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Fast growing hedges in florida


5 Fast-Growing Windbreak Plants For Florida Landscapes

Living close to the Florida coast, the wind can get in the way of outdoor enjoyment. Some of our clients ask us about windbreak plants that can help them create an outdoor space that’s more enjoyable and usable.

Many homeowners want plants as a barrier to the wind hitting their outdoor living patio, the place where they’ll spend the most time outside. When deciding where to put the plants, a landscape architect will look at how the house is situated on the lot, which then helps dictate the best spot for the windbreak plants.

Planting a green screen, so to speak, can make your yard less sensitive to windy weather, buying you more time to enjoy in the great outdoors — and a little natural privacy to boot. Here are some things to think about when considering windbreak plants for our Florida landscape.

5 Plants To Create A Fast-Growing Windbreak

The following plants are a few of GreenEarth’s top picks for fast-growing windbreaks for your Florida landscape. They’ll help keep strong winds at bay, so your time in the yard is easy breezy and not cut short.

Yew Podocarpus

Sometimes knowns as a Japanese Yew, this evergreen tree grows 30-45 feet high and is highly resistant to wind. It doesn’t need frequent trimming, which makes maintenance easier. There are other podocarpus varieties which don’t grow as tall, if you want something shorter..

Viburnum

This hedge plant has the added advantage of growing pretty white flowers in spring. It’s also cold-tolerant and can be trimmed to look formal or natural. Its leaves grow close together so you’ll have a dense wall.

Wax Myrtle

These fast growing shrubs can sprout up five feet in a year, creating a wind barrier in short time. This evergreen can easily block the wind if planted in multiples. It’s adaptable and easy to maintain as well.

Ligustrum

You might also know this tree as a Japanese or Chinese privet, as there are several types. Ligustrums can also be used as hedges. They have dense foliage you can trim to look ornamental or natural. They grow quickly and handle the cold well.

Yaupon Holly

The Yaupon Holly can grow 15-25 feet upward, and outward too. Some prefer to trim the Yaupon Holly to look like a hedge, and it can be grown into a tree or screen.

FYI: Two Reasons You May Not Want to Install Windbreak Plants

While windbreak plants help keep the outdoor area calmer and, well, less windy, it’s not the answer for all homeowners. Here are two reasons you may decide not to plant a windbreak area.

  1. Some homeowners with a gulf view prefer to live with the wind, rather than planting greenery that may block their water view. Remember that, once installed, plants will continue to grow and even those shorter specimens might block your view years later.
  2. Once the wind is strong enough, homeowners may not want to be outside anyway, so if the plants block the view and the wind continues to be brisk enough to be uncomfortable, you may want to opt for an open space instead.

GreenEarth Can Help You Choose The Best Windbreak Plants For Your Northwest Florida Landscaping

If you’re considering adding windbreak plants to your landscaping, the experts at GreenEarth are well educated on this topic and ready to answer any questions you may have. We can talk to you about the pros and cons of adding windbreaks, and give professional opinions on what plants would best suit your needs. We can talk with you about your goals and help you figure out the best plan for your home.

If you’d like a consultation or want to know what we can do to help you, give us a call at our Panama City Beach office at (850) 236-1959, or call our Santa Rosa Beach office at (850) 267-0010 to set up an appointment. You can also fill out the online form on our website to schedule a consultation.


Images: Flag in wind, Japanese Yew, Viburnum, Wax Myrtle, Ligustrum, Yaupon Holly

7 Hedge Plants to Grow in Florida — Bustling Nest

Landscaping can be a difficult task. There are so many trees and shrubs to choose from; you must figure out what and where to plant them. Planting privacy hedges may be the best landscaping decision for your lawn and garden. 

However, due to the intense heat, humidity, and salt, many homeowners in Florida struggle to choose a hedge plant despite the various beautiful options. Because different parts of Florida have different growth zones, you must choose a plant that is suitable for your zone.

Hedges are an excellent complement to any landscape. They can provide privacy by blocking the neighbor’s view and reducing the noise from a busy street. Let’s take a look at seven hedges that grow well in Florida.

1. Arborvitae

Depending on their usage and variety, arborvitae may be considered a tree or a shrub. Either way, they produce dense foliage and turn into bushes with scale-like leaves. They make a dramatic statement and work great as screens. These plants are beautiful when used to line a property, a large driveway, or as a single showpiece plant. It can resist drought but not saline conditions.

No pruning is necessary to retain the symmetrical teardrop or globe shape typical in arborvitae. The smooth, dense foliage is a lovely deep green that complements the other greens in the yard. 

