

Advantages and disadvantages

Any hedge, whether multi-row or planted in one line, single-breed or combined, has advantages and disadvantages. Both those and others need to be known in order to understand whether such a fence is needed in your summer cottage.

Advantages of plant hedges:

  • natural aesthetics;
  • protection of plantings and soil on the site from erosion, exposure to strong winds;
  • better moisture retention in the soil;
  • shelter from the summer heat.

Disadvantages of hedges:

  • complex care - haircut, fertilizer, watering and much more;
  • covering large areas of land;
  • long term implementation of the idea to acquire a hedge.

hedge plants

There are many plants from which you can form a hedge. However, there are several principles that are important to follow when choosing them: for example, you should choose those crops that are suitable for growing in specific climatic conditions. It is also better to use plants that are not afraid of the cold, tolerate a haircut well and do not get sick after it. The foliage should be dense, and the shoots should be fast-growing. Consider the main crops that are used to grow hedges.

A hedge of popular tall plants: 1) Siberian hawthorn, 2) small-leaved elm, 3) common hornbeam, 4) Tatar maple, 5) golden honeysuckle, 6) small-leaved linden (lower tier - cotoneaster), 7) Berlin poplar

Lilac

This charming shrub is familiar to everyone thanks to fragrant lilac flowers. Lilac feels great in the temperate climate zone, frost-resistant, photophilous, loves fertile soil, copes well with drought, long-liver. The plant has a lot of varieties and species, and therefore among this variety it is easy to choose the one that you like (Amur lilac, Hungarian lilac and others).

Active flowering is observed in summer and lasts about 2 weeks. During this period, lilac is especially beautiful. In general, this is a fairly large and lush plant.

Prices for lilac seedlings

lilac seedlings

This maple has been used in horticulture for about two centuries. It is a small tree with a dense crown, which is excellent for growing as a hedge element. It is especially beautiful in autumn, when the leaves are painted in bright crimson colors. At the same time, the tree is easily cut and grows quite quickly.

The minus of the Ginnal maple, and indeed of any maple, is the tendency to create abundant root shoots, and in the shade the leaves of the plant lose their bright color.

rock juniper

Juniper belongs to the Cypress family. A beautiful plant with a narrow pyramidal crown. Used as a cultural from the last century. Juniper loves a lot of light, in shaded areas it loses its charm and beauty. The main drawback is that it does not like cold weather and does not resist frost well. It also needs regular watering in the summer, and for the winter the crown should be tied with a rope so that the branches do not break due to heaps of snow that have settled on them.

Prices for juniper seedlings

juniper seedlings

Irga

This shrub is not only beautiful and neat, it is also useful - the berries growing on the branches of the shadberry are very tasty and suitable for making jams and preserves. The life expectancy of a plant is high - up to 70 years on average, while an adult culture may well resemble a tree in appearance. In general, this plant is unpretentious, calmly tolerates some shade and gas pollution of the city, as well as drought and wind. The winter hardiness of the irgi is very high.

On a note! Irgi berries secrete juice that can stain everything around and is poorly washed. That is why irgu is not used as a hedge near parking lots.

western thuja

This evergreen coniferous plant is also called the tree of life. Widespread in North America. Thuja is winter-hardy, perfectly tolerates city conditions, is unpretentious, and therefore is now widely used in horticulture. This is a tree that grows very slowly, it has a pyramidal or egg-shaped crown.

Brilliant Cotoneaster

This shrub is used to form low hedges, as it is quite low itself (maximum 3 m). If he likes the growing conditions, then the cotoneaster grows very quickly. The plant has small leaves covering the branches with a solid green carpet. The cotoneaster is not afraid of shade, is not capricious about the soil, is not afraid of frost, but needs timely and regular pruning.

Table. Hedge crops that are grown in the middle lane.

Prices for cotoneaster seedlings

cotoneaster seedlings

Growing a living fence

How to create a hedge on your site depends directly on the type of fence and the crops used to create it. But there are general points of instruction that are suitable for all options.

Step 1. We choose a place where the hedge will pass. Usually this is the perimeter of the site or a place along the garden path or flower bed. The place should be well lit.

Step 2 Taking into account all the rules, we choose the plants from which we will form a hedge. We buy seedlings.

Step 3 In the area where the hedge will be planted, we remove all weeds, dig up the soil.

Step 4 Be sure to fertilize the site by adding a little fertilizer to the soil.

Step 5 We plant plants taking into account their requirements for transplantation, soil.

Attention! Do not forget to maintain a certain step between crops when planting. The planting step for shrub plants is at least 50 cm, for trees - 75-100 cm.

