Guide to Planting and Caring for Hedges

 

Formal and informal hedges can provide a great deal of structure and character to a garden, and can be used to create a practical feature, a purely decorative element or a combination of the two.

A good hedge can form an excellent (and if necessary, animal-proof) boundary, and provides a much softer line than any of the 'hard' boundary materials, such as walls and fences. A thick hedge can also be used as a barrier against the noise and pollution from roads, whilst also offering a valuable wildlife habitat.

In this section, you'll find a guide to planning, planting, shaping, trimming and renovating deciduous and evergreen hedges, whether you're planning to create a formal garden feature or simply an informal barrier.

Why Plant a Hedge?
Hedges can provide an attractive, living barrier; a screen from unattractive views, along with shade and shelter for your garden.
Formal Hedging
Creating formal hedging using plants such as box, hawthorn, yew and beech.
Informal Hedging
Using plants such as firethorn, lavender, potentilla and hazel to create informal hedging.
Planting Hedges
How to plant single and double, staggered rows of hedging plants.
Shaping Hedges
Creating a shaped hedge to help deflect high winds and snow.
Trimming Hedges
A guide to when and how to trim your deciduous or evergreen hedge.
Renovating Hedges
Find out how you can renovate a neglected hedge.