What kind of hedge?

[Blackdog]

I am contemplating planting hedging in my front garden and would welcome any advice on what to plant.
It's a typical suburban size and shape, 20x20 feet square with a footpath but no road in front. I will need to put a small fence or wall in front of it a couple of feet high.

What I am hoping to achieve is a small, wildlife friendly garden.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

[C C]

Planting a native hedge is a great idea, i put mine in two seasons ago. I went through many ideas for a planting scheme. I finally decided to plant species that were lacking in my area. The final result were Rhamnus frangula (Alder buckthorn), Ligustrum vulgare (Wild privet), Euonymus europaeus (Spindle), Cornus sanguinea (Dogwood), all have a wildlife value and they all carry a berry.

[svenrufus]

Originally Posted by Blackdog

I am contemplating planting hedging in my front garden and would welcome any advice on what to plant.
It's a typical suburban size and shape, 20x20 feet square with a footpath but no road in front. I will need to put a small fence or wall in front of it a couple of feet high.

What I am hoping to achieve is a small, wildlife friendly garden.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

CC is right that looking at the local area is a good starting point - see what is typical, and see what is scarce, then decide what way you want to go from there. Try to source locally if you can.

Not sure where you are based, so can't offer any idea of what a typical hedge in that area would be like. My only word of caution is to avoid blackthorn, even if it is a typical species of the area. In a gardens setting, as it is strongly suckering, it will be a pain to control.

[nightshade]

See what types of wildlife you have in your area every region has a list
no point in planting in the hope
you can find a good guide at The Postcode Plants Database - Natural History Museum
plant now,plant at a shallow angle at the recommended spacings to
encourage dense shoots which will give a dense base to your hedge
without laying it plenty of suppliers on the net include hazel, hawthorn,
alder,blackthorn,dogwood,snowberry

[aeshna5]

Native hedges are obviously good, but many exotic species are wildlife friendly too. Remember many of the native species mentioned are deciduous; Holly being an exception- so think if you want more screening in the winter.

Some of the popular exotics are in the same botanical families as natives + often support more wildlife than credited for. Also a few well chosen evergreens will provide shelter for birds, small mammals + invertebrates from the worst winter weather. Berberis darwinii is a good hedge plant with lovely golden flowers in the spring loved by bees + the berries adored by birds, Some of the Cotoneasters + Pyracantha also make good hedges, with flowers that attract a variety of insects + the fruits are eaten by many creatures too. I would avoid sclerophyll species such as Laurels though.

Remember in a garden environment you don't have to be purist, enjoy a mix of native + exotic. The BUGS survey in Sheffield (read No Nettles required by Ken Thompson) showed that when well selected exotics could attract as many (or more) than some natives.

[nightshade]

As Aeshna has said a mix is good.Berbris is extremely thorny and the thorns last for years in the soil,my son fell into a bush and was stuck through like a pin cushion, we removed over 60 thorns before taking him for medical assistence(they also pierce Kevlar bike tyres)
It is a very good protective hedging and the insect life drawn to its flowers is as stated
Eucalyptus is also a good draw for bees etc.when in bloom and can be used in a hedge
Do not forget Buddliah and Lilac

[Kayleigh]

Try buckingham nurseries mail order for cheep headging. We planted a native headge last year for under £10. But we planted Blackthorn

Buckingham Nurseries Online Catalogue - Hedging, Young Trees, Shrubs, Fruit Trees, Soft Fruit, Grasses, Ground Cover Plants, Climbers

[Blackdog]

Thanks everyone, food for thought indeed.

I'll have a study of the plants mentioned and a bit of a think, then I shall get stuck in.

I'll let you know how I get on.

[Blackdog]

I have had a bit of a search and found this page
Hedging Collections from Buckingham Nurseries
I quite like the look of the tapestery hedging, would that suit my purpose? I am looking at 3 sides of a square to hedge, each about 20 feet long.

[ron1863]

My personal favourite is a beech hedge, the leaves are a lovely light green in spring turning darker in summer to golden brown in autumn and only really drop off when the new growth pushes through in spring, and it is good for wildlife.

[svenrufus]

Originally Posted by nightshade

plenty of suppliers on the net include hazel, hawthorn,
alder,blackthorn,dogwood,snowberry

Can't agree with the idea of snowberry. It is a bully and a thug! It suckers strongly too, like blackthorn and over time will crowd out the other species in the hedge. And despite its strong suckering, it doesn't do well at maintaining good cover- it gets quite gappy at the base as it gets older.

I'm a bit of a native purist - as won't be a surprise to some I have debated heatedly on the subject before, and would always use our native berry bearing options before going for the pyracantha/cotoneaster options, but in a garden, I'm not that bothered, with the proviso that if you are on the edge of town, the seeds can spread quite easily - a lot of the chalk downland sites around me are getting ruined by cotoneaster invading, so be cautious.

[nightshade]

Just up the road from me is a very old hedgerow it is shot through with snowberry
which gives good thickness to a neglected hedge

[nightshade]

Hi Blackdog I was wondering if this would be an oppertunity to plant
different hedgerows as you have four sides to play with
Tapestry,Beech,Native,and perhaps a mix of Pyracantha and other
non native types (I wish I had the space)Varigated Privet

[Blackdog]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Hi Blackdog I was wondering if this would be an oppertunity to plant
different hedgerows as you have four sides to play with
Tapestry,Beech,Native,and perhaps a mix of Pyracantha and other
non native types (I wish I had the space)Varigated Privet

Well,only three sides really, but I take your point. It would make a nice broad spread of colour and textures too.

[Garden Carpet]

I like the idea of the edible hedge too.. for you and the birds.
jaki

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by svenrufus

Can't agree with the idea of snowberry. It is a bully and a thug! It suckers strongly too, like blackthorn and over time will crowd out the other species in the hedge. And despite its strong suckering, it doesn't do well at maintaining good cover- it gets quite gappy at the base as it gets older.

I'm a bit of a native purist - as won't be a surprise to some I have debated heatedly on the subject before, and would always use our native berry bearing options before going for the pyracantha/cotoneaster options, but in a garden, I'm not that bothered, with the proviso that if you are on the edge of town, the seeds can spread quite easily - a lot of the chalk downland sites around me are getting ruined by cotoneaster invading, so be cautious.

I agree that Cotoneasters can become a problem, but I guess the fact that they get there is a testimony to their attractiveness to wildlife as they will have arrived in their droppings!

Native shrubs can also become problematic on chalk downland- it's a case of getting the right grazing regime on what is a man-made semi-natural habitat.