Kaspars Parfinovičs
Hedge as a Living Painting
When the creation of a living space and garden are planned on a land plot, one of the initial tasks after (and sometimes before) the completion of the overall landscape design is to fence the property off from its surroundings. Fencing not only creates a sense of privacy, but also protects against influences of external factors. This is important in urban, as well as rural areas.
Fencing can also create your own microclimate at the property, allowing you to develop plantations of less winter hardy plants. But that is not all – your hedge can also become a multifunctional living painting!
The history of hedges and what we can learn from it
The available historical data shows what hedges were like in the Bronze Age (2000-500 BC). At that time, the areas covered with forest stands were far larger than today. As agriculture developed, forests were cleared in increasingly larger areas. Strips of existing forest were left to demarcate the boundaries of fields.
In areas without forests, people used to sow and plant hedge plantations themselves, when they built new settlements. These man-made hedgerows were in some ways similar to the woodland strips mentioned above – they were collections of multiple plants growing in symbiosis and complementing each other, which required minimal maintenance.
In terms of plant diversity, these ancient hedgerows considerably surpass the hedges that we mostly use today, where only one culture usually dominates (for instance, thuja, hawthorn or fir). Bronze Age hedgerows, on the other hand, could contain hundreds or even thousands of different plants in one place.
The Main Functions of Fencing Today
Even nowadays, hedges are used to fence areas off. Depending on the type and size of the fencing, it has the following basic functions: highlighting the outer boundaries of a property and a visual barrier thereof, noise and fume reduction, and protection of the environment from trespassing (by people, as well as by animals).
Within the property, a hedge can also be an interesting element of garden space, separating areas and creating different spaces, creating a background for other plantations, highlighting and complementing flowerbeds and garden architecture forms, for instance, fountains and sculptures.
Fencing is also great for creating and maintaining the internal microclimate of the property. This is mainly due to a reduction in the speed of wind, and, therefore, the development of so-called “heat pockets”. Even in winter, the temperature will be higher in the lee than in the open. Consequently, we can experiment and plant more frost-tender plants in these areas.
How do I know which is best - a conventional fence, a hedge, or both?
Situations and needs vary, therefore one answer will not be suitable for everybody. Let us look a little deeper into each of these options.
Conventional fence.
One of its biggest advantages is quick installation - the ability to fence off an area at short notice. A wide range of fencing options is available to suit every taste, requirement and budget. A fence, unlike a hedge, is usually much narrower and therefore takes up less space, which is important on small properties. We can observe a greater variety of fences around residential areas in urban and suburban areas, or regional centres.
Meanwhile in rural areas, where significantly larger spaces need to be fenced off, one of the most popular types of fence is metal mesh, which is fixed to wooden or metal posts.
With a conventional fence, there is quite a lot of scope for design options - in terms of materials, as well as shapes and colours.
Fencing can also create your own microclimate at the property, allowing you to develop plantations of less winter hardy plants. But that is not all – your hedge can also become a multifunctional living painting!
The history of hedges and what we can learn from it
The available historical data shows what hedges were like in the Bronze Age (2000-500 BC). At that time, the areas covered with forest stands were far larger than today. As agriculture developed, forests were cleared in increasingly larger areas. Strips of existing forest were left to demarcate the boundaries of fields.
In areas without forests, people used to sow and plant hedge plantations themselves, when they built new settlements. These man-made hedgerows were in some ways similar to the woodland strips mentioned above – they were collections of multiple plants growing in symbiosis and complementing each other, which required minimal maintenance.
In terms of plant diversity, these ancient hedgerows considerably surpass the hedges that we mostly use today, where only one culture usually dominates (for instance, thuja, hawthorn or fir). Bronze Age hedgerows, on the other hand, could contain hundreds or even thousands of different plants in one place.
The Main Functions of Fencing Today
Even nowadays, hedges are used to fence areas off. Depending on the type and size of the fencing, it has the following basic functions: highlighting the outer boundaries of a property and a visual barrier thereof, noise and fume reduction, and protection of the environment from trespassing (by people, as well as by animals).
Within the property, a hedge can also be an interesting element of garden space, separating areas and creating different spaces, creating a background for other plantations, highlighting and complementing flowerbeds and garden architecture forms, for instance, fountains and sculptures.
Fencing is also great for creating and maintaining the internal microclimate of the property. This is mainly due to a reduction in the speed of wind, and, therefore, the development of so-called “heat pockets”. Even in winter, the temperature will be higher in the lee than in the open. Consequently, we can experiment and plant more frost-tender plants in these areas.
How do I know which is best - a conventional fence, a hedge, or both?
Situations and needs vary, therefore one answer will not be suitable for everybody. Let us look a little deeper into each of these options.
Conventional fence.