It grows to 20 feet tall and nearly as wide, making it suitable for specimen planting in formal settings. Plant the arborvitae in full sun to moderate shade and well-drained soils for best results.

2. Bottlebrush

Bottlebrush is a flowering evergreen perennial with gorgeous flowers that attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. It has dense foliage, grows quickly, and produces stunning red flower spikes from spring to fall. It is available in upright and cascading varieties with colorful blooms. 

Reaching a mature height of 10 to 20 feet, bottlebrush can be used as a hedge or screening plant. This hedge prefers full sun and wet, well-drained soils. Pruning up to one-third of the leaves early in the spring can encourage more flowers.  

3. Boxwood

There are over 45 varieties of boxwood to choose from on the market, with mature heights varying from 36 inches to 12 feet. However, some specimens can grow up to 30 feet tall. 

Most are classified as small to medium shrubs. Boxwood is commonly found in coastal areas on sandy soil and hammocks. The plant’s small leaves grow closely together. These bushes produce cream flowers with a greenish tint in the spring.

4. Clusia

Clusia has dense foliage that is resistant to drought and salinity. Its large, green, oval leaves give it a tropical look. Clusia grows as a dense hedge with thick olive-green leaves that branch out towards the ground.

This shrub grows 25 to 30 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide, boasting 3-inch white and pink flowers that bloom overnight throughout the summer.

Clusia grows well in full sun to moderate shade and in well-drained soil, making it an excellent screen. It grows slowly and thrives in coastal locations and under poor soil conditions. Once established, Clusia is low-maintenance and drought-tolerant. 

5. Gardenia

Gardenias feature dark evergreen foliage with beautiful double white blossoms that bloom all winter. The best lighting condition for gardenias is bright shade. Although, full sun is preferable in cooler parts of the state.

Gardenias grow best in acidic soil with a pH of 5.0 to 6.0. Because it enjoys extra nitrogen, you will get the best results from feeding it with composted chicken manure.

6. Cocoplum

This native of South Florida has a great texture and a beachy appeal. It also produces a delicious plum that many animals consume. The plant has small leaves, and new growth usually has red tips. They’re excellent as hedge shrubs or privacy plants, and they may grow to a height of 15 feet, although they’re typically kept trimmed to around 4 feet.

Cocoplum grows well in full sunlight, does not require fertilizer, and is a low-maintenance plant that can be trimmed for a more formal appearance or left to grow naturally. It is resistant to pests and diseases and therefore does not need much care once established.

7. Allamanda Bush

Allamanda bush may be the easiest to grow of all the plants found in South Florida. It produces bright green leaves and plenty of yellow flowers. Allamanda bushes are evergreen and, to some extent, salt-tolerant.

The golden trumpet-shaped flowers bloom intermittently throughout the year, most notably in the summer. All this lovely shrub needs for maintenance is an occasional pruning to show off its naturally graceful shape.

The allamanda bush’s size and color make it a superb garden accent, hedge, solitary specimen, or privacy screen. If the bush variety is too large for your needs, consider the dwarf variation. Keep them trimmed to 3 feet when they’re young and 4 or 5 feet when they’re older.

Phillis Butler

Fast growing hedge shrubs: hardy varieties

Plants on the site can serve not only as a decorative component, but also are able to perform certain functions. Cover unsightly outbuildings, strengthen the soil or divide the territory, for example. Today we will talk about deciduous shrubs that are suitable for forming hedges. A country house hedge is a densely planted chain of plants for decoration and division of space into certain zones, to replace the traditional fence, and protect the territory from prying eyes or even protect the garden from wild animals.

Regardless of the purpose of the hedge, it is a very beautiful ornament that can transform any landscape.

Hedge benefits:

  1. As we said above, a hedge is able to divide the site into certain zones. So, for example, with its help, you can separate the central areas from the adjacent area. Or a vegetable garden area from an orchard.

  2. A living wall can easily replace the fence we are used to. If you decide to delimit the territory with a non-traditional stationary fence, densely planted crops will hide your garden from prying eyes with ease.

  3. If your site is already fenced, but the fence is unattractive, or maybe just old, then hedges will also come to the rescue, which will create a picturesque background.

  4. The same rule applies inside the garden. By planting a dense hedge along the buildings, you can hide unattractive walls and give the overall landscape neatness.

  5. By choosing deciduous crops with thorns (for example, from hawthorn) for the construction of a living wall, you can not only decorate the garden, but also protect it from uninvited guests - wild animals.

