Ornamental shrub for hedges. How to choose shrubs for hedges

How to choose shrubs for hedges

Author Tatyana Leskova
In order to hide your garden from the eyes of neighbors, it is not at all necessary to fence high fences, clearly marking the boundaries of the site. Sometimes it's enough to drop suitable height shrubs, thus creating a dense hedge. This technique will preserve the natural beauty, create its own microclimate, protect the site from the wind with dense foliage and make the garden more comfortable and stylish look. But, when choosing plants for a hedge, it is imperative to know the biological characteristics of the growth of a particular shrub in order for the hedge to be functional and beautiful.
The hedge is an effective element of gardening and design of personal plots.

When choosing plants for a hedge, it is imperative to know the biological characteristics of the growth of a particular shrub.
It is created for different purposes: it divides the site into zones, closes unsightly outbuildings, is used as a screen or fence, as well as for framing borders and borders.
What is the height of hedges
Low hedges (curb) - from 50 cm to 1 m. They are planted along paths, borders of terraces and lawns. fit undersized plants with densely branched shoots, small foliage: boxwood, Japanese euonymus, honeysuckle, mahonia, Japanese quince, Japanese spirea, Erica.
Medium hedges - from 1 to 2.5 m. Suitable as screens, fences dividing the garden into zones. More often planted along the fence or on the border of the site, along the walls of the house. As plants, choose more hardy, with good branching, medium-sized foliage. Most often, plants are used for such hedges: thuja, common privet, hawthorn, barberries, mock orange, currant.
Living walls - from 3 m and above. They are intended as a shelter-screen from prying eyes, from the side of the highway in the zone of strong noise and winds, masking large outbuildings. fit following plants: hazel, hornbeam, common spruce, Siberian, hornbeam, turf.
The hedge comes from evergreen, coniferous, ornamental deciduous and thorny plants. As well as sheared and free-growing forms, in mono- or mixed fit. I propose to consider the most popular ornamental shrubs used in hedges.
Decorative hedge shrubs
Lilac. It is hardy and unpretentious, grows up to 3 m, lends itself perfectly to a haircut. In spring, it blooms profusely with brushes from white to deep lilac, with a pleasant aroma, and the rest of the time it serves as a reliable green screen from gases and dust from the street. It is better to plant in sunny places in loamy soils, adding drainage when planting in a trench. Requires regular pruning, especially immediately after flowering, so that flower buds are laid for next year.
Forsythia. A forsythia hedge will help create a bright mood and welcome spring with lush yellow blooms. When the garden is just beginning to wake up after winter and around gray walls and black tree trunks without foliage, forsythia will be a bright spot for 2-3 weeks. After flowering they will replace green leaves, which in the fall will sparkle with new colors, acquiring a purple-red hue. The plant prefers places protected from the wind, can grow up to 2 m in height and up to 3 m in width. Therefore, for a hedge, plant seedlings at a distance of 1 m. The shrub requires regular pruning, because without it it loses decorative look, stretches, and little is formed on thin weak stems flower buds. But keep in mind that pruning is weak in the early years.
Chubushnik (jasmine). Spreading deciduous shrub, reaching up to 2 m in free growth. Its highlight is the magnificent white double flowers that appear in June, which exude a sweet and strong aroma. The leaves are matte, light green, in autumn they acquire a bright lemon-yellow color. Sufficiently winter-hardy shrub. It tolerates pruning well and can also be grown free form. In a single-row hedge, plants are planted in well-lit places every 0.5 m.

lilac forsythia


Japanese spirea. Frost-resistant, resistant to adverse conditions, light-loving and fast-growing shrub. Suitable for medium-sized hedges, as the plant reaches 1.5 m in height, has a beautiful crown blooming with pink flowers, and very decorative, small leaves. It blooms for more than a month, has many varieties that differ in foliage color, bush shape and flowering time. It lends itself well to shearing, can grow both in free and in sheared form.
Purple willow. This type of willow is a shrub 1-4 m high with bluish leaves. The plant is very beautiful, blooms with purple catkins in June. Willow is easy to care for, easy to cut and shape, creating a fast-growing shoot, very durable. Willow hedges are frost-resistant, tolerant of waterlogging and pruning. The rapid growth rate of culture allows you to create an attractive fence in a short time.
Privet ordinary. One of the most popular deciduous shrubs used in hedges. In nature, the bush reaches 3-4 m in height. The leaves are oblong-ovate, dark green and leathery. It blooms with white fragrant panicles, and then covered with black small berries. The shrub has a number of advantages: active growth force, drought resistance, frost resistance, unpretentiousness. It grows back quickly after pruning, cuts well and keeps its shape. If desired, you can choose a shorter decorative forms, such as golden privet.

