Planting a mixed native hedge in your garden can have a ridiculous number of benefits, for both you and wildlife. Having a variety of species (which can of course mean some non-natives) means a longer season where there is food, habitat, and nesting material for all manner of native species. For example, if you plant a fairly traditional English hedge, you will have hazel catkins proving early nectar for insects from January, blackthorn flowers from March, hawthorn and field maple continuing the charge through May and dog rose from June. That’s not to mention the nuts, berries, hips and seeds which develop later in the year, and the tangled mixed habitat they create which provides safety, shelter and a place to nest.
Add more species such as alder, dogwood, spindle, bird cherry, holly and wild honeysuckle, and your garden and hedgerows will be a beacon for all creatures great and small!
These multifunctional hedges will look great, providing you with year-round interest and colour and will also act as a wonderful wind and weather buffer, sheltering the rest of your more delicate garden plants from the worst of it.
Some species will grow best in certain conditions, and some may be more suitable for a wilder, more rural setting (e.g. the extremely spiky blackthorn) whilst some, such as wild privet or Rosa rugosa, could be used with others in a more formal garden setting. Take your cue from the country around you – whatever’s growing naturally there is bound to grow well. It’s also worth checking how vigorous your choices can be and considering how they will look in your garden. In gardens, in my experience native hedges look great as a relaxed but interesting boundary between garden and countryside, or formal and informal areas of the garden.
Hedges benefit from a trim in February or early March when it’s in its dormant phase, to keep them the right size and encourage flower and fruit formation. Pruning should be avoided in the bird breeding season between March and September to avoid causing disturbance.
Now is a good time to plant native hedging as the plants go dormant in the winter. Buy hedging mixes bare root (i.e. not in pots) from many nurseries and hedging specialists and plant before the end of March, then enjoy the wildlife flocking to your garden!
Eleanor & Ishka
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