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| A very good choice of conifer is Thuja plicata. It lends itself to clipping extremely well and the pineapple-like perfume of its cut branchlets delights the senses and takes the tedium out of the trimming task. Also, it does not require cutting more than once a year, whereas Leylandii cupressocyparis demands at least three attacks with the shears. A less obvious choice is Tsuga heterophylla, common in forestry plantations but, strangely, is seldom seen as a hedge. Its elegant foliage trims readily as do others of the same genus. Podocarpus andinus syn. Prumnopitys andinus, a South American conifer, makes an attractive medium sized hedge, but is in short supply and expensive, so it's best to raise stock from seed or cuttings. |
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 When considering hedging material which tolerates cutting, the sky is virtually the limit. Almost any woody plant, evergreen or deciduous, which is capable of producing vigorous secondary growth from its cut stems, is a candidate for consideration. If you are bored by privet, hawthorn, beech and yew, there are others to choose from for texture and good colour effects.
Garden visits have revealed fascinating and rarer examples. The tallest beech hedge in Britain is the amazing 90 feet tall example at Meikleour in Perthshire, while the tallest box hedge (33 feet high) grows at Birr Castle in County Offaly, Ireland. |
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| Dwarf hedges are a subject in themselves. The numerous forms of lavender make excellent hedges, given good drainage, but Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' is the best for colour and durability of flower. But a welcome sight at Kinross Castle in Kinross is a refreshingly different dwarf hedge - Buxus sempervirens 'Aurea' - planted in abundance. At the National Trust's garden at Mount'Stewart in Northern Ireland, neatly clipped low bocages of Euonymous fortunei have been used for edging in a very effective manner. |
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 At Crathes Castle in Grampian, there is an extraordinary example of Hedera helix 'Arborescens', dramatically backed by the castellated shapes of yew topiary and the grandeur of the castle itself.
Perhaps the most bizarre hedge is the monster yew hedge at Montacute House in Dorset. It sags, billows and rolls away from the perpendicular in crazy fashion and bears a resemblance to what is best described as a partly inflated and distorted bouncy castle! How it came about beggars belief, and how its maintenance is achieved stretches the mind still further.
In Cornwall, the fine maze of Portuguese laurel at Glendurgan House bewitches the senses, as does the calm simplicity of the circular yew hedged rondel at Hidcote in Gloucestershire; there is another at Sissinghurst in Kent. |
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| In warmer climes, such as coastal areas of the Mediterranean, there are excellent examples of exotic hedges. The donjons of dipped yew in the Generalife garden in Spain's Granada which surround the citrus trees, create an amtosphere which is simultaneously sensual and spiritual. The various colour forms of Lantana camara are always a joy, as is Duranta erecta (the 'pigeon berry'), creating a good effect with its verbena-like flowers contrasting with the globose yellow fruits. A more muted tenor is brought about by the use of Ligustrum lucidum 'Excelsum Superbum' or the New Zealand Myoporum laetum 'Ngaio'. |
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 In the near subtropical temperatures of Kathmandu there are clipped hedges of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Camellia japonica, and Jasminum humile, but it is the heavy cloying scents of Gardenia augusta and Magnolia coco in the old Rana palace gardens which are the most captivating and memorable especially at night.
The world is full of exciting hedges, but it is in temperate climates, such as our own, that the hedge really excels. We succeed with deciduous and evergreen plants; the former giving us exciting seasonal change and the latter delivering year round architectural structure and impact. |
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