spirea purple willow


Doren is white. Grows up to 2.5 m in height. The foliage has a bluish-white bloom, in summer the derain blooms with white flowers. Particularly decorative in autumn period when the bush is covered with white berries. Very winter-hardy shrub, shade-tolerant, resistant to urban gas pollution. It has a lot of beautiful variegated varieties, when lettuce leaves are decorated with a white border around the edge. This makes the hedge very elegant and unusual. When planting a hedge, sod seedlings are planted in a line or in a checkerboard pattern, with a distance of up to 20-25 cm.
Vesicle viburnum. The shrub has a lush dense spherical crown with spreading branches and corrugated large leaves. The color of the foliage is pink to crimson-burgundy. It blooms in early summer with white inflorescences-baskets and exudes a pleasant aroma. A hedge from this shrub can be cut, or you can give it free rein to grow and get a three-meter hedge in two seasons. living wall. The plant can tolerate partial shade. But in order for the foliage to retain color and not fade, it is better to plant it in sunny places.
Barberry Thunberg. Thunberg's barberry is especially decorative, which is considered a favorite material for creating undersized hedges. The maximum height of this type of barberry does not exceed 1.5 m. It prefers a semi-shady place, it grows slowly. Very decorative foliage - red, yellow, brown and even pink shades. In autumn it is covered with decorative beautiful fruits.
A barberry hedge is planted in a checkerboard pattern, with a distance of 25 cm between plants. For a freer hedge, barberry is planted two seedlings per one. square meter- plantings will compact themselves over time.

doren white vesicle

barberry Thunberg
Thuja western. An evergreen plant with beautiful needles and a highly decorative crown, very popular in arranging hedges. Perhaps one of the most plastic plants among all conifers, as it easily tolerates a haircut, grows quickly, lends itself to any molding. The advantage of thuja hedges in constant decorativeness, even in winter time, and resistance to adverse conditions. The shape of the crown is cone-shaped, reaches 4 m in height. It can be left in free growth, making only corrective annual pruning, as the crown of the plant is very neat and looks beautiful in a row.
Cotoneaster. Deciduous or evergreen densely branched shrubs. A dense crown of dark green shiny leaves, reddening in autumn, is valued. The flowers are white or pink, small, in corymbs, racemes or solitary. The fruits are small, red or black. These shrubs are simply indispensable in the construction of hedges, because they are easily formed and retain their shape for a long time. Grow slowly. They live in a permanent place for a long time, more than 50 years. They tolerate city conditions well. Grows well in both light and shade.
Magonia. Evergreen thorny undersized shrub up to 1 m high. The leaves are oblong-ovate, dense leathery structure, have a dark green color along the edge. In autumn and winter, the foliage changes color to purple. Mahonia blooms in May yellow flowers, and by the end of summer it is covered with beautiful blue berries that adorn the bush until the middle of winter. Slow growing plant, suitable for hedges, loves shade.

thuja western cotoneaster


A little about shaping
In the first year after planting, this is especially true deciduous plants, we cut 15-20 cm above the ground. This is necessary so that as many shoots as possible develop from the base of the trunk. A coniferous plants the first year should be allowed to adapt and take root, so no pruning is done.
Maintenance pruning is done two or three times a year. The first in mid-May, then in July and August. Do not prune after August.
Maintenance pruning is done two or three times a year.
If you like experiments, you can drop
mixed hedge from a variety of shrubs.



mixed hedge
When choosing plants for your hedge, be guided by your own preferences and do not forget about the functional tasks for which it is primarily created.

• Hardwood for fencing
• Choice of fence height
• Formed stands
• A little about color and texture
• About landing features

Hardwood for fencing

- This is a traditional European way of designing and arranging a site. It looks much more noble and pleasant than stone, wood, concrete or artificial materials.

A hedge is a fence of plants planted in a certain way, which serves to enclose a site.

The hedge fits perfectly into the landscape, decorative, environmentally friendly, can be of any height.

In addition, with proper planning, it is able to reliably protect the site from wind, prying eyes, stray dogs and strangers. Well-chosen types of shrubs and other plants allow you to decorate the site, zone the space, ennoble the landscape and mask problematic pictures. A hedge requires more time and effort to erect than stone, concrete, wood or other structures, and it also requires constant care and supervision. It may take several years before all plants and shrubs come into their proper, planned form. However, all the efforts are rewarded a hundredfold.

Exist different types hedges: deciduous, coniferous, shaped, free-growing, from shrubs or climbing plants, low or high. Let's try to understand the advantages of specific natural fences. Deciduous tree species are suitable for hedges, which are designed to:

• fence off the area;
• close the area from prying eyes;
• create a background for the garden;
• hold back the snow
• mask unsightly areas.

Thuja - evergreen of the Cypress family, instead of needles, it has peculiar “scales”.

A 3 m hedge from a densely planted arborvitae is able to quickly and effectively solve all of the above problems. However, firstly, such a hedge is quite expensive, so an ordinary amateur gardener may not be able to afford it. Secondly, the climate middle lane Russia does not contribute to the healthy growth and appearance of the plant. In addition, for some people, thuja evokes persistent associations with a cemetery theme, so you should think carefully before planting shrubs.

All functions of the thuja can also be performed by deciduous tree species, which should be planted densely. Trees with dense, pyramidal crowns, or trees with branches growing from the very base of the trunk, are best suited. The thorny bush also copes well with the tasks, reliably protecting your property not only from prying eyes, but also from hands and paws.

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Choice of fence height

Coniferous trees are capable, in addition to the above goals, to create a natural barrier against dust, noise, wind and gases, microbes and pathogenic bacteria. In addition, they are green all year round, unlike hardwoods. Most suitable for hedges:

The low hedge mainly performs a decorative function.

