By far one of the best plants you can use for your hedge is the Murraya paniculata or Orange Jessamine.
As you can see above it is a beautiful evergreen shrub with top to bottom tight growing foliage. It has a beautiful flower in summer (picture below) and the aroma is just delightful. Perfect in full sun or part shade it will grow to around 3 meters in height. The aroma is surprisingly beautiful and you will find you can smell it in your house with the breeze carrying it everywhere.
You can expect moderate growth from this plant and as an example if you plant a 20cm pot it will, on average, take 2-3 years to get to 1 meter in height. When you are planting the recommendation is 50cm apart to get the best display once they tighten up together.
Pruning - Just once or twice each year will be all this hedge needs, making it quite low maintenance. Pruning and feeding is best done in Spring or Autumn, to encourage growth.
Encouraging growth - If you are pruning twice each year and fertilising at the same time, this will work to encourage the growth and keep the plants growth tight. Adequate watering and having a good 10cm of mulch is essential to help with growth too. The great thing with pruning is that you general get two or more new branches grow from each cut, this gives you the tight leafy growth you need.
It is however, not ideal to leave the plants growing with the thought of not pruning until it is your desired height. You will find your plants leggy, woody and difficult to cut back without affecting the structure of the plant. The foliage is also likely to end up uneven and the hedge not grow to your expectations.
Other common hedging plants - Include the Buxus, Lilly Pilly, Photinia and Viburnum and can be found everywhere as beautiful hedges. This is because they are all largely disease resistant, respond well be being pruned and grow well into the shape you choose.
Why hedge - Hedging makes a beautiful fencing alternative and gives you a living landscape and boundary to your outdoor rooms. It has an instant effect to a space and if flowering will attract birdlife and more to your garden. Not to mention it will also often outlive a fence in both life and appeal.
What next - Planting a hedge is quite a simple project and it can often be undertaken by even the most amateur gardener. Just make sure you measure out, plant in a straight line, mulch well and regularly water your hedge. Remember to prune twice each year and fertilise as a double effort to encourage growth.
If you feel this is something you would like and don't want to undertake the take yourself - speak to the team here at Branching Out Co. We are happy to provide you with the best hedging solution for your needs.