  6. Dense growth of deciduous shrubs planted in a row will perfectly protect the site from the scorching sun, strong drafts

  7. If recreation areas are distributed on your site, a hedge can make these corners not only cozy, but also add coolness and shade on especially hot days. A great place to hide from the hustle and bustle while reading your favorite book!

  8. Of course, planted plants make the garden more presentable, add colors to it and make the air much cleaner.

  9. If you choose lush flowering plants for hedges, they will become excellent honey plants and will attract beneficial insects to your garden.

  10. Strengthening the soil. So that water erosion does not harm the soil cover, it is necessary to think about strengthening it. A sod slope is one of the mandatory elements in the case of a predominance of a non-uniform relief. Dense plantings of shrubs will come to the rescue in such a situation.

Having analyzed the main functions of a hedge, let's proceed to the selection of plants. Since our goal is a thick, as if revived wall, performing the tasks of zoning, protecting and hiding the garden from prying eyes, the plants must be selected at a certain height: from one and a half meters. The second criterion for choosing seedlings is that they should be fast-growing shrubs for hedges, so that in a couple of years they will create a dense, lush barrier.

Conditionally hedges are usually divided into 2 types: homogeneous and mixed. The former are created from one type of plant (a bright and dense living wall of barberry, for example), and in mixed ones several species alternate (for example, thuja, hydrangea, thuja, hydrangea, and so on).

Popular deciduous shrubs for uniform hedges:

Vesicle

A very interesting shrub that looks spectacular in ordinary plantings. It is valued for its decorative leaves with carved edges, juicy color, unpretentious care and good ability to tolerate haircuts. Depending on the variety, can be created as a single color hedge, for example using a variety with red foliage "Diabolo" (Diablo), and diversify the wall with a golden representative - the bubble "Dart`s Gold" (Darts Gold). A juicy, bright hedge year after year will enchant with its decorative effect with minimal labor to care for it.

Deren

Bright, attractive and shade-tolerant woody shrub - soren. All kinds of leaf colors will allow you to easily find a variety that is attractive to you: green with a white border, dark red, golden and others. Deren perfectly tolerates any vagaries of nature, grows quickly and has a dense, dense crown. Depending on the tasks, you can create a hedge in a free-growing form, or give the turf any shape - it safely tolerates shaping haircuts.

Cotoneaster

Asking the question: “What to make a hedge from?”, Turn your attention to the cotoneaster. Spectacular representative of deciduous shrubs, changing its foliage during the season. In summer it is juicy green, and by autumn it acquires crimson hues. By the end of summer, colorful black fruits will decorate the hedge. The cotoneaster is distinguished by its unpretentiousness to growing conditions, tolerates pruning perfectly, pleases for many years with its neat, dense crown. Great option for a living wall!

Grefsheim gray spirea

Charming flowering spirea that will not leave anyone indifferent. Thin sprawling shoots, rounded openwork crown, incredibly abundant flowering, juicy green foliage. By planting a spirea in a hedge, you will effortlessly create a dense, very beautiful wall, which every year will delight, covered with snow-white flowers and exuding a magnificent aroma. Spirea is not only very beautiful, but does not require additional attention at all: it is frost-resistant, puts up with light shading, does not require frequent watering and is good for haircuts.

Hawthorn

As we said above, hawthorn is very often used specifically to protect the site from unwanted wild animals. Its spines and crown create a dense veil from strangers. And due to the average density, the hawthorn lets in enough air so that the area is sufficiently ventilated. Depending on the species and variety, hawthorn can grow up to 6 meters in height, but some representatives do not grow more than 3. Since the hawthorn has a beautiful rounded crown, it will decorate your garden even without additional haircuts.

Hydrangea

When choosing which shrub to make a hedge, take into account the magnificent hydrangea. She is able to become not only a first-class tapeworm in your garden, but also in a hedge will enchant everyone around. Dense foliage carved along the edge, neat beautiful crown and, of course, large conspicuous inflorescences densely covering each seedling. A living wall of hydrangea throughout the season will delight you with its decorative effect: in spring and autumn with juicy greenery, and in summer with incomparable flowering and aroma.

Snowberry

Another great option for creating dense, interesting hedges is the snowberry, familiar from childhood. A dense deciduous shrub with unusual bluish-green foliage and unique fruits - white or pink balls densely covering each shoot, which children so love to "slap" their feet. It is characterized by high frost resistance, unpretentiousness to the composition of the soil, watering and does not require much care.