• Norway spruce, prickly, Serbian;
• thuja western;
• common juniper, virginian.

Choice between hardwood and conifers depends on your personal preferences, budget and functions assigned to the hedge. Now, as for the height of the fence. Traditionally, several types of fences are distinguished: low borders (50-70 cm), low (100-120 cm), medium (120-200 cm), high (200-300 cm) and walls (from 3 m). Low curbs are absolutely decorative bushes created to decorate the site. For their creation are suitable:

Medium hedges up to 1.2 m high are used to mark the boundaries of the site or for its zoning.

• Japanese spirea (varieties Golden Princess, Little Princess);
• dwarf caragana (varieties Pygmaea, Nana);
• barberry Thunberg (varieties Aurea, Atropurpurea Nana, Green Carpet);
• cowberry;
• mahonia holly.

Low fences, up to 120 cm, are planted from steppe almonds, shrubby cinquefoil, cherries (ferruginous and Bessey), spirea (Nippon, birch-leaved, three-bladed). Low fences are suitable for zoning and delimiting the territory. Medium fences are created from spirea (Van Gut, willow, gray sharp-toothed), brilliant cotoneaster, honeysuckle (alpine and coverlet), rose (wrinkled, gray), shrub caragan, white snowberry, gooseberry, currant (alpine and golden). Such plantings help to isolate oneself from neighbors and clearly divide one's own plot.

High hedges protect not only from prying eyes, but also from wind, noise and dust.

A height of 2-3 m will help provide blood-red and white turf, maple (Ginnala and Tatar), tree-like caragana, lilac (Hungarian and common), buckthorn-shaped sea buckthorn, chokeberry, common hazel, viburnum pride, common and felt cherry. For a single-tier wall with a height of more than 3 m, lindens, maples, poplars will be successful. If the territory allows, you can make a multi-tiered fence from tall trees(elm, Ussuri pear, ash, basket willow, ornamental apple tree) and multilevel shrubs. Such a living fence sits down from the side of the prevailing winds. It is important that the plants do not obscure each other, match in color, replace each other in fruiting and flowering.

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Formed stands

Formed hedges require more careful maintenance.

In addition to choosing a direct plant, it is important to consider the nature of the living fence. Sheared plantations look more beautiful and neat, they are compact, reliable, over the years they become very dense and impassable. However, they require constant, systematic care and feeding. You will have to master the haircut and do it 1-2 times a year. If such difficulties do not frighten you, we advise you to choose plants for fencing that keep their shape well after pruning, quickly recover, with high shoot-forming ability and leafiness of shoots, such as:

• Linden;
• hawthorn;
• cotoneaster brilliant;
• honeysuckle (Alberta, Tatar, Alpine, covering);
• derain white;
• caragan (shrub and tree);
• currant (golden and alpine);
• barberry;
• maple (Ginnal and Tatar);
• purple-leaved willow;
• Berlin and Canadian poplars.

A trellis hedge is a single-row hedge of tree crops formed on lattices in the form of a narrow wall.

Thuja (Smaragd and Brabant varieties), European larch, and Norway spruce are perfect for formed coniferous plantations. Larch looks very impressive both after the fall of the needles, and in the leafy state. Its shoots of beautiful color with a soft orange tint create very decorative and stylish weaves.

Sheared plantations should also include plants grown on special frames - trellises (ornamental pears and apple trees, lindens, mountain ash, tree hawthorn). Climbing plants are also sometimes grown on trellises: parthenocissus, honeysuckle honeysuckle, actinidia. Unformed plantings, on the contrary, are unpretentious, there is no need to cut them and maintain their shape, their beauty lies in naturalness and randomness. However, they are inferior to the formed ones in density.

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A little about color and texture

For a hedge, thorny plants would also go, which significantly complicate access to the site. They are able to form dense, impenetrable thickets, more reliable than many fences. However, there is always a risk of injury not only to uninvited guests, but also to the owners themselves, children, and pets. Therefore, before planting such plantings, you should seriously think about it. For thorny hedges, the following plants will go:

The turn is widely used to create hedges. Blackthorn or Plum prickly is a highly branched shrub or small tree with thorny branches.

• barberries;
• hawthorns;
• wild roses;
• Manchurian aralia;
• turn;
• Eleutherococcus prickly.

For many gardeners, not only the characteristics of the density and strength of plantings are important, but also the aesthetic appearance. Fences can be plain or multi-colored. In the latter case, plants can be selected with a contrasting color, or similar in color scheme. Multi-tiered fences look especially spectacular when the color of the foliage changes from tier to tier.

The fence can be different not only in color, but also in texture, when it consists of different species of trees, bushes and plants. Uniform foliage looks best in small gardens or among colorful flower beds. It softens and perfectly sets off the excessive complexity of the composition, the variegation of colors. Single-breed plants in the fence help to unite the disparate elements of the garden, bring an element of harmony, order, peace and tranquility.

However, in large spaces and areas with few other plantings, such plantings run the risk of appearing monotonous and boring. Therefore, they are replaced by mixed (combined) hedges. Finding the right combination is not easy. It is important to consider that each plant is combined with others in height and habit, so that the fence retains its aesthetic appearance. all year round, regardless of the flowering of its individual components.

