Planning and planting a hedge

It’s hedge planting time!

Hedges are far more attractive than fence panels and are currently enjoying a revival. This is thanks to renewed interest in providing an environment that is conducive to providing food and shelter to wildlife. Even if your home is surrounded by fences, you can plant a hedge in front of it.  If you want to do your bit to help the wildlife, use native hedges such as hawthorn or Cotoneaster and Pyracantha. Both produce an abundance of berries. 

Now is the best time to plant a new hedge, providing the soil is neither water logged nor frozen.  Do check planting guidelines on your plant labels for any specific advice, and remember it will take a good two years for your  hedge to become well established.  Top dress after planting and mulch if possible. During the first year snip off the tops to encourage growth widthways. This will help to reduce the risk of growing a hedge that is sparse around the base. Water well in any prolonged dry spells, and finally, always check the best season to prune.

Colourful in addition to being functional

To create a decorative or functional hedge, there are many alternatives to the old favourites of privet, yew and box.  Lonicera nitida (a cousin of the honeysuckle) makes an excellent hedge. Pittosporum  is very fast growing and does particular well in coastal areas. Photinia, the red robin, will create a boundary in a rich combination of red and green foliage. Colourful ‘Silver Queen’, makes a compact low and slow growing hedge.  Again, it is another shrub that grows well in coastal gardens.

Laurels

The ever popular Cherry Laurel is now available as a mature plant to give you instant hedging to provide privacy and protect against noise and pollution. New Zealand Laurel is a new kid on the block and again proving to be very popular as a mature hedging plant.  it has very distinctive apple green leaves so is a little different from the usual laurels. So, make your local wildlife happy and get planting today as soon the perfect hedge planting time will be over.  

Pop in to our Titchfield Garden Centre for a chat with our plant experts if you’d like further advice on hedging plants.

Read more about hedging plant options and care here:

Caring for conifers
Try your hand at topiary
How to plant a tree or shrub

Testimonials

Hambrooks

Testimonials

N. Haggard 20 September 2022

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how delighted I am with my new garden.

Jon, my designer, listened to my ideas and delivered on everything I asked for. I wanted something different to any garden I’d had before, no lawn, no landscaping but packed with plants. He designed such a lovely secret garden, around a statement tree. And I have to commend him for his unwavering patience! I changed my mind a hundred times but never did he give me the impression that he was losing patience with my endless indecision. And my confidence in him led me to place an order for over £10k.

My landscaping team, Blade and Tony, were exceptional, from their work ethic, skill and knowledge, to the way they dealt with me, the customer. My standards are very high and I couldn’t fault them.

All in all, a very professional team of people. And it showed that they all care. I’m over the moon with the finished result. I will send you a before and after photo. Thank you so much.

A delighted customer.

G. Gray. May 2022

My front garden has been transformed by Andy and Bradley who both worked incredibly hard and I am delighted with the result. Andy had the vision and skill to turn my idea into reality and I can't thank him enough.

C. Haig Sept 2021

We recently had our garden landscaped by Hambrooks and I just wanted to pass on my thanks, not just for the outcome - which is superb - but for the professionalism of all the staff involved on the job who are all a credit to you company. Mike, Dave, Les and Adam.

H. Sharp Sept 2021

I just wanted to let you know how delighted I am with my new garden. Melanie was a delight to work with and the ideas she had have worked perfectly. Also Sheldon laid the patio beautifully and him and Dave were a pleaseure to have at my house. Quiet workers and polite.

B. Rendell April 2021

I would like to say how delighted we are with the work carried out. Mel, Paul and Tony all worked very hard, they totally took on board the specific need relating to safety as well as the general garden issues. Paul and Tony were excellent at consulting and discussing with me what I felt best in terms of the brief and adjusting if and as necessary, constantly pleasant and polite to deal with. Mel had picked up on particular issues from the first consultation and offered valuable advice. The outcome means a great deal less worry for me going forward.
Altogether a very positive experience and outcome which I would not hesitate to recommend to others.

Stephen March 2021

Dom and Adam's work (garden maintenance) is greatly appreciated. Dom really listened to everything we discussed very carefully and went out of his way to understand and then act upon that discussion. We are extremely pleased with the work done - both to the pond and pyracantha.

Marsha

We have been coming to Hambrooks for years and it's our favourite garden centre because of its friendly helpful staff and a great selection of plants and trees and the garden design ideas.

“We wanted to write and say how pleased we are with our low maintenance garden makeover. We are very impressed with the attitude of your staff who were prepared to listen to our requirements. Your team John and Rick brushed up and left everything tidy at the end of the day. We now have a garden we can manage and it looks great. THANK YOU HAMBROOKS.”

Mr & Mrs Venables, Southampton. April 2019

“Dear Josh & Mike We just want to say you both did a brilliant job of designing our garden along with the guys who did the work who were amazing. A few weeks on its looks even better now some of the plants are blooming. Thank you!!”

Mr & Mrs Gazzard, Winchester July 2019

“To James, John & Rikki. Thank you so much, we are delighted with our new garden. We really appreciate the attention to detail, the high quality workmanship and the standard of the finished project. We are amazed at how John & Rikki resolved the difficulties of the site and by the quality of their craftmanship. It was a pleasure to work with them and thank you for making our ideas into something we will enjoy for years to come.”
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