Step 6 Sprinkle a little soil along the line with mulch, water the plantings.

Step 7 Plants that form a hedge need careful care - watering, fertilizing, etc.

Step 8 We cut the plants about once a year with special pruning shears.

It is worth remembering that a hedge will not appear overnight. The approximate period of its development and formation is 3-5 years.

Flower beds from annuals - schemes

Flowers are grown, as a rule, not randomly, but in flower beds, in beautifully designed flower beds. At the same time, they are selected according to color, crop varieties and many other factors. And to make flower beds from annuals, the schemes of which you will find in, on your own, you do not need to have the skills of a landscape designer.

Planting a hedge depending on the type of plants

The technology of planting hedges in some way depends on which plants will be planted. For example, a deciduous hedge is often formed from purchased seedlings of trees and shrubs. Their root system is usually bare, and therefore it is important to inspect it well before planting and, if necessary, remove rotten or diseased roots. The hole is made in such a size that the plant can easily fit into it. In this case, the soil from the pit is mixed with compost and then returned to the hole.

On a note! If very tall plants are planted, then a wooden stake is driven into the bottom of the hole to support them and tie them up.

Planting conifers is a little easier. Having dug a hole with a diameter twice as large as the roots, the plant is lowered into it and buried with compost.

The trellis fence is one of the most difficult to form. In this case, all plants are planted close to each other. After a couple of years, not hygienic, but total pruning of trees is performed, after which the strongest shoots remain - they begin to intertwine with each other at an angle of 45 degrees. In those places where the bark is in contact, it is cut off with a knife. It turns out a diamond-shaped pattern, which, if necessary, can be tied up according to a hammered pattern.

Haircut rules

And finally - a few rules for pruning shrubs. Deciduous crops are pruned immediately at the beginning of the procedure. At the same time, about 15 cm of the plant remains above the soil surface. And after a year, plantings should be cut about 3-4 times during the season.

But juniper, cypress, conifers and others are not completely sheared - usually individual branches are removed from them so that the crown is triangular.

Makita UH6570 - brush cutter

Video - Create a hedge

This is how you can get a hedge on your site. It is worth being prepared for the fact that it will require a lot of time and effort. It does not hurt to master the technique of cutting, so that later you can perform this procedure yourself.

A solid hedge is beautiful!

A hedge is a spectacular decoration of any site, widely used in decorative gardening. The plants that form it have special requirements. It is desirable that they be fast-growing and perennial. The evergreen hedge will continue to decorate the garden or yard in the off-season. Let's discuss which shrubs are best suited for the formation of this element of landscape design. What needs to be done to make the green wall dense and beautiful.

This element of landscape design is used very widely: it can play the role of a separator within the site, frame paths, surround various objects, and complement architectural forms. Often a hedge serves as an alternative to a conventional fence. When working with living, growing material, there are ample opportunities for experimentation. You can grow a compact, low and dense hedge. Having opted for a high wall and choosing plants with thorns for it, you can get a completely impregnable fence.

Advice. If the height of the hedge can be selected based on individual preferences, then the width traditionally does not exceed 80 cm. This is important from the point of view of decorativeness and the appropriateness of using the area of ​​​​the site.

The requirements for the selection of plants for linear plantings include a number of important parameters. If its length is large, the unpretentiousness of shrubs comes to the fore. Painstaking care of each bush, when there are several hundred of them, can forever discourage the desire to decorate your site with a hedge. In the conditions of the middle zone, one should not forget about the frost resistance of perennials.


Choose hardy hedge crops

Planting new plants every spring to replace the frozen ones is not only expensive and difficult, but can also deprive the entire hedge of attractiveness as a whole. Along with these important characteristics, you should also pay attention to the following indicators:

  1. The rate of growth and development.
  2. The presence of flowers, fruits.
  3. Possibility of cutting, shaping.
  4. Duration of decorative season.
  5. No uncontrolled growth.

There is a special type of hedge using climbing or weaving plants. For them, you can arrange trellises or leave them to curl along the fence. This type of vertical gardening, located along the perimeter of the site, forms the most beautiful cascades of greenery, creating a kind of hedge.

You can plant clematis or cultivated loaches, which bloom for a long time, large corollas are very attractive. Such a flowering vertical hedge has every chance of becoming the main decoration of the garden. The advantage of climbing plants is their rapid development, in the second year a rather large curtain is formed, almost completely hiding the site from prying eyes. In addition, a vertical hedge takes up little space in width, which can be important for narrow areas.