A green hedge can be a wonderful alternative to an artificial fence. Combining different cultures by combining plants different color and height, each gardener can not only beautifully frame his site, but also make it unusual, original and original.

hedge features

The fashion for hedges came to us from France, where in the 18th century noble landowners decorated their estates with magnificent gardens, in which tall shrubs performed not only a decorative function, but also protected the territory from strong winds. These "living" fences were created with great care and maintained in excellent condition through constant care.

A hedge is a tree or shrub planted in 1 or 2 rows. With such a planting, the plants are located as close to each other as possible, creating an almost impenetrable barrier of trunks, branches and leaves. Such fences come in various heights:

low ones reach a height of no more than 1 m;

hedges of medium height grow up to 1.5 m;

high - these are fences with a height of more than 2 m.

In addition to the above options, there are very small plantings that play the role of borders and are used to frame flower beds, lawns, paths, etc.

As for plants, slow-growing crops are often used for such fences, which infrequently need to be pruned. However, you can often find a fast-growing hedge of artistically trimmed tall shrubs. Among other things, when creating such green fences, some flowering and fruiting plants are sometimes planted, which, as a rule, are cut extremely rarely, so as not to harm the appearance and not reduce the amount of the crop.

To protect the site from wind, prying eyes and uninvited guests in the form of animals, gardeners plant crops fairly densely and select plant varieties that can create an impenetrable wall of branches.

What to consider when forming a hedge

When deciding on plants for a green hedge, you need to decide in advance how you want to see the end result. For example, you can create a fence around the garden from shrubs of the same species. As a rule, plants with high decorative qualities are chosen for such a fence: barberry, spirea, white turf, hawthorn, cotoneaster, etc.

An alternative to a homogeneous fence can be a more complex option - a mixed fence. As plants for such a hedge, different types of trees and shrubs are used. An important step in the formation of a green fence is the preliminary creation of a plan for planting crops. Very often, mixed hedges are made from several types of trees, which are planted in such a way as to give the impression of natural growth.

Evergreen shrubs are a popular hedge plant option. Their main advantage is the ability to maintain a decorative appearance throughout the year. The conifer fence looks great both in summer and in winter, when it stands out as a bright spot against the backdrop of white snow. Among other things, evergreen crops are quite unpretentious to soils and do not require frequent watering and pruning.

When planting plants, you need to take into account the speed of their growth. Slow-growing species do not require frequent pruning, while fast-growing hedge shrubs will need to be tidied up quite often, giving them the necessary shape. It is also important to understand that a decorative green fence will not immediately take on the look you need, it will take certain time. You need to think over the style and design of the fence in advance, and for this it is important to be able to imagine the end result. In order not to make a mistake in choosing plants, you can use the services of a qualified landscape designer.

When choosing crops for a decorative hedge, you need to focus on their height. For example, a low fence can be created using St. John's wort, yellow acacia, boxwood, Japanese spirea, or gooseberry. A fence with a height of at least 3 m will be obtained from white turf, crackling, cotoneaster, arborvitae, yew, lilac, dog rose, juniper, etc.

Plant varieties for hedges

This decorative tree or a shrub reaching a height of 2-3 m and with beautiful foliage. In the spring it is painted in a silvery-green hue, in the summer the foliage changes color to a rich green, and with the advent of autumn it becomes a bright orange. The flowering period of the culture falls on May, the inflorescences of the shadberry are small, white or pink. During the fruiting period, black berries ripen on the tree - they can be eaten or used as a medicine. The advantage of the plant can be considered its unpretentiousness, as well as high resistance to diseases and pests.

it is a shrub that grows up to 2 m tall, has pubescent shoots and has beautiful serrated foliage that turns pinkish in autumn. Currant blooms from late spring to early summer, releasing bright yellow fragrant buds. The plant bears fruit, although crops are not harvested from it due to the low taste of the fruit. Culture loves well-lit areas, but can grow in partial shade. IN frequent watering does not need, perfectly takes root in any soil, likes fertilizing with organic fertilizers.

A large shrub, reaching a height of 2-4 m. Its branches are covered with thorns, the leaves are quite large, grow up to 12 cm in length. During the flowering period, it produces white inflorescences, bears fruit with small pear-shaped or rounded fruits, resembling wild rose in appearance. Hawthorn ripens all autumn, until the onset of frost. The decorativeness of the plant in spring is due to its attractive inflorescences, while in autumn the bush is covered with bright fruits, and its foliage acquires an orange-red hue. In horticulture, terry varieties of culture are widely used, the buds of which resemble roses. Among the varieties of hawthorn, you can also find tall varieties, these include the Siberian hawthorn. Such a tree reaches a height of 6 m. This plant is not very whimsical, can tolerate dry weather and grow on poor soils. However, the culture loves the sun and responds well to top dressing. Planting hawthorn in the shade is not worth it, as it will not bloom well. This plant needs pruning. As a rule, the procedure is carried out in order to rejuvenate the bush every 20 years.

