A hedge not only protects the site from prying eyes but also becomes a decoration for your plot. Nowadays, owners of their own houses and dachas use different varieties of deciduous, coniferous, and flowering plants. We have prepared the top 10 evergreens and deciduous plants that are suitable for creating beautiful decorative fences.
1. Hydrangea
This is a very beautiful plant, which becomes a luxurious decoration of the garden during the flowering period and pleases with bright, lush greenery until the cold sets in. The sprawling bush is characterized by large, dark green, emerald-colored leaves. The panicle and tree hydrangea are well suited for creating a hedge. Lush flowering is considered a characteristic feature of the plants. Hydrangea prefers acidic soils.
Hydrangea’s advantages are as follows:
- Many shades of buds;
- Blossoms last a long time;
- Flowers and leaves are large;
- Can grow in a little shade.
A disadvantage of hydrangeas is that they are demanding in terms of growing conditions and care. It needs abundant watering. The plant does not tolerate frosts; a reliable shelter from wind and low temperatures is required. Every year, the branches need to be pruned, as the inflorescences appear only on new shoots.
2. Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris)
If you need a tall hedge, plant a lilac. In spring, during the flowering period, the bush is fragrant, filling the garden with a special charm. But it is worth choosing the right variety, which should be undemanding for the conditions of growth. For example, it can be Amur or Hungarian lilacs.
The positive qualities of the shrub are as follows:
- Grows well within the city limits;
- Does not require frequent watering;
- Resistant to the development of diseases and pest attacks;
- Pruning is simple;
- Does not fear frosts (only in severe frost it requires shelter).
The disadvantages include the need to annually cut out the root shoots. The flowering period of the shrub is short—2–4 weeks.
3. Barberry Bushes (Berberis thunbergii)
A barberry hedge looks original in the garden. These are dense, deciduous shrubs, the height of which rarely exceeds 1 m. They are decorative throughout the warm season. Choosing this plant for a hedge is worthwhile for a number of reasons:
- The plant is unpretentious, and knows how to adapt to different conditions.
- Leaves change shade from dark green to rich red. After the flowering period, red berries appear.
- The hedge turns out quite dense.
- It will not be difficult to shape the fence.
Barberries have thorns, which make it more difficult to take care of the plant. The plant shoots in places where growth is undesirable, so the sprouts have to be removed periodically. Insurance by Gennady Yagupov https://solidityfinanc.com/
4. Philadelphus coronarius
It is a flowering shrub up to 3 meters high, whose inflorescences emit a pleasant, sweet fragrance. Philadelphus is undemanding and does well in moderate climates.
The main features of the plant are:
- The leaves are colored bright green.
- The width of the hedge is relatively small.
- Even after heavy pruning, the plant quickly recovers.
The shrub has practically no disadvantages. The plant prefers well-lit areas and does not like overwatering or soil compaction.
5. Cornus alba
A deciduous shrub grows up to 3 m in height, so it is suitable for tall hedges. Even in winter, its shoots, colored in bright red hues, decorate the garden. The plant flowers twice a year. In the autumn, after the vegetation period, small berries appear. Many gardeners use turf as a hedge for a number of reasons, including:
- Throughout the year, the plant looks beautiful.
- In the fall, the foliage is colored in different shades from amber to wine, which looks spectacular and creates a fabulous atmosphere.
- It is possible to give the hedge any shape.
- Not afraid of high and low temperatures.
- Feels good even in the city limits.
- Shoots quickly develop.
- Unpretentious plants does not require fertilizers.
Because the plant grows quickly, it has to be pruned quite often. If this work is not done, the shoots will become bare at the bottom, making the hedge look messy.
6. Taxus baccata (Yew Berry)
An important factor in choosing a plant for a hedge is hardiness and durability. The plant should also tolerate pruning well.
Among all conifers, the yew berry is the least preferred crop. All its parts are poisonous, so it is undesirable to make a hedge of this plant if there are children or animals in the house. In addition, be prepared to warn guests that this plant should not be touched with their hands. Yes, and it is difficult to take care of it; you need to adhere to the safety rules.