Barberry

Fast growing hedge crops

Barberry is very often used to create hedges. This perennial is very plastic, from it you can form a low, trimmed along one line, neat border fence. Or place the plants in a more spacious planting pattern, giving them the opportunity to develop into tall, thorny, impenetrable hedges. Barberry has earned its popularity due to the following qualities:

  • unpretentiousness;
  • frost resistance;
  • rapid formation of green mass;
  • responsiveness to a haircut;
  • the presence of spines;
  • high decorativeness.

Hawthorn is no less often used by landscapers to create hedges. In addition to the decorative qualities that this plant boasts, its edible fruits are healing for the heart and blood vessels. The plant is characterized by the following qualities important for phytodesign:

  • high decorative effect;
  • undemanding care;
  • easy to form;
  • unpretentiousness to growing conditions.

Mature hawthorn plants are hardy, but young, immature bushes may need light shelter, especially in the first year of life.


Cotoneaster

The following types of shrubs, which are excellent for creating linear plantations of various configurations, also deserve close attention:

  1. Snowberry.
  2. Honeysuckle (different types).
  3. Forsythia.

Evergreens for hedges

The climate of the vast majority of the territories of our country suggests the use of only conifers as evergreens. The advantages of such plants are quite obvious, they are attractive all year round, their lush branches are well suited for linear plantings. The aroma of their resins has beneficial properties for human health.

Coniferous plants are durable, if you plan to create a green hedge once for many years, then this choice will be the best. However, most coniferous crops grow quite slowly and require a special approach when planting. There is no seasonal change in the color of the foliage that colors the landscape, and there will be no flowering. This fact must be taken into account. Consider those conifers that are best suited for hedges.


Norway spruce

Breeders have bred many ornamental varieties of spruce. They differ in the shade of the needles, the speed and strength of growth, the shape of the crown. The choice is quite wide, using various varietal forms of common spruce, you can get a low hedge, consisting of beautiful spruce paws. Or grow a powerful, human-height, prickly barrier, distinguished by its decorative effect. Alternatively, you can plant at some distance from each other plants of the Little Jam or Echiniformis variety, which have crowns in the form of a hemisphere or pillow. Spruce, planted in the form of a hedge, meets a number of requirements for this element of garden design:

  • unpretentiousness in care;
  • frost resistance;
  • undemanding to fertility and soil composition;
  • pleasant spruce aroma;
  • the ability to create a prickly barrier;
  • amenable to formation.

Thuja is rightfully popular among landscape designers and site owners. Its naturally even crowns often do not need to be artificially formed. Even planted in the form of a simple single-row hedge, thuja beautifully decorates the space. However, this southern plant is vulnerable to severe frosts. Depending on the region of cultivation, it may require shelter.

Juniper is represented by many varieties and varieties. From creeping plants to fairly tall representatives. Its branches are able to create dense weaves, well suited for living fences.

Planting a hedge and caring for it

Particular attention should be paid to the purchase of seedlings of coniferous plants. It is recommended to purchase planting material from a nursery rather than taking young plants from their natural habitat.


Planting a hedge

Since conifers are characterized by a very close symbiosis with other organisms, they do not take root well in a new place. It is highly desirable to purchase seedlings with a closed root system, with a clod of earth. So at least part of the soil community will be preserved and survival will be much faster. Coniferous seedlings are usually selected at least 4 years old. Whereas deciduous shrubs can be planted already in the 2-3rd year of their life.

Preparation for planting plants in a hedge differs little from work with other types of shrub plantings. Throughout the future green wall, a landing trench is dug with an average depth of 50 cm. For a single-row hedge, the width is approximately equal to the depth. The planting scheme differs significantly depending on the specific plant species. Most shrubs widely used for hedges are placed 25 cm apart.

Advice. When planting an evergreen hedge of coniferous plants, manure should not be added to the planting trench.

Plant care is standard for shrubs. It must be remembered that the roots of crops growing in hedges consume a significant amount of nutrients from the soil. Because they are planted quite tightly. This fact must be taken into account when calculating the consumption of fertilizers for other plants growing on the site.

The main difficulty in caring for a hedge is its regular haircut. After all, a free-growing hedge does not always meet aesthetic and design needs. Plants should be sheared at least once per season, but this is usually done more often. Properly formed plants form a well leafy curtain, never bare at the bottom.

Important! To reduce the frequency of cutting hedges and reduce labor costs, you can use special chemicals that inhibit plant growth - retardants.

Planting a hedge is not difficult at all. Having picked up fast-growing crops for its formation, you can get a wonderful fence in the shortest possible time. A hedge is superior to conventional fences in many ways. After all, it traps dust, muffles sounds, saturates the air with oxygen, and creates a pleasant shade. Among other things, such a fence is very aesthetic and attractive in appearance.