Barberry

A favorite and often used by landscape designers to create hedges is the barberry. Its juicy neat leaves (depending on the variety and season, almost all the colors of the rainbow) form an openwork dense crown and bring color even to the most monotonous landscape. Excellent frost resistance and tolerability of haircuts make it possible to grow it in any garden. Thanks to the variety of species and varieties, every gardener will be able to choose any type of hedge: noble red, bright green, multi-colored with a frame, even and neat from shrubs with upright branches or lush thanks to spreading shoots. A variety of flowering, no less attractive fruits and foliage with a changeable color contribute to the fact that the barberry changes its appearance during the season without losing its decorative effect.

Mock orange

The mock orange looks picturesque in a hedge (many used to call it jasmine). Juicy green leaves, sprawling attractive shape, thin graceful shoots, simple or double snow-white inflorescences and, of course, an incomparable aroma. A hedge in a dacha made of mock orange is not only a unique decoration, but also a planting that is completely unpretentious in care, capable of delighting you and your neighbors for many years.

Irga

If you want to plant in your garden not only an attractive, but also useful plant in its own way, then you should stop your attention on the irga. Thanks to unusual leaves that are able to change the color of foliage from month to month (from silver-green to various crimson hues), a hedge of shadberry will be attractive at any time, adding variety to the landscape. It is beautiful in an ordinary planting and, in addition, every year pleases its owners with delicious fruits. And in the spring, the irga is covered with snow-white inflorescences, shading the juicy foliage. Suitable for planting in partial shade.

When choosing plants for a hedge, pay attention to the size of the crown of shrubs in adulthood: many of the above plants, depending on the type and variety, can create both medium (from 1. 5 meters) and high walls (4-5 meters). The main thing is to choose what your garden needs and will meet the tasks.

Mixed hedges on site

Recently, mixed hedges, formed from various hardwood or coniferous species, have gained immense popularity. Such heterogeneous walls look quite impressive and, at least, unusual: they allow you to experiment with shape, color and texture, bringing zest to the landscape.

Creating a mixed hedge is not difficult: you simply plant different types of plants in a certain order. So, for example, a living wall made of arborvitae, alternating in equal intervals with colorful turf, looks spectacular. Or in an equal step blooming hydrangea with dark barberry.

Or by choosing shrubs with interesting foliage: alternate a plain dark barberry with a bright bordered turf. One of the main rules when creating mixed hedges is not to overdo it with color. Be sure to choose both monophonic species and varieties of plants, as well as bright ones, interesting for their flowering, foliage color or shrub shape. So, for example, standard forms look very interesting framed by the classical crown of neighboring plants.

The choice of plants in mixed hedges should be based on your preferences. From the above plants, you can easily build unique living walls. You can also see the types and design options for hedges in our article. "Undemanding Hedge Plants".

No matter what kind of hedge becomes the decoration of your garden, it will easily ennoble its appearance by adding elements of logic and completeness. You can buy shrubs for hedges right now on our website or come to the garden center and personally choose the types and varieties of plants from our variety on the marketplace.

The fastest growing types of trees and shrubs for summer cottages. photo

Thuja

Thuja hedge

Excellent winter tolerance, green hedge plants in summer, turning brown in late autumn. A dense fence is created in 3-4 years: the time depends on the variety. Western thuja is divided into the following types:

Columnar arborvitae

The ideal place for cultivation is partial shade. General recommendations for growing arborvitae:

  1. Plant young shoots in “bouquets” or next to each other, at a distance of 50 cm. With this approach, the plants will help each other grow - even if one tree dies, the hedge of shrubs will remain beautiful and dense.
  2. To prevent the ground part from drying out, tie fast-growing shrubs in a spiral for the winter, tighten the thread well: closely spaced shoots will not quickly evaporate moisture.

Coniferous types of green fence

The main difference of coniferous fence is that it remains green all year round. In addition, such plants are considered unpretentious and not demanding in care, which means that their cultivation will not be difficult. In addition, these plants are easy to form. And what from them air! The smell of spruce is incomparable and very useful and pleasant.

Climbers for hedges

Climbing varieties look good in hedges. However, for such plants, a frame or support is needed for which they will hold. This role can be performed by a simple fence. For example, you can stretch a chain-link mesh around the perimeter of the site.

Climbing plants are characterized by their rapid growth. It takes them very little time to completely hide their support and in the end they will create a thick screen, the height that was originally set. Curly hedges that bloom just look amazing. For example, clematis. And so that the flowering is long, you can choose several types of plants with different flowering periods.

Climbing plants suitable for creating hedges include the following: hops, clematis, Schisandra chinensis, ivy, ornamental grapes and others.

