Create a Beautiful Living Fence Hedge

Since the sixteenth century, hedges have been used as fences protecting homes from intruders and soil erosion.

Planting shrubs requires one to research the native plants and select the best plant whose mature size will provide adequate fencing. It would be most beneficial to visit the local Pantano’s nursery to find information regarding the best plants you could grow as your natural fence. For the process to be inexpensive, pick plants that are rapidly growing, require low maintenance, and carry out planting during the rainy season in Spring.

If you want privacy, you could build a fence. However, why chop down trees to hide your home from prying eyes when you can let living plants do the job? Either way, you’ll have maintenance and upkeep. However, planting trees and shrubs for security adds more life-giving oxygen to the air, making it a greener choice.

Alternatively, you can grow the spotted laurel around the stonewall to provide an aesthetic appeal and privacy from neighbors and intruders. The bushy green plant is tough since it can survive salt-bearing winds and air pollution at the Jersey Shore. You can select from a wide variety of privet species available to grow your fence that can reach about five to ten feet. The Rose of Sharon makes an 8-foot x 3 foot per bush creates a privacy wall enjoyed by homeowner and neighbor with blooms that last all summer.

Arborvitae is another lean tree. Some species soar as high as 40 to 60 feet while spreading only 10 to 15 feet at the base. What makes this plant ideal for your living fence hedge is its versatility. It grows well in various soil types, from loose, sandy soils to heavier clays.

Perhaps you want to embrace a rainbow of hues in your landscaping. If so, look at azalea. These shrubs come in yellow to dark red, with pink and purple varieties. You can even find bicolor plants and those with colored specks. Some species of this plant bloom in mid-spring, others as late as fall. If you want long-lasting color throughout the entire warm season, talk to your nursery about this option for your hedge.

Bamboo fencing will make your home seem more environmentally friendly and boost its appeal. Bamboo creates a wall of green that can extend up to 15 feet. Homeowners living in areas experiencing colder climates should not plant bamboo as their fence, but bamboo does well in NJ.

Boxwood is a classic choice for a hedge. It grows to the ideal height of 10 to 15 feet although you can keep it trimmed shorter. What makes this bushy shrub ideal is its versatility. It thrives in the ground or even containers, making it possible for you to create a privacy screen for your balcony if you live in a condo or apartment. You can sculpt them into square or round shapes, depending on the look you want.

Cypress trees can make a striking statement. These trees grow anywhere from 50 to 80 feet tall, giving you the ultimate privacy. Some species also cut a tall, thin silhouette, making them look stately lining a driveway or the side of your property. The leaves are soft, not properly needles at all.

Why not welcome spring with a sunny splash of yellow? Forsythia also blooms in mid-spring, producing beautiful golden blooms that reflect the rays of the lengthening days.

Forsythia is also a cost-effective choice for your living fence hedge. Although this shrub only grows eight to ten feet tall, it can spread to 12 feet across, letting you enclose a large area with fewer plants.

Green is gorgeous, but maybe it isn’t your favorite color. Why not add a bright splash to your living fence hedge? Lilacs bloom in mid-to-late spring, bringing a welcome touch of color to your lawn after the winter snows. Some species bloom later than others and planting a variety can extend your blooms for several weeks. Native to NJ, these are gorgeous with lavender blooms.

Hydrangeas are another excellent choice for color that lasts for months. Although they may stop producing in the worst of summer’s heat, they often bloom a second time in the fall. Some species have white blooms that hang in panicles, while others produce round, smooth lavender flower clusters.

Plant some of each to create a moon garden effect. Moon garden effect is the different effects produced by moonlight compared to sunlight in human color perception emphasize the colors of certain flowers more than others, bringing out different tones which are not available during daytime or with artificial lights. For evening entertainment, Hydrangea makes an entertaining splash.

Although yew takes years to form a mature hedge that protects your home, it provides an aesthetic appeal ideal for sunny and cloudy climates. Whether you want a tree or a shrub, there’s a yew for you. This species ranges in mature height from four feet to over 60, depending on the species you select. One advantage of the yew is that they grow in nearly any light, from full sun to shade. Therefore, this plant makes an excellent living fence hedge if you want to create a uniform look around the perimeter of your property.

Finally, Hick’s Yew is an excellent living fence hedge if you don’t plan on leaving the homestead for a while. This shrub grows only a foot a year, minimizing your need for pruning.

However, this shrub doesn’t thrive in overly wet environments but it’s resistant to salt and pollution, making it a hardy choice for urban areas.

If you want to enhance your home’s landscaping, you could add a fence. Alternatively, you could green your carbon footprint by planting a living hedge and contributing to cleaner air.

You have plenty of options. Explore the plants for a living fence hedge and get ready to beautify your homestead this spring. To contain your animal, you can run a simple chain link fence and plant the hedge to the inside.

Let our nursery specialists be your partner in recommending the right hedges for your client’s landscape. Contact Brian Bisbee, Senior Vice President & Nursery Manager, for more information.