Native hedging shrubs

[vivienz]

OH and I are off to plant 550 bare rooted native hedging shrubs at the new place today.  They will go around approx 2/3 of the total perimetre and give a nice divide between our bit of the field and where the neighbouring farmer grazes his cows.

We sourced the shrubs from a nursery that we've used in the past for the same type of thing, albeit on a much smaller scale.  If anyone is after a similar type of thing, I'd recommend them as their pricing and service is excellent.  They are Hopes Grove Nurseries:  We ordered the plants on Sunday evening and they arrived on Wednesday afternoon, very well packed and in excellent condition.

 

Hopes Grove Nurseries

[Ferdinand]

What fantastic news to hear.

[Jeremy Harris]

We planted 300 bare root native hedge plants around our plot about two years ago.  The curious thing was that they sat there looking as if they were dead for the first year, then suddenly came to life last spring.  Ours are a mix of blackthorn, field maple, hazel, wild rose and hawthorn, I think.  They are just coming into bud now, and I'm hopeful they will do better this year than last, as last year they were struggling with some of the more vigorous weeds that had established themselves whilst the hedging plants were having a "year off".

[MikeSharp01]

Hedges are such a source of fun. Our local wildlife trust (Kent) has a list of all the different types of hedge row, what mixes of plants are in them and why and even how to lay them out. When we get to it we will have a Kentish coastal mix here.  Link to Kent wildlife hedging doucument Kent downs hedging

Edited March 10, 2017 by MikeSharp01
Insert link to hedging document

[Onoff]

We've something similar. Chose a mixed berry hedge so there's something all year round for the birds.

[Temp]

I planted about 60 meters of native hedge on our plot. If doing so again I would avoid Dog Rose or similar as the thorns are evil. 

 

I planted "whips". Just cut an L shape in the grass, lift the corner and push them in. Lots of guidance on the web. Only lost about 1 or 2%.

Edited March 10, 2017 by Temp

[Declan52]

Any clue on what type of hedge grows in the ground that is basically stone. My front boundary needs a hedge but i will be planting it in what amounts to rubble with some soil mixed in. It was made ground backfilled with the waste they dug out from when doing the M1 50 years ago. My dad planted a hedge 20 years ago but has hardly grown at all due to the poor soil conditions. 

Digging it out and replanting a new hedge with better soil isn't an option as there are 3 high voltage cables along the boundary that there.

[Stones]

4 hours ago, JSHarris said:

We planted 300 bare root native hedge plants around our plot about two years ago.  The curious thing was that they sat there looking as if they were dead for the first year, then suddenly came to life last spring. 

 

Experienced something very similar with the last hedge we (or more accurately I should say I) planted.  Very little if any visible activity in the 1st growing season, but 2nd season, they rocketed away.

[Trw144]

Very useful given my imminent need for a hedge in front of my fence. Question, I m looking for a suitable hedging plant - personally I like laurel as its modern looking and evergreen, however given my recent issues I m a little worried about planting a laurel hedge as someone may complain its not a native hedge as per the planning approval (my argument is that laurel has been in the UK since the 1600's and you would nt call a person who's family have lived in the UK since then an immigrant). Anyhow, is there a definitive list of what classifies as a "native hedge" plant, and does anyone have any recommendations for something evergreen?

 

[ProDave]

A Laurel hedge is for the VERY patient gardener.

 

We planted that along our front, 10 years ago, on the basis it was slow growing and therefore low maintenance.

 

Well it is CERTAINLY slow growing. It was about 5 years before we even trimmed it the first time, and even now, it's barely a 2ft high "hedge" perhaps scraping 3ft high in places, but to look like a hedge it has to be trimmed to the height of the slowest growing bit.

 

Will not be repeating. Perhaps we are just the wrong climate for it?

[Trw144]

That might suit - I like my fence, but I need a hedge for planning purposes.

[Calvinmiddle]

59 minutes ago, ProDave said:

A Laurel hedge is for the VERY patient gardener.

 

We planted that along our front, 10 years ago, on the basis it was slow growing and therefore low maintenance.

 

Well it is CERTAINLY slow growing. It was about 5 years before we even trimmed it the first time, and even now, it's barely a 2ft high "hedge" perhaps scraping 3ft high in places, but to look like a hedge it has to be trimmed to the height of the slowest growing bit.

 

Will not be repeating. Perhaps we are just the wrong climate for it?

Could be it does like where you live Dave.

i planted some as potted plants and it shot up about 2 foot in the first year.

 

A big factor has to be what you plant, whips have virtually no roots so will take a year or two to get going, bare roots are better but still need to repair the root network, the best is potted.

 

I also found bare roots to be the most annoying to plant and in the end I dug a trench and back filled it.