Deciduous plants for hedges in landscaping

Deciduous plants that are used to create fences and borders are of two types:

These plants are fast growing, may have a variety of colors, flowers and fruits. Deciduous plants tolerate pruning well and recover quickly after it. After pruning, their crown only becomes more magnificent and they quickly form a dense curtain that can hide the site from prying eyes.

But there is one "but" here. Such plantings are quite demanding in care, especially with regard to soil composition and moisture. They also do not like when they lack sunlight. If you start care, the plants will look untidy and may dry out. Deciduous plants for hedges include: boxwood, spirea, barberry, hawthorn, willow, privet and many others.

How plants for a hedge are planted

In order for plants and shrubs for a hedge to grow well, and the overall composition looks neat, certain rules should be followed when planting plants. First, you need to properly prepare the garden plot. This is done taking into account how bushes and trees will grow in the future. That is, it is necessary to make an optimal interval between plantings, so that in the end, in the process of growth, some plants do not interfere with others.

Also, the root system of plants should be taken into account. It should be noted that some plants can start small shoots from the rhizome. And if a neighboring plot borders nearby, the neighbors may not like it and this must be borne in mind. A slate dug into the ground at the border of the site can help in this situation, which will not allow plants to grow. You can also use plastic or polycarbonate shields.

Well, then a trench is dug, on the bottom of which a layer of sod is laid and plantings are planted with a certain interval. The dug earth is mixed with organic fertilizers and sprinkled with plants. Then they need to be watered.

After planting, it is better to mulch the soil and trim the seedlings a little. This will speed up the rooting process. Well, in the future, regular care is required - watering after a certain time and weeding from weeds. Also, some types of vegetation will require pruning, but creating a hedge in the country with your own hands is not so difficult. If the question remains what shrubs to plant in the country, then you can consider options such as:

Thus, to create a living fence on the site, many plants and shrubs are used, such as willow, privet, boxwood, coniferous trees and shrubs, and many others. Willow bushes and privet look good in the country. But, no matter what the plantings are in terms of type and size, the main thing is to properly plant and care for them, then they will always look beautiful and neat and give the site a special atmosphere.

How to plant a hedge

Spring and autumn are considered the best times for the favorable development of seedlings. Autumn planting of conifers is carried out from mid to late August, during the period of active root formation, and hardwoods - from late August to early October. At the same time, the damage to the roots that the plants receive during planting has time to drag on before the onset of frost, and the loose soil becomes compacted. The optimal age of trees for planting hedges is considered to be 2-3 years for hardwoods and 3-4 years for conifers. Older plants are used in the case of planting a hedge of slow-growing coniferous trees and grafted valuable shrubs.

Before planting hedges of different species, you need to find out if these plants are compatible. This is especially true for conifers, next to which only plants that tolerate a lack of moisture and light can take root. Coniferous trees oxidize the soil around them - this is not always favorable for other plantations.

There are two ways to properly plant loose hedges. You can dig individual holes, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich should correspond to the root ball or the volume of the container in which the plant is located, but more often trenches are dug for the middle hedge and border, the width and depth of which are determined by the root system of the plant. In too shallow planting grooves, not fertilized with a sufficient amount of humus, seedlings will not grow well.

Before planting a hedge on the site, a cord is pulled along the border of the future fence. It will serve as a guide for digging a trench. The optimal planting depth is 40-60 cm. The width of the trench depends on the number of rows of plants to be planted: for one row it should be 0.5-0.6 m, for two rows - 0.8-1 m. less than 1 x 1 m.

To plant a hedge correctly, as experienced gardeners advise, manure, peat, as well as the topmost layer of soil removed during digging, must be laid on the bottom. When planting coniferous trees, manure is not used. It is recommended to add fertilizers to the trench that remain active for a long time: granular superphosphate, bone and blood meal, horn shavings.

The filling is well shed. After that, it is useful to allow the earth to settle for some time, so that it settles, soil capillaries form and the salt balance is established. Gardeners say that the "chemistry" of the soil should level out, but in practice this rule is rarely observed - plants are immediately placed in ready-made trenches. Naturally, in this case, the survival rate of plants, especially capricious ones, decreases. As you can see, planting a hedge is not easy, so it's best to take your time and do everything right.

Hedge planting and plant selection tips

Green border shrubs - which plants to choose?

Over time, many gardeners face the question, which shrubs are suitable for landscaping the site? The choice is made among a rich variety of different varieties of plants, from climbing to evergreen.

