Aesthetically, hedges compartmentalize a garden creating a number of distinct areas that can each be given an individual style and character with a feeling of intimacy and seclusion from other parts of the garden. However, with a clever use of openings, either “windows” or “doors”, an element of surprise and invitation is introduced which gives the illusion that the whole garden is larger than it really is. In addition, hedges form a valuable backdrop against which any composition of other plants stands out and in a relatively short period of time they give the garden a satisfying air of maturity.

As windbreaks, hedges generate a precious microclimate which enables a wider range of plants to be grown. Often in an exposed new site it is necessary to use the fastest growing species. If there is the space, it may be a good idea to choose trees, such as poplars, alders or scots pines, that do not require any pruning and maintenance as this can make for heavy and time-consumming work. In the last 25 years or so the Ley-land cypress has been used in many small gardens to create quick screens, but is invariably left to grow too

big before it is pruned severely and left looking like a skeleton. In many cases a good solid hedge of yew, for example, requiring only one cut a year, would have been achieved in less than eight years and is exceedingly long lived. If there is any risk of livestock eating any part of the hedge then use thuja instead of yew.

Yew and thuja make dense evergreen screens that are usually kept tightly trimmed, both responding to this treatment by generating plenty of new shoots after being cut back. The structural quality of a tightly clipped hedge gives a garden a strong form, whatever the season, and is best used in formal designs. A variety of textures and colours are available to the gardener through the choice of species. For example, a beech or hornbeam hedge offers a soft green colour which turns to russety brown in the autumn lasting through the winter and into spring, in contrast to the evergreen broadleaves of the Portugal laurel, Prunus lusitanica, or the English holly, Ilex aquifolium, which make a strong, glistening, dark green hedge all year round. For those who live in very cold climates, the choice of evergreens may be limited to the hardiest conifer, the western hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla, or a number of deciduous plants such as Ilex verticillata (z 3), which has rounded leaves that are smaller and less prickly than those of the English holly or sea buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides.

Some plants that respond well to tight clipping, such as lime and hornbeam, can be used for pleaching, creating what is sometimes referred to as a hedge on stilts. This is a useful technique for making a boundary without reducing the sense of space. Others, such as the small-leaved box ‘Suffruticosa’ and wall germander (Teucrium), are small enough to use for edging and parterres. Box and yew are the best choice for topiary. They are slow-growing, with small, dense leaves, and respond well to very specific, intricate cutting. Patience is vital with topiary, and dedication to maintaining the chosen forms. It is important to select shapes and designs well within your capabilities.

A hedge can also be used informally, such as in a cottage or landscape garden, where it introduces a free-flowing line to the design. For example, Rhododendron ponticum makes a tall, windproof evergreen hedge, that is covered with purple blossoms in spring. Where space is at a premium compact forms need to be chosen. In most cases informal hedges are made of flowering and, in some instances, fruiting species giving them seasonal interest. Some, like the laurusti-nus, Viburnum tinus, combine glossy evergreen foliage with pink winter flowers that are followed by blue-black fruit. There are a number of flowering plants that flower on old wood, such as forsythia and Cornus mas, that can be lightly pruned to make an informal hedge. They can also be clipped hard back to make a formal hedge, although flowers will be lost.