45. Hedging and Screening II
One of the first things I did when I moved into my house was to plant a boundary hedge to the side of my small front garden to improve privacy. Speed of growth was the most important factor at the time, so I chose a laurel hedge. I love the bright green leaves of laurel and they provide a very effective barrier. The plants established very quickly; it is now four years on and it is 6 ft tall and very dense, providing a great nesting site for blackbirds and wrens. The main downside is that it does need regular pruning to keep it under control. I have underplanted it with a lower lavender hedge to add colour and all year round scent to the garden.
The private lane leading to the walled garden has a tall, well established privet hedge to the one side. It is about 8 ft high and is a mecca for nesting sparrows, wrens and other garden birds, and provides a good hiding place for hedgehogs in the evenings. That hedge needs annual pruning.
For the walled garden I have been looking for more interesting hedges to use. I first came across camellia hedges in a friend’s garden in Cornwall where he has used hundreds of camellia plants to create a stunning hedge around the boundaries of his garden. They were planted in rows as young 3-4 year plants, and now provide a year-round mass of glossy green leaves with a profusion of flowers from winter through to late spring. He has the space to allow them grow wild, but they would work as well with an annual prune to keep them in shape in a more confined space. Camellias make really beautiful hedging. For the walled garden I will be using them to hide a three metre section of unattractive wooden fencing. The situation is ideal: dappled shade and without any direct sun in the mornings, but they will need annual pruning to keep them to the right size.
Another lovely way to provide much taller privacy screening is to use silver birch trees. They have small silver green leaves that provide a dappled screen but without blocking out much light. Their most striking feature is their silver tree trunks with a papery bark that peels off to the touch. The white stems glow in the winter when they lose their leaves. There are many varieties of birch in all shapes and sizes, so you need to consider which variety is best for your site and space. My favourite for small gardens is the Himalayan Silver Birches (Betula Utilis Jacquemontii) and particularly the “Snow Queen” variety. With their upright narrow habit and brilliant silver stems they make a great specimen tree which is very practical for small gardens. With the correct lighting, a row of silver stems can create a stunning impact in the garden at night.
I first planted a row of silver birches in the London garden where they provide a shady refuge for my dogs and Sue the dog walker on hot summer days. My Cornwall friend has also used them very effectively to screen the swimming pool in his garden from being overlooked by neighbours. His trees need sturdy stakes to withstand the strong coastal winds and keep them growing upright. They have also been used in the paved back garden of an Irish friend’s Georgian townhouse in Cobh to screen their garden from the hotel windows a few doors down. They provide a row of dappled shade and privacy in the summer months when they are using the garden.
I have planted a row of young silver birches along the back boundary of the walled garden, behind the fruit dome. They are along the west facing wall, so won’t block out sunlight for the fruit. The three year old trees still have some growing up to do. Their young stems are a pale brown to start with but should start silvering up in Year 4 and 5. Silver birches establish easily in most soils and situation, and will grow about 1 metre each year. It is important to keep them well watered, and to stake them to keep them upright. Snow Queen will grow to 6 metres high and 3 metres wide over 10 years and can be kept in check by regular pruning if needed. I’m looking forward to seeing a graceful , much taller row of silver stems with leaves turning silver in the sunlight.