Plant group Title Description of selected varieties
Evergreen Cypress The cypress of the Pea-fruit variety tolerates winter cold well and is distinguished by its unpretentiousness in the planting. It will look great on the plot Lavson's cypress, Tuevidny, Dull
Juniper Juniper is very popular among the most unpretentious varieties. Separately, it is necessary to highlight the virgin juniper, as well as horizontal and ordinary
Thuja Western thuja varieties are able to withstand any vagaries of the Russian winter climate, if desired, you can purchase a plant of a dwarf variety (60 cm) or giant (15 m), the culture is classified as a fast-growing shrub
Blooming Hibiscus Hibiscus Siberian is able to grow up to 2 m in height and bloom from July to September, while the flowers can please a variety of colors
Honeysuckle The Tatar honeysuckle variety begins to pick up color by the beginning of summer, and blooms with buds of pink or white. Then their place is taken by fruits (inedible) distinguished by red or orange color
Barberry Variety Juliana's Barberry can grow up to 2.5 m in height. In the very first month of summer, it is covered with yellow flowers. Gradually barberries cover fruits with a red or black tint
Fast growing shrubs Euonymus Has an amazing variety of leaves, ranging from white to purple. Euonymus, even after the leaves have fallen, looks beautiful thanks to bright berries
Forsythia Forsythia plant is ideal for creating dense living fences, against which beautiful bright flowers look spectacular
Boxwood The plant tolerates moderate frosts well, but can be killed by sunlight in spring or strong winter winds
Perennial climbers Rose Climbing rose is able to bloom repeatedly and for a long time, and for the hedge it is worth choosing winter-hardy varieties to avoid the annual hassle of preparing large bushes for the winter period
Honeysuckle Honeysuckle is known for its amazing rich aroma, ability to tolerate severe frosts and grow equally well in moderately moist soil and uplands

You can also safely use deciduous plants that are honey plants to form fences. They flower well, bear fruit, and are often used medicinally. Here you can include the well-known chokeberry, elderberry, hawthorn, honeysuckle and deren. A multi-tiered hedge, consisting of a mixture of shrubs and trees, will look spectacular:

As a fence-border, not more than half a meter high, you can use the following plants - dwarf caragana, Japanese spirea. Properly selected trees with shrubs will create a single picture and reliably protect the site from the wind.

In any household plot, everything is important: the layout of the site, the facade of the house and outbuildings, as well as what is planted near the fence. It is useful for every owner to remember that the garden is intended not only for growing nutritious vegetables and fruits, it must also please the eye and cause a sense of pride.

Derain is beautiful both in winter and in summer

One of the most unpretentious deciduous shrubs, with free growth quickly reaching a height of 3-3.5 meters. The decorativeness of the derain is mainly provided by the foliage of the plant. Depending on the variety, the leaf blade of the shrub may have a white or golden border, and sometimes chaotic patterns.

Derain is one of the most unpretentious deciduous shrubs that prefers partial shade. Art’s Bayfield Almanac

In the autumn, the attractive foliage of the turf turns purple and looks especially beautiful. Unlike most deciduous, this shrub is attractive even after the foliage has fallen, since bright crimson young shoots become the main decoration of the plant. The catchy colored bark looks especially impressive in winter against the background of white snow.

As you know, many plants with variegated foliage can noticeably lose color in partial shade, but the variegated painted leaves of the derain remain bright even with a lack of lighting. A hedge from this shrub can easily add color to a plain shady area while maintaining a stable decorative look.

Planting and maintaining a turf hedge

To create a turf hedge, two to three year old seedlings are planted at a distance of 30-40 centimeters from each other. Landing can be carried out both in autumn and in spring. Before the plants fully take root, they definitely need regular abundant watering. In the future, this shrub requires a minimum of attention, usually pests are not too greedy for its foliage, and diseases bypass it.

The only feature of the deren, which is important to consider, is its increased moisture-loving capacity, therefore, plants endure long-term drought with great difficulty, and in abnormally dry summers they definitely require abundant watering. Derain is one of the fastest growing shrubs, and most of its varieties form a dense hedge in just one or two seasons.

Pruning can be done at any time from spring to autumn, as it is painless for the plant. For the first time, the turf is cut when it reaches the age of three, and then it is cut 1-3 times a year

Derain is one of the fastest growing shrubs, and most of its varieties form a dense hedge in just one or two seasons. Pruning can be done at any time from spring to autumn, as it is painless for the plant. For the first time, the turf is cut when it reaches the age of three, and then it is cut 1-3 times a year.

