Photo courtesy of klausthebest at Flickr.com.
The creation and maintenance of hedges, once an integral part of life in many European countries and even in some parts of the United States, is now a dying art. While many hedges do still exist, they tend to be older specimens that have survived the vagaries of time and human progress. This is unfortunate, because hedges offer an excellent and purely natural way not just to beautify your property, but also to create natural fence lines that, if allowed to mature, can be all but impassible. As such, they’re ideal alternatives to traditional constructed fences.
Creating your own hedge is a fairly straightforward process. First, lay out a straight line to mark the length of the hedge, and then dig a trench at least 18 inches deep and two feet wide. Next, work a substantial amount of compost into the soil, especially if your soil has a high proportion of clay. Then plant your individual hedge plants (whatever they may be, from hawthorn to boxwood to privet) at regular intervals, using a measuring stick to ensure proper spacing. It can’t hurt to drop some water crystals into each hole before you backfill it, to give the plant a nice head start; a good organic fertilizer formulated for shrubs is also recommended.
Once your hedge plants become well established, be sure to prune the tips to promote branching. After a few seasons, you should be developing a nicely branched hedge with a thick base. At that point, you can start trimming it to shape with pruning shears or, if it’s especially robust, ordinary gardening shears. Electric hedge trimmers can be used, but only on older hedges; and in any case, hand shears use only your energy, and in the end deliver a neater cut.
Photo courtesy of Jasen Robillard at Flickr.com.
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