It is a shrub about 3-4 m high. It has beautiful foliage, in some varieties it has two shades: the middle of the leaf is colored light green, and the edges are white colors. In horticulture, red derain is very popular, the decorative effect of which is due to the rich red tint of the branches. The flowering period of the culture falls in May - at this time the shrub is covered with small milky-white umbellate inflorescences. By autumn, the foliage of the plant becomes orange or red. Deren grows well in moist soil, the composition of the soil is not important. The culture is not capricious, takes root well in the shade, tolerates frosts. Derain belongs to the fast-growing species, therefore, to maintain beautiful view green hedge every spring it is necessary to prune the plant.

Another popular hedge shrub. It grows up to 3 m in height, its foliage is small, oval in shape and bright green in color. In the second half of May, the barberry blooms with yellow inflorescences collected in a brush. By autumn, the foliage turns from green to orange-red, and fruits ripen on the brushes. Barberry berries are small, oblong, depending on the variety, they can be colored yellow, pink, red, black, brown colors. The fruits, ripening in September, do not fall from the bush until spring.

Medium-sized shrub 2-3 m high. It has dark green oval foliage, which turns red or crimson in autumn. aronia blooms from late spring to mid-summer, releasing whitish-pink buds. By the end of summer, black round berries ripen on the brushes, which are edible and used to make jams, marmalades, preserves or wine. The fruits of the plant also have medicinal properties, therefore they are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of hypertension, gastritis and other diseases.

Another popular shrub for hedges is considered heather. This is a low-growing evergreen plant, the height of which ranges from 10 to 70 cm. Its shoots are covered with dark green small foliage, resembling scales in appearance. During the flowering period, the heather is unusually beautiful, its lateral shoots are covered with pale pink small flowers along their entire length. By winter, the plant acquires a reddish tint. Heather is demanding on soils. It does not grow well in calcareous soils, does not like an excess of calcium. The optimal acidity of the soil should have a pH value of 4.5 to 5.5. After planting heather, the ground around the bushes must be mulched with peat. For the winter, the plant is covered with spruce branches.

This is medium height ornamental shrub, the height of which reaches 2-3 m, depending on the variety. Several types of crops are used in horticulture. One of the popular varieties is cotoneaster brilliant, it has small oval foliage with a glossy surface. By autumn, this variety acquires a red tint, bears fruit with large black berries that do not fall from the bush all winter. Another popular species is the cotoneaster chokeberry. Its height reaches 2 m, the inflorescences are collected in brushes, the fruits are black, covered with a bluish bloom. Cotoneasters bloom from May to June, are unpretentious plants, easily tolerate shade, but develop best in well-lit areas. The culture responds well to regular pruning.

Honeysuckle edible grows up to 1.5 m in height. It is a spreading shrub with many branches. The foliage of the honeysuckle is slightly pubescent, the fruits are small, oblong, of blue color covered with white coating. The berries of the plant are edible, have high taste and medicinal properties. In folk medicine, honeysuckle fruits are used to treat diseases of the circulatory system, stomach, liver, bladder and other organs. Beginning in April, the branches of the culture are covered with delicate foliage; by the end of spring, honeysuckle produces beautiful flowers of a light yellow or greenish hue. The plant belongs to the honey plants, therefore it attracts bees to the site. This culture is undemanding to soils, tolerates shading, cold and short drought.

which is also called meadowsweet, is a medium-sized plant, the height of which, depending on the variety, can reach from 0.5 to 2.5 m. Approximately 50 varieties of this crop are used in horticulture. If you choose the right varieties, you can create a hedge that will bloom from spring to late autumn. Spirea produces a large number of inflorescences that not only decorate the site, but also attract pollinators. The plant has long flexible stems, which, along with the buds, determine the decorativeness of the bushes. Most varieties of culture love well-lit areas, easily tolerate drought, develop quickly in fertile soils and bloom profusely. Spireas are among those shrubs that need regular pruning. When performing such a procedure, it is important to take into account the peculiarities of the location of the inflorescences. In some varieties, buds bloom on overwintered branches - it is customary to cut such spireas after the flowering season so that new buds can form on the shoots. In another group of species, the buds are located at the ends of young shoots - these plants should be cut in early spring. Cultures of the first group, as a rule, bloom from late spring to early summer. Spireas from the second group produce inflorescences in the fall.

The second name of which Japanese quince"is a not very tall shrub that grows to a height of 1-1.5 m. Chaenomeles blooms from mid-May to the first decade of June, at which time its branches are abundantly covered magnificent inflorescences about 3 cm in diameter. The shade of the buds is light pink, orange, red. Light green leaves have a rounded shape and a glossy surface. With the arrival of autumn, the shrub most often remains green, but may also take on a yellowish-red color at the tips of the leaves. Chaenomeles fruits yellow color, large, have a pleasant smell and sour taste, in their appearance they resemble quince and can be used as food. The culture perfectly tolerates cold and withstands winter frosts, is unpretentious in the choice of soil, and develops normally in conditions of insufficient moisture. It is best to plant chaenomeles in open, well-lit areas.

Turn - spreading shrub with a height of 1 to 4 m. This is an unpretentious plant that can grow even on the poorest soils. The branches of the blackthorn are covered with thorns, the foliage is light green, smooth, oval in shape. It blooms from April to May, releasing small white flowers, the diameter of which is 0.5-1 cm. The black sloe bears fruit with round black berries, its fruits are edible and are used as a raw material for making wines, syrups, jams, preserves, candied fruits, etc. P. The berries of the plant can be eaten in fresh, but to eliminate astringency, they must first be frozen. The culture is quite frost-resistant, prefers to grow in well-lit areas.