[Ferdinand]

1 hour ago, Trw144 said:

Very useful given my imminent need for a hedge in front of my fence. Question, I m looking for a suitable hedging plant - personally I like laurel as its modern looking and evergreen, however given my recent issues I m a little worried about planting a laurel hedge as someone may complain its not a native hedge as per the planning approval (my argument is that laurel has been in the UK since the 1600's and you would nt call a person who's family have lived in the UK since then an immigrant). Anyhow, is there a definitive list of what classifies as a "native hedge" plant, and does anyone have any recommendations for something evergreen?

 

 

Aucuba could be a good alternative to laurel. I think informal and mixed is a good idea, even as bushes behind a formal hedge. You can always add an interesting climber into your hedge.

 

Personally I think holly is wonderful. Our old place had a lot of holly planted years ago, and there were areas up to about 25 feet plus.

 

How it grows depends very much on conditions. How you feed it can make a huge difference. Perhaps there is something to be said by buying from a nursery with simular or worse conditions to your location?

 

For protection I am partial to Gorse (esp. near the sea) or Pyracantha. In the new (lane in town place) we have planted pryacantha and variegated holly more as gap fillers behind low stone walls.

 

Potted is interesting to pay for if you are getting 400 plants !

 

Ferdinand

Edited March 10, 2017 by Ferdinand

[Calvinmiddle]

Pyracantha

 

We had a pyracantha hedge (also known as Fire Thorn) across the middle of the garden when we bought the house, it separated the grass area from an allotment area.

 

Was about 10ft high 3ft wide and EVIL.  

 

I cut it every year, and in the 12 months it would grow shots 3ft long, as think as your thumb and covered in 2 inch long spikes.  I had to wear about 5 layers with hats and gloves and even then it looked like I had lost a fight with a bunch of cats.

 

but have to say it would be the best intruder proof hedge ever

[vivienz]

2 hours ago, Trw144 said:

Very useful given my imminent need for a hedge in front of my fence. Question, I m looking for a suitable hedging plant - personally I like laurel as its modern looking and evergreen, however given my recent issues I m a little worried about planting a laurel hedge as someone may complain its not a native hedge as per the planning approval (my argument is that laurel has been in the UK since the 1600's and you would nt call a person who's family have lived in the UK since then an immigrant). Anyhow, is there a definitive list of what classifies as a "native hedge" plant, and does anyone have any recommendations for something evergreen?

 

Beech makes a lovely hedge and is native, too.  Even though it's deciduous, it hangs onto its leaves until the new spring growth pushes the old ones off, so you get quite a good screen even through the winter.

[Ferdinand]

9 hours ago, Calvinmiddle said:

Pyracantha

 

We had a pyracantha hedge (also known as Fire Thorn) across the middle of the garden when we bought the house, it separated the grass area from an allotment area.

 

Was about 10ft high 3ft wide and EVIL.  

 

but have to say it would be the best intruder proof hedge ever

 

Yep :-).

 

Though ours sort of "piled" rather than hedged. Perhaps there are bush varities. it also goes up walls by leaning on them rather than self attaching. Half a dozen plants will create the most marvellous "thicket" after 10 years.

 

It can take a bit to get going ... ours at the new house 3 years on in poor soil are doing OK but need perhaps 4-5 more to fill the gaps they are in.

 

Quote

I cut it every year, and in the 12 months it would grow shots 3ft long, as think as your thumb and covered in 2 inch long spikes.  I had to wear about 5 layers with hats and gloves and even then it looked like I had lost a fight with a bunch of cats.

 

After a couple of decades we would leave it for 5 years then take out a few of the branches 5-10ft back.

 

Alternative to beech is hornbeam if you have a really heavy soil. 

Edited March 11, 2017 by Ferdinand

[Ferdinand]

11 hours ago, Trw144 said:

Very useful given my imminent need for a hedge in front of my fence. Question, I m looking for a suitable hedging plant - personally I like laurel as its modern looking and evergreen, however given my recent issues I m a little worried about planting a laurel hedge as someone may complain its not a native hedge as per the planning approval (my argument is that laurel has been in the UK since the 1600's and you would nt call a person who's family have lived in the UK since then an immigrant). Anyhow, is there a definitive list of what classifies as a "native hedge" plant, and does anyone have any recommendations for something evergreen?

 

 

Is it framed as a recommendation or an instruction?

 

If the former you can ignore it anyway, at a slight risk of Council nose being put out of joint. I ignored the "Beech or Oak" recommendation and went for a Pryus Chanticleer for my new TPO tree. If it is an instruction i think you will get away with it anyway. But imo there are many better things to use that are less gloomy than Laurel. And Laurel is a bugger to maintain eventually, and gets leggy.

 

If you want something different with big shiny leaves, you could try Myrtle, which is also salt-fast. But also imo gloomy.

 

Ferdinand