Evergreen and Impenetrable Eco Hedge Collection

This is a collection of 10 varieties of evergreen shrubs, which are dense and thorny, and together they create an attractive hedge all year round that is also effective against intrusions. Delivered in a kit of 10 potted plants (2 plants of each variety), they are perfect for creating a defensive hedge as well as a beautiful privacy screen and windbreak. We have selected plants that are easy-to-grow and maintain which have a variety of types of foliage, staggered flowering times, and decorative fruiting. This collection of potted shrubs allows for the creation of approximately 10 metres (33 feet) of hedge, either untrimmed or pruned at a lower cost.

The collection includes:

- 2 Berberis darwinii - Darwin's Barberry: approximately 1.50 metres (5 feet) in all directions. Its thorny branches bear small green leaves in spring, turning orange in summer and bright red in autumn. It has fragrant and nectar-rich flowers in April-May in the form of clusters of pale yellow flowers with red markings. Its small fruits are a very bright red in September-October and last through part of winter.

- 2 Berberis julianae - Saint Julien's Barberry: a slow-growing bush, reaching about 3 metres (10 feet) in height and 1.50 metres (5 feet) in width at maturity. Its angular branches are equipped with long trifurcated thorns. The young shoots and leaves have a slight pinkish hue, while the adult leaves are a shiny dark green and turn red-orange at the first cold temperatures. It flowers from March to May, depending on the climate, with small clusters of fragrant yellow flowers with red markings, which are nectar-rich. A second flowering in late autumn or early winter is common. Its small fleshy fruits ripen to black.

- 2 Quercus ilex - Holm Oak: a slow-growing tree, reaching approximately 15 metres (49 feet) in height and 10 metres (33 feet) in width, but it can be kept smaller through regular pruning. It has a slightly twisted habit, with fissured bark and a crumpled crown adorned with tough, dark green leaves on top and silver-grey underneath. Its spring flowering is abundant and nectar-rich, with a profusion of variable-looking acorns.

- 2 Ilex aquifolium - Common Holly: approximately 2.50 metres (8 feet) in height and 1.20 metres (4 feet) in width, with a fairly slow growth rate. This conical-shaped bush has a dense foliage of shiny dark green leaves that are leathery, undulate at the edges, and have sharp spines. It flowers in May-June, with small white to pinkish flowers that are fragrant and nectar-rich. Only the female holly bushes bear characteristic bright red fruits, in the presence of male holly bushes.

- 2 Mahonia aquifolium - Oregon Grape: approximately 1 metre (3 feet) in all directions. Its leaves are compound, spiny, and shiny green, turning purplish in winter. It flowers from February, with clusters of small yellow and fragrant flowers that give way to bluish-black berries.

Plant these shrubs preferably in autumn or early spring, in full sun or partial shade, mixing them and spacing them 80 cm (32in) to 1 metre (3 feet) apart. They thrive in any well-prepared garden soil enriched with leaf compost. 

Tip: Do not prune at the beginning of the season to fully enjoy the flowering! If possible, also avoid pruning at the end of summer to enjoy the fruits and feed the garden birds in winter.