Chubushnik - medium-sized shrub often used in hedges. In Russia, this plant is often called jasmine - this is an erroneous definition, the culture has earned due to the wonderful aroma that its buds spread during the flowering period. Cultivated mock orange is represented by a huge number of varieties, most of which are unpretentious in care, grow well in the sun and in light partial shade. With a lack of sunlight, the mock orange begins to bloom worse. The plant requires periodic watering, but does not like waterlogging and waterlogged soil. Occasionally needs pruning.

Euonymus - This is a plant with more than 200 varieties, some of which belong to evergreen crops, and some to deciduous. Euonymus can look like a tree or shrub, many cultivated varieties are very popular when creating hedges. The plant blooms with small flowers of a greenish or brown hue, the fruits of the shrub are of the greatest decorative value. Euonymus berries have a seed, which, after full ripening, acquires a bright color of pink, red, brownish-orange. The fruits of the culture are poisonous.

Rowan - low tree with a thin trunk and beautiful foliage. This plant is often used in landscape design due to its high decorative qualities. During the flowering period, lush corymbose inflorescences are formed on the branches of mountain ash, consisting of many small white buds. In autumn, the mountain ash bears small, bright orange berries. Its fruits are edible, but they are rarely eaten fresh. You can make jam, marmalade, jelly, jam, jelly and tincture from berries. Rowan loves moist soil, tolerates shading well.

Shrubs for hedges, photo:

Rules for planting a hedge

Before planting any plants, it is very important to prepare the soil in advance. This process is carried out in the fall, around October. Where the fence will be located, you should pull the rope. Based on this line, you need to dig a ditch, the width of which will depend on how many rows of plants you plan to plant. If there is 1 row of shrubs in the hedge, then the width of the pit should be approximately 0.5 m. For a two-row planting, dig a trench 1 m wide. First, pour some earth from the topsoil into the prepared ditch, then fill the pit with manure, peat or compost. Manure is recommended if you plan to plant conifers.

Saplings for hedges should be sufficiently mature, at least 2-3 years old. Coniferous crops, if possible, should be even older - about 3-4 years old. Mature plants can only be transplanted in a few cases, for example, if they are valuable conifers or if they belong to certain slow-growing types of crops.

Planting shrubs in a hedge should be carried out in such a way that the neck of the roots is located at the level of the soil or is buried no more than 1-2 cm.

The distance between individual plants should be chosen based on their size and characteristics of the root system. For example, slow-growing species are planted more densely than fast-growing ones. If the hedge will consist of one row of shrubs, then the distance between them should be 20-25 cm. In a two-row planting, the intervals between plants should be at least 30-50 cm, and the distance between rows should be 30-60 cm.

So that the cultures do not break during the growth process, you can make a support for them. To do this, at a height of 40-50 cm above the ground, a long board is fixed along the future fence.

When planting in a single row, it is better to select plants with a strong, well-branched root system, a dense crown, a large number of branches and leaves. In a two-row hedge, you can use not so powerful plants.

Features of hedge care

While the plants are very young, they need frequent and regular watering and periodic loosening of the soil. Fertilizers are applied to the ground depending on the needs of a particular crop.

Fast-growing types of shrubs require periodic pruning - so your green fence will not lose its decorative effect. To give the garden even more beauty and originality, you can create beautiful figures from dense shrubs. Pruning rules and the need for this procedure should also be consistent with the needs of the planted plants.

As a rule, the first time the hedge is cut in the second year after its planting. Do this in the fall, at a time when the shrubs completely shed their foliage. To prevent the hedge from thinning at the bottom, it should be cut periodically in the summer. Such pruning stimulates the development of new branches from the buds located at the bottom of the shoots.

If the lower part of the fence has lost its decorative effect due to insufficient illumination, then the shrubs must be cut in the form of a cone or trapezoid, sides which will have an inclination of approximately 70°. All broken, dry, dead shoots should be removed regularly.

In order for new branches to grow more actively, the hedge must be periodically fertilized. In autumn, fallen leaves can be collected and left until overripe. The resulting compost fertilizes the soil near the green hedge.

Hedge. Video

Homeowners can use various types of fences - wooden, brick, metal, etc. But there is one more attractive appearance- a decorative hedge, which is an excellent alternative to a banal fence.

This fashion item landscape design it is difficult to create and maintain in an attractive condition, but, despite this, the hedge has become popular and widespread among summer residents and owners of private areas.

Advantages and disadvantages of hedges

A living fence will help you not only aesthetically decorate your summer cottage, but also save money, because put a beautiful modern fence it is quite expensive, plus it constantly requires maintenance - annual tinting, corrosion protection, etc. a live fence looks no worse than usual and has its advantages:

• attractive appearance;
• ecologically pure;
• easy change of form at the request of the owners;
• low financial costs;
• positive psychological impact on the human nervous system;
• protection from prying eyes;
• replenishment of oxygen essential oils;
• protection against dust, road dirt and wind.

