hedging plants... Apart from offering privacy and security, hedges of all types can be used to divide up areas into a series of 'rooms', so giving the garden a wider interest and surprise element.
Hedges can be grown in two ways Formal - where the hedge is trimmed from an early age and encouraged to grow in a neat, compact habit. Many plants adapt to this form of training but flowers and fruit are greatly reduced.
Informal - where the hedge is left largely unpruned to produce a natural habit.
Choosing the right plant Choosing the right plant for your chosen type of hedge is important. Consideration must be given to height, spread and your soil type and the position it is to grow in - i.e. sun or shade.
Width of hedges Few will require an ultimate width of less than 1 metre (3ft), even the very smallest such as Lavendula (Lavender) will be 60cm (2ft) in width. To achieve height the base spread has to increase and a hedge such as Taxus baccata (Yew) at 3m (10ft) high will have a base spread of not less than 1.2m (4ft).