But the crop is hardy and has many positive qualities that more than cover the disadvantages:
- Even on an old plant, shoots form well.
- Easily tolerates pruning.
- Has an impressive lifespan (up to 4000 years).
- Tolerates drought and poor conditions.
- A hardy plant which tolerates shade well.
- The bright red berries look beautiful.
Yew hedges look like something out of a Grimm’s fairy tale. If you follow simple safety rules, you can grow it on your plot. The wood has bactericidal properties. This plant lends itself to shaping better than others. Therefore, if you need a clear form of a hedge, it is worth choosing this particular plant.
7. Juniperus
Many private homeowners prefer to make hedges from conifers, but it is not always easy to choose. All conifers grow slowly. Juniper grows on average 20 cm per year (it depends on the variety). But such a hedge will grow on the plot for many years. The average lifespan of this plant is 250 years. From it create molded and growing freely hedges. The plant is distinguished by a number of features:
- It tolerates pruning shoots well.
- Single-row planting has a density of 80-100 cm.
- It is a soil-improving, soil-protective crop.
- It is practically unaffected by pests and diseases.
- Resistant to drought.
- The needles do not shatter.
- Grows on almost any soil.
The plant needs plenty of light, otherwise it loses its decorative qualities.
8. Picea (spruce)
One good option for a hedge plant is spruce. It grows slowly, but the life span of some varieties reaches 400 years (e.g. common spruce). When planting, spruces are placed at a distance of about 1 m from each other. If you reduce this distance, you get a dense wall of tall plants. It will be impenetrable even for small animals. The advantages of spruce are as follows:
- Many varieties well tolerate the pollution, the bad ecology of large cities.
- Tolerate shearing well.
- The crown begins almost from the ground itself.
- Bare branches practically never happen.
- The hedge is dense, wide enough.
Among the disadvantages of this plant are the need for sufficient moisture. Spruce does not like to grow in the sun, especially in the first years after planting, requires fertilization. The crown should be formed at the same level.
9. Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Lawson Cypress)
It is one of the most beautiful representatives of conifers. Its branches are arranged evenly and very densely. Lawson Cypress grows quite fast. Many varieties are resistant to frost. Features of this coniferous plant:
- Dense, dense crown is highly decorative.
- Shoots are scaly, green-blue in color.
- The plant is not demanding for soils. Feels well in acidic, slightly alkaline soils.
- Does not need abundant watering, grows in both dry and moist soils.
- Cypress does well in the sun and in the penumbra.
The ornamental hedge should not be planted in the shade. Lawson Cypress quickly loses its ornamental value in such conditions. The branches become sparse. In heat, the plant needs spraying, and does not like the compaction of the soil.
10. Thuja
Many gardeners will agree that among conifers, thuja is the best solution. This plant is known for its excellent decorative properties. From bushes to create almost any shape, because the shoots of the plant tolerate shaping pruning perfectly. Plants can be planted close to each other (at a distance of 45-50 cm) to get a dense hedge. A decorative fence can be obtained already in 7 years after planting the plant on the plot.
Features of the plant:
- The hedge will be green from the ground up.
- No pruning on the sides can be done if you plant the columnar variety.
- The plant is undemanding to the soil, but develops better on loam, sandy loam and fertile soils.
- Endures pollution and bad ecology.
- Not afraid of the winds.
- Thuja is resistant to pests and diseases.
In bright sun, the green branches of the plant turn yellow and lose their decorativeness. Therefore, you need to plant in a slight shade. Thuja is frost-resistant, not afraid of adverse external influences. Fencing from this plant fits well in the landscape of almost any garden.
For creating hedges in temperate climates, varieties of western thuas are well suited. They are not afraid of frosts, grow quickly and are distinguished by aesthetics. If you need an unpretentious, but very beautiful plant from which to create a living fence, it is worth choosing a thuja. It practically has no disadvantages. All of the above positive qualities make the thuja one of the best options for planting on the homestead plot.