But, despite all the advantages, the hedge has its drawbacks:

• constant maintenance of the fence;
• for the fence to look complete and attractive, the plants need time to grow.

double row hedge

The optimal live fence format is one that grows in one season and then just needs to be kept in shape. Often, the owners of cottages and home gardens choose a two-row version of the fence - an inner row of low useful shrubs(sea buckthorn, black and red currants, honeysuckle, barberry, wild rose) and an outer row with "protective" and "security" functions (decorative acacia, coniferous plant species, lilac, etc.). The living guards of your territory will be honey locust, purple pyrocanthus, blackthorn, barberry, hawthorn, wild rose, sea buckthorn, their thorns will perfectly protect from lost dogs, cats, and sometimes from people. These plants need space and frequent pruning.

For even more attractiveness and durability, include in a living fence climbing plants: traditional hops, ivy, vineyard, plants of the wisteria family, a type of creeping rose.

How to choose hedge plants?

When choosing a plant for a live fence, you need to consider some factors:

• type of living wall - sheared or freely growing;
• climatic conditions your area;
• the amount of sunlight at the location of the fence;
• desired height of the fence;
• appointment of a living fence.

If you want a sheared type of hedge, then choose those that lend themselves well to shearing and keep their shape for a long time. These plants are characterized by a dense crown and many leaves. rectangular shape shade-tolerant plant species, such as hornbeam or yew, hold better.

To add originality and creativity to your hedge, you can mix different breeds sheared plants - privet, yew, barberry, hawthorn, etc.

Free-growing plants are good because they do not need to be sheared to maintain their shape. Can be dropped off flowering species such plants - spirea, mock orange, action, or plant species with compact crown forms - Canadian spruce, common juniper.

Given the height of the plants, experts distinguish the following classification of hedges:

The hedge is perfectly combined with a metal, wooden or stone fence. In this combination, a not very thick hedge looks more beautiful - lianas such as climbing hydrangea, ivy, and also flowering shrubs- lilac, wild rose, spirea, rose.

If you need to grow a living wall in a short time, then fast-growing perennials will become indispensable.

Hedges from evergreens and larches

These trees are more often chosen by adherents classical style living fences. They do not grow as fast as shrubs, but after they have already formed, they decorate any territory with their greenery all year round. From evergreens, you can get both a high fence and a curb. Severe winters in our country, representatives of deciduous plants, purple pyrocanthus and boxwood, will be transferred. From coniferous trees resistant to frost, growing for many years, suitable for external fencing Canadian and spruce, yew, thuja, juniper, black pine. These species are easy to shape, do not require careful maintenance, and also purify the air and fill it with a coniferous aroma. One disadvantage of evergreen hedges is that they do not change their appearance throughout the year.

You can do experiments with beautifully flowering and fruiting plants - purple pyrocanthus, shrub cinquefoil, snowberry, quince, forsythia, jasmine. A hedge will look especially impressive when alternately blooming plants are present in it, and if you dream a little more, your hedge will be decorated closer to autumn with appetizing and very beautiful looking fruits in the general “bouquet”.

Shrub hedge

Boxwood has always been and remains the leader among shrubs for living fences. It grows up to two meters high, is easy to cut, and can take a variety of forms. From it form round or wide fences.

Lilac is also great for a live fence, but it is better to plant it in spacious areas.

In addition to boxwood and lilac, fences made of barberry, forsythia, honey locust, and cotoneaster look pretty.

How to plant a hedge in the country?

Proper planting of a hedge consists of several stages:

At the first stage, it is necessary to clear the area under the live fence from weeds. This can be done manually: dig up the soil, then loosen it, thus removing the outer and underground parts of the weeds. You can apply special herbicides, for example, "Roundup" or "Hurricane". clay soil it is necessary to mix with sand, and the soil represented by sandy loam - with loam. If necessary, reduce acidity, use lime for this, and if you need to reduce alkalinity, use peat. If you do not think about the financial side of the issue, then you can go the simpler way - buy already prepared and fertilized soil in the store.

The second stage is the marking of the territory for landing. If you plan to use a hedge to protect yourself from the wind, then plant it perpendicular to the prevailing direction. Dig a trench (manually or using special equipment) or the required number of holes for each plant. The trench width for a single-row fence is 500 mm, for a two-row fence - 900 mm, depth - up to 600 mm.

When choosing planting material remember that the appearance of the future living fence depends on its quality, so purchase it in special stores or garden centers.

Plants should be planted in spring before the leaves bloom (in the northern regions) or in autumn (in the south). If you bought a plant in a container, then you can plant it in the ground at any time suitable for vegetation, and if with an open root system, try to transplant it as soon as possible to avoid drying out of the roots and, consequently, the death of the plant. If it is impossible to plant a plant with open roots, then place it in a plastic bag with wet sawdust.

To improve survival, experts recommend pouring a mash of clay and a solution of cow dung under the root.

Narrow-crowned plants that love shade and grow slowly should be planted denser than fast-growing, light-loving shrubs and broad-crowned trees. Optimal Width between cut plants of medium height is 40-60 cm, and for freely growing plants - 80-100 cm. The distance between rows, respectively, should be 60-80 cm and 100-150 cm. For low borders and high living walls, the indicators decrease or increase accordingly twice.