In natural style gardens, turf is well suited for creating naturally shaped hedges. In this case, only gentle and sanitary pruning is carried out, which involves the removal of damaged shoots and light containment of the volume of the bush (pruning the tops of young shoots).

Red turf branches will decorate the garden in winter

The best varieties of turf for hedges in partial shade

For a budget hedge, ordinary white turf with solid green foliage and purple shoots is best suited, which can be easily propagated by cuttings.

Of the varietal turfs, the 'Elegantissima' turf grows the fastest, it will allow you to create a fence faster, but at the same time it will require more frequent mowing.

Sibirica Variegata and Ivory Halo, which are similar in appearance to it with a white border of leaves, grow a little more slowly. Variety "Shpeti" is distinguished by a golden border of leaves.

To create a particularly interesting effect in winter, varieties with purple branches can be supplemented with Flaviramea turf, which has an expressive bright green bark.

Benefits of turf hedge

Disadvantages of sod hedges

variegated varieties can bring excessive variegation to the site and distract attention from garden compositions;
with age, the trunks of shrubs can become bare at the bottom.

Cotoneaster multiflora, holly and others

We can safely say that cotoneaster hedge can satisfy almost any taste. It is not picky about soil and humidity, however, in the first year of cultivation it requires timely watering. There are still quite a few other varieties that are very often used in the construction of green fences:

  1. Cotoneaster multiflorum. It can reach 2-3 m. The leaves are silver-green in spring, dark green in summer, and turn red in autumn. The flowers are white, collected in dense corymbs. Bright red berries adorn the bush from August until late autumn. Less frost-resistant, but more light-requiring than brilliant cotoneaster.
  2. Holly. As well as brilliant, it comes from Northern China. The flowers are red, and the berries are black, remaining on the bush until the next harvest. The leaves are glossy, dark green. A worthy representative of his family.
  3. Cotoneaster entire. Shiny rounded leaves and bright red berries make the hedge very elegant. It is not picky about soils. All this together makes it very popular among lovers of beautiful green fences on their site.
  4. Willowleaf. This comrade is distinguished by rather long pointed wrinkled leaves. Flowers creamy white, fragrant. It usually reaches a height of four to five meters, so it can safely boast of an excellent opportunity to hide your entire site behind its wall from unwanted views.
  5. Cotoneaster splayed. Two-meter bushes with long tassels of white flowers in early summer and red berries in August-September, coupled with shiny dark green leaves, look very elegant throughout the season.

How to make an entrance to the cottage with your own hands if a hedge is planted

Whatever the fence, it must necessarily provide a place for entering the site - a gate, and for entry - a gate.

Gates and wickets already present on the site can be decorated with plants so that they do not stand out against the green fence. It's easy to do. It is enough to put together narrow oblong boxes, similar to those used for flowers on balconies, hang them at the bottom of the gate and gate and plant climbing plants (wild grapes, hops) in them - growing, they will close the structure that shelters them.

However, these structures can be made so wide that even a passenger car can pass.

You can combine a green fence with a regular one. So, a fence of plants will look harmonious, a fragment of which is a fence of poles. They use an interesting technique that allows you to disguise the "gates" in an ordinary pole fence, equipped only with a gate. The transformation is as follows. The longitudinal poles of one of the sections of the fence, before being installed in the posts, are sawn in half and reconnected, but now with the help of a strip hinge loop. The ends of each pole are somewhat sharpened, and in the posts under them hollow out or drill out landing nests. The poles installed in these grooves will not differ in any way from the neighboring ones, but they can be easily removed from the posts by simply lifting them in the middle and opening the way for traffic. If desired, you can even install a “lock” at the junction - drill an inclined hole through both poles for the locking pin.

Watch the video "Hedges in the country" to better understand how to create such a green fence:

General rules for warming a wooden house

Classification of fences by height

Live fences are made of different heights and different density. They can be:

Attention! Experts recommend, if space permits, to stop at a multi-row version of different levels.

Planting of the same type of plants with different colors of leaves, or a combination of different varieties looks great. However, it is necessary to take into account the survival rate on the ground, the speed at which they grow, the time of their flowering, frost resistance, demanding care.

Zoning

Plants can be used for zoning the territory into functional areas. Thanks to this planning, the environment will become comfortable and pretty. A dense wall of trees will help protect the playing area from the rays of the sun. For the children's area, you can not choose thorny plants and those whose fruits are inedible. Bushes can be planted for a recreation area:

In addition to beauty, the hedge of blackcurrant pleases with fruits. A suitable flower is the tea rose, which blooms for a long time, exuding a magnificent aroma. In order for the green fence to reliably protect as a fence in landscape design, it is advised to strengthen it with a second tier.

