How and why create a country hedgerow?

Why plant a hedgerow?

Bocage hedge offers multiple advantages :

• Privacy hedge with bushes dense enough to shield from prying eyes ;
• Windbreak hedge to filter wind and reduce its unwanted effects ;
• Defensive hedge in case of planting thorny bushes ;
• Decorative hedge for much of the year ;
• Very useful for biodiversity, notably through flowering that supports beneficial insects, production of berries for frugivorous birds, and by providing nesting sites for some birds or shelter for small mammals.

Which bushes for a country hedgerow?

Best is to choose native bushes that grow naturally where you live, in your region. In my garden for example, in northern France, I chose hazel, two types of willows (a goat willow and a white willow), a dogwood, hornbeam or pleached hornbeam to have marcescent leaf and so on. But not only that, I also have other slightly more exotic bushes such as various Cornus with decorative wood, a Pyracantha, a forsythia, a flowering currant.

You could choose other essential oils such as privet, mock orange, buddleia, Mexican orange, hawthorn, laurels (bay laurel, laurustinus…), photinia, elder, viburnum, Prunus, shrubby honeysuckle, roses, etc. Important is to compose a diversified hedge while respecting your climate and needs of the bushes.

You will find hedge bushes with spring, summer or autumn flowering and even with winter interest for a beautiful hedge through the seasons.

But choice is vast. Discover all our advice to choose your plants :

• A natural hedge to enhance biodiversity
• 9 bushes for a bocage hedge
• Fast-growing hedge: 10 bushes that grow quickly
• Hedge for birds: which bushes to choose?
• 10 flowering bushes for a melliferous hedge
• 10 best bushes to create a windbreak hedge
• Evergreen bushes for all garden styles

How to plant and care for a living or country hedgerow?

Planting a free-form hedge

The best time to plant your hedge is in autumn. Dig a hole for each plant or a trench if the bushes are supplied as bare roots, then plant, respecting the planting distances. It is also possible to plant them staggered for a more natural effect. To find out more, discover all our tips in our info sheet: How to plant a hedge?

Caring for a country hedge

Maintenance is very simple! Put the hedge trimmer away because maintenance should be kept to a minimum. At planting and during the following year, you may just need to check the mulch, water in periods of drought and prune as little as possible. Personally, I prune just a few small branches so I can walk along the hedge.

What does the law say?

Don’t forget local regulations! Indeed, planting a hedge on a property boundary cannot be done arbitrarily. If you want your hedge not to exceed 2 m, it must be spaced 50 cm from your garden boundary. If, on the other hand, you want to let it grow taller, it must be set back at least 2 m. Regulations sometimes vary between local councils, so I encourage you to check with your local council.

Finally, find our most beautiful flowering hedge kits in our shop.