Hedge your bets and start a hedge fund and do not hedge around!

This isn’t my favourite hedge spotted on a walk to Menston railway station but it hints at what can be achieved. I would now opt for a fruitful hedge to feed me and the birds.

• The blending of green, grey and red foliage has produced a singular hedge.
• Mixed colours work best if kept formal, neat and tidy
• Do not allow one type of plant dominate another, these all seem to be in proportion but vigorous growers will need more trimming
• Different shaped foliage could also be blended in a mixed hedge
• The stone wall provides some relief from the base of the hedge
• Train lower branches into gaps. remove extraneous plants like the Choysia on the left

How to Plant A Hedge

• Plant a bare root hedge in winter between November and March.
• Buy 2 0r 3 year old plants in bundles. If you can’t plant them at once heel them into a trench.
• Protect plants with a plastic bag whilst they are out of the ground.
• Clear the ground of perennial weeds and keep it clear by hoeing.
• Dig a trench 18″ wide for a single row of plants. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the trench and add slow release fertiliser like bone meal.
• It isn’t necessary to add organic matter except perhaps as a mulch after planting.
• Sprinkle any fungi treatment directly onto the bare roots before planting.
• Water the hedge for the first year but then leave it to it’s own devices.