One of its biggest advantages is quick installation - the ability to fence off an area at short notice. A wide range of fencing options is available to suit every taste, requirement and budget. A fence, unlike a hedge, is usually much narrower and therefore takes up less space, which is important on small properties. We can observe a greater variety of fences around residential areas in urban and suburban areas, or regional centres.
Meanwhile in rural areas, where significantly larger spaces need to be fenced off, one of the most popular types of fence is metal mesh, which is fixed to wooden or metal posts.
With a conventional fence, there is quite a lot of scope for design options - in terms of materials, as well as shapes and colours.
Fence with gates made of spruce from northern Sweden, which is characterised by its high strength of wood
If you cannot find one you like, you can make the fence yourselves - apply a coat of paint, or even create a painting on it to your heart’s content! Subject, of course, to the binding rules of the local municipality.
However, the major disadvantages of a conventional fence in the long term include the investment of time and money in repairing and replacing it partially or completely. And unlike a hedge, the value of a conventional fence gradually diminishes over time.
Combination of a conventional fence and a hedge.
Choosing one of them together with the other is common. First, a conventional fence is installed. Often the fence is partially or fully transparent, therefore a parallel row of hedges is planted to provide a visual boundary. The trees chosen for such hedges mostly include thuja, less commonly - juniper, hawthorn, hornbeam, yew, etc., and - in larger areas - spruce as well. Hedges that combine different plants of different shapes, shades of leaves or needles, flowering and even fruiting are more eye-catching and beautiful.
However, the major disadvantages of a conventional fence in the long term include the investment of time and money in repairing and replacing it partially or completely. And unlike a hedge, the value of a conventional fence gradually diminishes over time.
Combination of a conventional fence and a hedge.
Choosing one of them together with the other is common. First, a conventional fence is installed. Often the fence is partially or fully transparent, therefore a parallel row of hedges is planted to provide a visual boundary. The trees chosen for such hedges mostly include thuja, less commonly - juniper, hawthorn, hornbeam, yew, etc., and - in larger areas - spruce as well. Hedges that combine different plants of different shapes, shades of leaves or needles, flowering and even fruiting are more eye-catching and beautiful.
Hedge.
The Latvian translation of hedge literally means “living fence”, which in itself suggests that a hedge is something alive. Thus, it is constantly changing.
Unlike a conventional “dead” fence, the value of a hedge increases every year. It becomes bigger, lusher, more expressive and more beautiful. A small hedge can grow into a huge living wall that your family will find delight in for generations.
Unlike a conventional “dead” fence, the value of a hedge increases every year. It becomes bigger, lusher, more expressive and more beautiful. A small hedge can grow into a huge living wall that your family will find delight in for generations.
A hedge of Norway spruce (‘picea abies’) planted in a single row
Hedge – living painting.
If there is enough space, you can let your imagination run wild and plant different trees and shrubs close to each other in the hedgerow. This will create a magnificent living painting that will constantly change throughout the year, delighting and inspiring the people who live there!
If there is enough space, you can let your imagination run wild and plant different trees and shrubs close to each other in the hedgerow. This will create a magnificent living painting that will constantly change throughout the year, delighting and inspiring the people who live there!
A hedgerow of different trees and shrubs – a multifunctional and beautiful hedge
This way, by incorporating different trees in the hedgerow, we receive additional benefit, since trees that are growing can be cut over time and used as required - either as timber or firewood for heating the house. When necessary, we add new trees and shrubs to the plantation, thus ensuring long-term permanence.
The mix of trees and shrubs provides habitat for birds and beneficial insects that will protect other plantations of the garden. Nectar crops will attract bees, which will replenish the stock of honey in their hives. If you add fruit trees to the hedgerow, you will also get delicious, healthy fruit and berries.
In this way, the hedgerow, along with its fencing function, becomes a multifunctional, multi-beneficial part of the garden - for decades and even centuries to come. Of course, as I already mentioned, this is possible, if you have enough land. For example, if you choose a plot of 1 hectare for your home, and earmark a 5 m wide strip for a multi-purpose hedge, it will cover about 0.2 ha in total around the entire perimeter, i.e. – one fifth of the total area. This will leave 0.8 ha for the rest of your home. This type of hedgerow can also be made narrower, with different woody plants planted in only one or two rows, close together.
I started the multi-purpose hedge on my land plot by planting a row of Norway spruce (‘picea abies’). Distance from trunk to trunk – from 0.5 m to 1 m. Initially, I want to create an animal-proof hedgerow strip, which I will then expand by using a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs. As the seasons change, their foliage and colours will change as well. Consequently, I will receive several hundred metres of living and colourful painting!
