Confused on what variety of hedging to grow in your garden?
One of the most underappreciated, yet impactful, plants any gardeners can grow is a good quality, well-maintained hedge – and few people may realise there are so many wonderful types.
Hedging is an ever-popular garden solution for those who want to introduce an impressive natural screen to block out incoming noise or wind, while also boosting the privacy of the garden.
There are many features that differ across hedging varieties, including hardiness, colour of leaves, whether they produce flowers or berries, or if they are evergreen and look impressive regardless of the season.
To give you a helping hand in deciding which hedge to plant out in your garden, we have put together a top-to-tail guide of some of the most popular hedge varieties that thrive in most UK gardens.
If you are unsure on exactly which hedge type you would like to grow, be sure to browse our full range here.
A Cherry Laurel boasts some of the densest and richest foliage that you will see on a laurel hedge.
Glossy green leaves and dainty white flowers appear throughout spring and summer, before this Cherry Laurel produces cherry-red berries for a festive display moving into winter. A delight for wildlife, the berries are loved by birds, while the floral aroma from the flowers draw the attention of bees and other insects.
These plants are hardy, proven performers, able to thrive in most soil types and garden areas, including those in full sun or partial shade, so if these traits appeal to you then get yourself a Laurel Bush at YouGarden today!
Beech hedges are UK-natives with bright green foliage that springs any garden to life throughout the spring months.
This bright green colouring fades slightly moving into summer, followed by an autumnal mixture of copper, orange, bronze, and brown shades – a true delight!
Beech hedges, also known as Fagus sylvatica, are deciduous, so can retain dead leaves even throughout winter, before shedding to make way for fresh spring growth.
A longer period of cover can be enjoyed when the dense hedging is pruned around August.
Another semi-evergreen hedge variety, Privet Hedge plants, or Ligustrum ovalifolium, standout from the crowd thanks to dense and neat foliage, which is made up of oval-shaped leaves that grow in abundance.
Dainty, creamy-white flowers grow in clusters during summer, followed by black berries in autumn.
The semi-evergreen nature ensures the leaves remain for much of the year and will only fall when winter weather turns particularly cold. But during most years, the leaves will stay strong until the new growth is ready to erupt in spring.
Privet hedging makes a great addition to gardens, even in urban or built-up areas, thanks to a top-notch resistance to pollution, while it is also hardy to conditions as cold as -10C to -5C. For best impact, plant Privet hedging in sunny or semi-sheltered areas, in more-or-less any soil type, with even windy conditions tolerated.
Fascinating leaves certainly steal the limelight on Hornbeam hedging, which is a healthy and deciduous grower.
The Hornbeam Hedge, or Carpinus betulus, is coated in beautiful green leaves with deep crinkled veins and jagged edges from spring, which turn to a golden yellow in the autumn.
Rich and healthy shapes can be achieved and retained in the garden for a longer period than other varieties, as Hornbeam can hold onto dead leaves throughout winter.
Towards the end of spring, small green catkins also emerge, before becoming winged fruits for autumn – ideal for feeding birds and small garden mammals.
Hardy and resilient, Hornbeam hedges can be grown in most soil types, while also tolerating shaded or windy positions.
Enjoy dense displays and beautiful flowers with a flowering hedge, such as a Hawthorn.
Hardy and deciduous Hawthorn Hedges, or Crataegus monogyna, boast green leaves and clusters of small white flowers from spring.
The thorny branches and dense nature of this hedge create a strong barrier, perfect for edging the garden to soften noise or wind. When autumn rolls around, the white flowers develop into dark red berries, called ‘haws’.
This quick growing variety will thrive in most soil types and locations of the garden, except for fully shaded or waterlogged spots.
Hawthorns are another superb hedging choice for anybody looking to encourage wildlife into their garden, as the red fruits are loved by birds in autumn, while the dense foliage is perfect for nesting.
Shade-changing leaves grow in abundance on Field Maple hedging, starting in a green when young, before changing to an autumnal shade of golden yellow.
The five-loped leaves start to appear in spring, alongside yellow-green flowers, which are rich in pollen.
Field Maples, or Acer campestre, are a particular treat for garden wildlife, as the large leaves are perfect for nesting birds, while winged fruits grow in autumn and are loved by small mammals.
Easy to grow and capable of thriving in most soil types, in full sun or partial shade, these hedges can reach a height of up to 20m in full maturity, growing at a rate of 30-60cm per year.
Hazel hedges, also known as Cobnut, are bushy in nature with large, serrated-edged leaves in a pretty green shade.
The superb pointed leaves are a real talking point on this hedge, as they turn an orange-gold shade to mark the autumn season.
Moving forward a few months to the tail end of winter or early spring, fluffy yellow catkins dangle along the edge of the bare twigs of the hedges. Adorable yellow flowers also appear at this time, but may not be noticeable as they are tiny.
Hazel hedges are another variety that will draw wildlife to the garden, as green hazelnuts can grow in autumn and are delicious to squirrels, while dozens of insect species will use the foliage as shelter.
A hardy and reliable hedge that boasts pretty displays of dainty white flowers on short spikes in spring, with an almost hypnotic almond-like aroma.
Different seasons bring different features to fascinate on Bird Cherry hedging, as inky black berries emerge on red stems in autumn, ideal for feeding birds and small garden mammals.
Able to be grown in most types of soil and areas of the garden, as well as varying levels of shade, saving full shade, exposed windy spots, or coastal conditions.
Bird Cherry, or Hackberry, are a great choice for uniform and well-kept hedges, as they grow at a rate of just 20-40cm every year.
Yet another well-structured hedging option, however Blackthorn uniquely benefits from an annual production of delicious fruits.
In autumn, this reliable hedgerow grows small black sloe fruits, which appear very similar to damsons, but if left alone by birds can be picked when ripe around November and transformed into a delicious sweet gin, just in time for Christmas!
Before the berries emerge, small white flowers coat the hedge in early spring, at a time before even green leaves have chance to grow. In summer, oval-shaped leaves and thorny branches combine to form dense and bushy foliage.
Hardy-natured Blackthorn hedges grow at a good rate of 40-60cm per year.
Dog Rose hedges have been earmarked by the RHS as a ‘Plant for Pollinators’, owing to their remarkable ability to attract and benefit wildlife.
The dense hedgerows are great shelters for birds, mammals and insects, while red rose hips emerge in autumn to feed birds.
A thicket of rich green leaves and hooked thorns grow from spring, while fragrant pale pink to white flowers appear in summer.
Dog Rose hedges are hardy and will perform well in any garden, including coastal locations, winter conditions, and when exposed to strong winds.
So, as we have outlined, there are so many different varieties of hedges that each bring their own special beauty and intrigue to your garden. If you feel motivated to grow your own hedge, but are slightly stuck on which variety to go for, why not try one of our handy hedging collections, featuring multiple beauties in just one set? Superb!
Have you got an impressive hedging display in your garden? Show it off by sending us a picture here!