After planting the plants, the soil must be watered, compacted, mulched with peat or crushed bark. Properly caring for a living fence, you will receive not only a functional, but also an aesthetic decoration of your home garden. You can appreciate the beauty of hedges by watching the video.

To create a hedge in Lately evergreen species are often used. Such landings retain the brightness of color regardless of the season. Junipers and thujas are easy to cut and keep their shape perfectly. However, conifers have one drawback - in most cases they grow slowly.

In deciduous crops, the growth rate is much higher than that of conifers, and high decorativeness from spring to autumn compensates for the lack of foliage in winter.

What types of shrubs are suitable for perennial fast-growing, hedges? A small selection of well-known plants with photos will help you make the right choice.

Barberry

One of the first places in popularity among such breeds is deservedly occupied. Plants with shoots densely covered with dense foliage perfectly tolerate both a haircut and Russian winters. They can be safely recommended as fast growing plants for hedges for the Moscow region, other areas of the middle lane and even to the north.

Thanks to the leaves and fruits that remain on the branches for a long time, the hedge, changing its appearance, remains attractive throughout the year. And the presence of thorns on thick branches adds to its reliability. At the disposal of summer residents today there are enough orts not only with traditional green foliage, but also crimson-purple, golden. From variety to variety, the maximum possible height of plants, and hence hedges, also seriously changes.

vesicle

For medium-height fences of strict or free form, they often choose. The leaves of the plant are shaped like viburnum foliage, lush bloom, falling on the first half of summer, is no less impressive than that of viburnum or spirea. In addition, the average growth of this winter-hardy and completely picky shrub leaves about 40 cm per year.

With regular shearing, a perennial hedge from a fast-growing shrub is not so densely covered with flowers, but acquires additional density and solidity. If the vesicle is not cut off, the width and height of the crown can reach 4 meters.

Snowberry

For small decorative fences and borders no the best shrub than a snowberry. A plant-based hedge grows up to 80-120 cm, and although it does not have sufficient density, it is interesting at any time of the year.

From the end of the vein to the middle of summer, white or pink flowers. Then, in their place, unusual fruits appear, similar to lumps of snow. They remain on the bush even in winter.

Hawthorn

Incredibly popular with landscape designers hawthorn. The photo of a fast-growing hedge shrub shows that the plant not only meets all the requirements for such crops, it retains its decorative effect from spring to late autumn.

By choosing one of tall species hawthorn, you can surround the house and garden with a dense green wall, which actively attracts bees in spring, and by the end of summer pleases with tassels of ripening fruits.

On the branches of many varieties of hawthorn there are peculiar lignified outgrowths, similar to long thorns. They will help to make the fence not only tall and attractive, but also impregnable.

Derain white

Surprising in all respects, a tall, fast-growing shrub, good for fences with a height of 120 to 180 cm.

Due to the wide crown of the plant, it needs regular and fairly frequent haircuts. But a grown hedge in winter, thanks to the bright reddish tint of the shoots, will be an excellent guide.

In spring, on a shrub with variegated foliage in silver-green, pink-green or yellow-green tones, it blooms, and by autumn, white spherical fruits appear in place of white brushes.

Caragana or yellow acacia

This ornamental plant exceptionally winter-hardy, unpretentious and easy to do without regular watering.

The yellow locust can be used as a small tree or as a fast growing hedge shrub. Landing in this case is dense, plastic, decorative. In height, such a fence can reach 4 meters. the plant keeps its shape well and does not strive to form a lot of shoots. In the garden it will be useful as an excellent honey plant.

park and polyanthus rose

Incredibly beautiful, lush and stylish look hedges from the bushes of the park and.

Plants, by their very appearance, create the atmosphere of a Victorian garden, while such hedges do not set a strict form, but only support the decorative effect of the shrub. However, it must be remembered that all roses tend to give growth, which is carefully cut out.

A luxurious free-style hedge is obtained from various kinds spirea, which responds well to mock orange shearing, and is also traditionally grown on summer cottages lilacs. All these crops bloom excellently and endure the winter without loss.

Blackthorn and other thorny fast growing shrubs for hedges

Not surprisingly, crops with thorns are often chosen for green garden fencing. thorny perennial hedge fast growing species even with insufficient density and in the absence of foliage, it turns into an insurmountable obstacle not only for people, but also for street animals and livestock. With such a fence for the site, you can be calm!

One of the most thorny bushes used in landscaping, is only slightly inferior to wild rose. This is a blackthorn or blackthorn with oval dark green foliage and rounded bluish-blue tart drupes. A frost-resistant bush that tolerates shearing perfectly in a couple of years turns into part of a dense, homogeneous hedge, which can not only delimit the territory, but also perfectly strengthen the slope of a ravine or reservoir.

Bush fences have no less effect:

• , well branching when pruned, unpretentious and abundantly giving root shoots;
• Japanese quince, suitable for creating low decorative borders.

Aronia chokeberry and irga

To create high garden fences, in addition to protection, providing the owners with delicious fruits, they plant irgu and chokeberry. These plants are able to form a hedge up to 3 meters and above.

They are winter-hardy, undemanding to growing conditions and delight the eye not only with festive white blooms, but also with bunches of edible fruits, as well as foliage that changes color by autumn.

Plants for forming hedges - video