Living wall

Living wall means green fences, the height of which is more than 2 m. They use trees that tolerate shearing well:

Most often, trees are planted on the street side along the border of the territory. Ornamental shrubs can be planted ahead. They will close the bottom and all the gaps. Flowering border plants are often planted at the foot. Thanks to the high wall, the land and plantings on the site will be protected from strong winds and erosion.

Attention! It must be borne in mind that before the hedge becomes high, a lot of time will pass.

Lawn and flower bed borders

Borders are considered to be fences less than 1 m. On the site, they frame flower beds, mark zones or simply use them for decorative design. The path in the country can also be framed by borders. Certain types of flowering and herbaceous plants, shrubs are well suited for beauty. Can be planted:

Some shrubs are best given a rectangular shape, such as hawthorn, barberry.

Types of hedges

Wicker

Represents intertwined vine shoots. You can plant climbing plants along it: ivy or liana, for example. There are different creation techniques: pigtail, zigzag, ladder. The main rule is that the vine should be flexible and plastic; young willow cuttings are used for the base.

Evergreen

It is chosen by those who care about the year-round beauty of their site, which probably has flower beds of continuous flowering. Such a green fence is formed mainly from coniferous plants, as well as evergreen deciduous plants (holly magonia, laurel cherry, boxwood, holly holly, common privet).

Shade Tolerant

Often these dense plantings have to be planted in the shade, so sun-loving plants may not take root in them. Suitable conifers, barberry, hazel, viburnum, wild rose, rhododendron, wisteria, lilac, honeysuckle and other scioheliophytes.

Depending on the height

A high hedge of plants will help to isolate yourself from the whole appearance, which will surround your house with a dense wall.

If the usual zoning of the space is required, medium-sized shrubs are selected that do not disturb the view and at the same time do an excellent job of their function.

There is a more decorative version in the style of a Japanese garden - a low border hedge planted along the paths.

Depending on selected plants

May be:

By composition

Depending on the haircut

There is a shaped hedge (when a finished and thought-out silhouette is given with the help of pruning) and unshaped (in free growth). The latter is obtained from such shrubs as lilac, mock orange, hazel, cherry plum, spruce, honeysuckle, spirea, juniper.

The most common hedge shapes:

The form is limited only by the imagination of the land owner. With the help of a topiary haircut, a green fence can be turned into battlements of an old castle or openwork weaving.

Endurance tested! Thank you.

Viburnum viburnum - expressiveness of colors

Tall ornamental deciduous shrub, characterized by sprawling branches, can be transformed beyond recognition by cutting off its shoots. This stimulates the formation of a lush crown and makes the vesicle an excellent choice for arranging a hedge. Combining varieties that differ in foliage color, you can create original fences that attract admiring glances.

Vesicle grows well even on infertile soils. A high growth rate leads to the fact that in a fairly short period of time the gardener can get a dense green wall or maroon fence. The shrub feels comfortable with a lack of moisture, plant diseases do not affect it, and pests bypass it. Pruning the crown is within the power of even a person who does not have rich experience in gardening.

No deficiencies were found in the vesicle. By experimenting with pruning shapes and colors, you can easily create a spectacular living vesicle fence in your area.

Features and characteristics of hedge shrubs

Name of shrub

Difficulty of maintenance

Evergreen or not

Blooming

Perennial

Notes

Dogwood

Medium

No

Yes

Yes

There are more than 50 types of dogwood. Grows fast.

Vesicle

Simple

No

Yes

Yes

About 20 varieties. Fast growing.

Snowberry

Simple

No

Yes

Yes

15 species of shrubs. Refers to fast growing.

Thuya

Medium

Yes

No

Yes

More than 100 varieties. Grows slowly.

Boxwood

Simple

Yes

No

Yes

More than 100 types. The shrub grows slowly.

Juniper

Simple

Yes

No

Yes

About 70 species in nature, 15 of them cultivated. Grows slowly.

Calmia

Medium

Yes

Yes

Yes

10 species of shrubs belong to this genus. Grows fast.

Spirea

Simple

No

Yes

Yes

There are 90 types of spirea. Showy flowering.

Shrub caragana

Simple

No

Yes

Annual and perennial varieties available

70 species belong to the genus Caragana. Grows actively.

Deren

Simple

No

Yes

Yes

More than 10 types. Grows at an average rate.

Rosehip

Medium

No

Yes

Annual and perennial varieties available

More than 50 species grow in Russia, there are more than 300 of them in the world.

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