Lavender comes immediately to mind when discussing such propositions, particularly neat compact cultivars like ‘Munstead Dwarf and ‘Baby White’. The former is a smaller version of the traditional old English lavender, but rarely grows more than 45 cm (1-1/2 ft) high, while ‘Baby White’ is of similar stature with blossoms of icy-white. Lavandula ‘Loddon Pink provides a further colour variation, and L. stoechas an earlier flowering period. This will be in flower during early summer, at least a couple of months ahead of its cousins. All respond well to clipping, a necessity during late summer if they are to be kept in order.

The same applies for rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, and although not perhaps considered to be a suitable candidate for hedging, in its upright form, known as ‘Miss Jessup’, it is superb. Try mixing rosemary with lavender in a ratio of one rosemary to three or four lavender and you will have a lovely dwarf informal hedge. If you think that this sounds bizarre, see the excellent example at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

Cotton lavenders can be used too, particularly Santolina chamaecyparissus with its soft grey aromatic foliage and curious disc-like flowers. Santolina neapolitana is also most attractive, but to my mind is not tight enough for a really neat hedge, while S. viridis can do the job, but being bright green is not to everyone’s taste.

Prunus cistena ‘Crimson Dwarf on the other hand is really quite startling. With deep purple foliage and dazzling white flowers, this is a taller hedge and can be used equally well internally or as a boundary, although it loses its leaves for the winter. It can be maintained as a barrier at around one metre (one yard), the same height as can be achieved by the dwarf Russian almond, P. tenella, a little gem with bright pink flowers and fresh green leaves. While coloured foliage forms of P. cerasifera like ‘Trailblazer’ and ‘Vesuvius’ can be recommended for more substantial barriers.

The opportunities for exploiting various shrubby plants for hedging are tremendous. We do not need to stick to common privet, Ligustrum ovalifolium and that dreadful, dusty and boring evergreen Lonicera nitida. This makes a quick barrier it is true and can be planted in a golden leafed form as well, but it grows like fury and requires constant attention. Then once well established, it opens up completely with the first substantial snowfall. When choosing a boundary hedge be a little more ambitious. Providing that you do not go over the top completely the cottage garden illusion will remain intact.

If you garden in a cold area then try Berberis darwinii. With its small glossy, evergreen, holly-like foliage it makes an impenetrable barrier that is secure against animals and small boys alike. When neatly clipped the attractive orange coloured blossoms are not so freely produced, but there are enough to create interest and these are followed by bunches of tiny grape-like fruits. Common holly, Ilex aquifolium, can be used in the same manner and displays similar characteristics to Berberis darwinii when grown as a hedge. For something really interesting and historically in context, try using the slower growing and more spiny hedgehog holly, Ilex aquifolium ‘Ferox’. This is a handsome shrub of dense growth with small twisted and puckered leaves that are armed with short sharp spines around the edges and on the face of the blade.

Many deciduous flowering shrubs that we usually grow free-standing in the garden make interesting and attractive hedging subjects, for example the common Forsythia intermedia ‘Spectabilis’. When in full flower during the spring it is a joy to behold, a vivid band of rich golden yellow that gradually pales to soft green as its leaves unfurl. Unfortunately this effect is lost during the winter, but the dense growth created by a well grown and clipped forsythia hedge makes this little more than an irritation.

The same applies to the lilac honeysuckle, Lonicera syringantha, for this too is deciduous, but capable of dense twiggy growth if properly maintained. I can never understand why this most desirable hedging plant with its pleasant bluish-green leaves and fragrant soft lilac flowers is not more widely planted.

Many of the cotoneasters can be adapted to hedge culture, but there are two that are particularly suitable. The first is the ubiquitous Cotoneaster simonsii, an upright vase-shaped semi-evergreen with bright scarlet or orange berries. When grown as a hedge it forms a dense barrier which can be clipped in the same way as privet, but with the added bonus of autumn berries which seem to appear even when the plants are harshly clipped. However, my favourite is C. lacteus, an informal hedging plant with graceful arching branches of downy green foliage which support masses of creamy-white blossoms. These are followed in the autumn by bright red berries which persist for much of the winter. Its uses are to some degree restricted by its habit, but where informality is the keynote it should be given due consideration.

Escallonias are not widely accepted as hedging plants, yet they grow reasonably quickly and flower when quite closely clipped. Sadly they have the reputation of being maritime plants and not so suited to inland conditions. This is untrue of course and very sad, for although escallonias cannot always be relied upon to be completely and reliably evergreen in colder parts of the country, they always do well, especially Escallonia macrantha. A big bold evergreen with strangely aromatic foliage and deep carmine blossoms, this is one of the tougher kinds and for most winters is reliably evergreen with me. The cultivar ‘Crimson Spire’ is equally resilient, but is hard pressed to yield a hedge of any substance once more than a metre (yard) high.

This is a problem too with the New Zealand daisy bush, Olearia haastii. For the most part olearias are regarded as tender. While this is the case with a few species it does not apply to O. haastii or its parents O. avicennifolia and O. moschata, both flourishing with me in a hostile Yorkshire garden.

When a closely cropped hedge is necessary, and despite the general theme of informality in the cottage garden there are cases for its introduction, then use common box, Buxus sempervirens. This is a well known evergreen with tiny rounded glossy leaves that was formerly used for low hedging. It will produce a sizeable hedge, albeit slowly, but if properly maintained will last for years. Some gardeners feel that it is rather drab and dusty. If you are one of these then how about experimenting with one or two of its cultivars. For example, the creamy-white variegated B. sempervirens ‘Argentea’ and the irregularly margined ‘Elegantissima’.

The most important thing to discover would be the response of these fancy cultivars to close clipping. Would this lead to the foliage reverting to its original green form, or rather the dominance of green over variegated? Gardening is full of these questions and if you are not prepared to experiment but would like to deviate from the usual, then try the neat growing, upright, broad-leafed ‘Handsworthensis’.

Before we leave hedging plants though, we must consider the conifers, for although many are recommended for hedging only the common yew, Taxus baccata, has anything to offer the cottage gardener. Most other conifers, apart from being out of context, are screening rather than hedging plants. Never, ever plant that frightful hybrid Cupressocyparis leylandii in your cottage garden; it’s a rapid growing monster that will soon become an embarrassment.