According to my needs – if a row of spruce trees provides too much shade in the future, I will trim it to the size and shape I want, or cut it down and use it as timber. Other trees and shrubs in the hedgerow will mature over time and be sufficiently dense to fence the property off and prevent animal passage.
The mix of trees and shrubs provides habitat for birds and beneficial insects that will protect other plantations of the garden. Nectar crops will attract bees, which will replenish the stock of honey in their hives. If you add fruit trees to the hedgerow, you will also get delicious, healthy fruit and berries.
In this way, the hedgerow, along with its fencing function, becomes a multifunctional, multi-beneficial part of the garden - for decades and even centuries to come. Of course, as I already mentioned, this is possible, if you have enough land. For example, if you choose a plot of 1 hectare for your home, and earmark a 5 m wide strip for a multi-purpose hedge, it will cover about 0.2 ha in total around the entire perimeter, i.e. – one fifth of the total area. This will leave 0.8 ha for the rest of your home. This type of hedgerow can also be made narrower, with different woody plants planted in only one or two rows, close together.
I started the multi-purpose hedge on my land plot by planting a row of Norway spruce (‘picea abies’). Distance from trunk to trunk – from 0.5 m to 1 m. Initially, I want to create an animal-proof hedgerow strip, which I will then expand by using a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs. As the seasons change, their foliage and colours will change as well. Consequently, I will receive several hundred metres of living and colourful painting!
According to my needs – if a row of spruce trees provides too much shade in the future, I will trim it to the size and shape I want, or cut it down and use it as timber. Other trees and shrubs in the hedgerow will mature over time and be sufficiently dense to fence the property off and prevent animal passage.
A hedge of Norway spruce (‘picea abies’) that has been cut and shaped in the long term
When choosing plants for the hedge, it is important to consider the future size of the different trees and shrubs, the amount and the direction of sunlight required for the plantation, the growth rate of different plants, the effect of shading from neighbouring trees and shrubs on the growth of other plants in the hedgerow, the time and character of foliage change, and the colour it will assume.
When designing the composition of hedgerows, you should also take into account the mutual compatibility of plants in the row. For instance, the more conifers you choose for a hedge, the more acidic soil will develop around them. Consequently, you need to understand what deciduous trees and shrubs can be planted around the conifers.
When designing a hedge from different plants, you need to spend more time on planning it, on paying more attention to the small details. If a living wall that is impenetrable to animals is required, trees and shrubs that are not only beautiful, but also grow sufficiently densely, should be included in the design of the plantation.
Trees and shrubs that are not attractive to wildlife should be planted on the outer edge. Wild animals usually cause most damage by tearing off young shoots and bark, as well as by grinding bark and snapping branches with their horns. Wild animals will not, or will be less likely to, damage the following woody plants: birch, alder, sour cherry, hazel, chestnut, spruce, rowan, elder, red maple, black alder and grey alder, Caucasian plum, hawthorn, amelanchier, robinia, lilac, philadelphus, dogwood, park rose, spirea, viburnum, Siberian peashrub, blackberry, barberry, blackcurrant, currant, gooseberry.
The development of a multifunctional hedge requires considerably more time than the development of a hedge from thuja alone. But in the long run, the initial investment will pay off in spades. You will get a living wall around your property, timber, fruit, nectar for honey and better protection from pests, thus forming your own - complex and uniquely beautiful, living and changing picture!
When designing the composition of hedgerows, you should also take into account the mutual compatibility of plants in the row. For instance, the more conifers you choose for a hedge, the more acidic soil will develop around them. Consequently, you need to understand what deciduous trees and shrubs can be planted around the conifers.
When designing a hedge from different plants, you need to spend more time on planning it, on paying more attention to the small details. If a living wall that is impenetrable to animals is required, trees and shrubs that are not only beautiful, but also grow sufficiently densely, should be included in the design of the plantation.
Trees and shrubs that are not attractive to wildlife should be planted on the outer edge. Wild animals usually cause most damage by tearing off young shoots and bark, as well as by grinding bark and snapping branches with their horns. Wild animals will not, or will be less likely to, damage the following woody plants: birch, alder, sour cherry, hazel, chestnut, spruce, rowan, elder, red maple, black alder and grey alder, Caucasian plum, hawthorn, amelanchier, robinia, lilac, philadelphus, dogwood, park rose, spirea, viburnum, Siberian peashrub, blackberry, barberry, blackcurrant, currant, gooseberry.
The development of a multifunctional hedge requires considerably more time than the development of a hedge from thuja alone. But in the long run, the initial investment will pay off in spades. You will get a living wall around your property, timber, fruit, nectar for honey and better protection from pests, thus forming your own - complex and uniquely beautiful, living and changing picture!
A deciduous hedgerow separates a cereal field from the area inside the yard
Kaspars Parfenovičs
