Decorative Fruiting Eco Hedge Collection

This is a collection of 10 varieties of shrubs selected for their decorative fruits or berries from the end of summer. Hardy and easy to grow in any good garden soil without excess limestone, they are perfect for creating a colourful, informal hedge that will also delight birds. This mixed hedge, combining deciduous and evergreen species, will also protect the garden from prying eyes and wind. This collection of bushes allows for the creation of approximately 10 metres (33 feet) of hedging at a low cost.

The collection of 10 potted plants consists of:

- 1 Callicarpa bodinieri Profusion: deciduous, approximately 2.50 m (8ft) in height and 1.50 m (5ft) in width. It is characterised by the abundance and vibrant purple colour of its clusters of glossy fruits, which are decorative in autumn and most of winter. It also displays numerous purple young shoots in spring, which are also very decorative, and its autumn foliage, orange to purple, is also highly ornamental. Its foliage falls in October.

- 1 Cotoneaster lacteus - Milk Cotoneaster: evergreen, approximately 3 m (10ft) in all directions if not pruned. Its foliage consists of small, leathery leaves, dark green on top and almost grey underneath. The flowering occurs from May to July, depending on the climate, in panicles of milky white flowers tinged with deep pink. Fragrant, honey-bearing, and nectar-bearing, it then produces clusters of small round fruits that turn bright red and persist on the branches throughout winter.

- 1 Euonymus europaeus Red Cascade - European Spindle: deciduous, approximately 3 m (10ft) in height and 2 m (7ft) in width. The weight of its abundant two-tone fruiting, red and bright orange, arches and decorates its branches from the end of summer and throughout most of winter. The foliage, green, takes on an intense red colour with the first cool nights and truly sets the bush on fire before falling.

- 1 Hippophae rhamnoides Leikora - Female Sea Buckthorn: deciduous, approximately 4 m (13ft) in height and 3 m (10ft) in width. Thorny branches adorned with small, narrow, elongated leaves, dark green on top and silver-grey underneath, which fall in autumn. Discreet but honey-bearing flowering in April, before the foliage. In the presence of a male subject, it produces small, highly nutritious, and antioxidant-rich orange fruits that persist throughout winter.

- 1 Ilex meserveae Blue Angel - American Holly: female selection, approximately 3.50 m (11ft) in height and 2.50 m (8ft) in width. Evergreen foliage in winter, leathery, serrated, almost blue when budding, becoming shiny and dark green with a tinge of red in cold weather. Insignificant but honey-bearing spring flowering, white-pink. The proximity of the male holly Blue Prince allows for the beautiful production of bright red fruits.

- 1 Ilex meserveae Blue Prince - American Holly: male selection, evergreen, approximately 3 m (10ft) in height and 2.50 m (8ft) in width. Highly decorative, leathery, spiny foliage, with a beautiful glossy green colour with a bluish hue. Its umbels of white flowers, tinged with pink, bloom from April to June and are very attractive to pollinating insects. This holly is beautiful all year round, even in winter when other plants are dormant.

- 1 Pyracantha Saphyr Orange - Firethorn: evergreen, approximately 3 m (10ft) in height and 2.50 m (8ft) in width. Small shiny foliage, dark green, even in winter. The red-tinted branches are covered with long, formidable thorns. Flowering occurs from May to July, depending on the climate, along the branches, with numerous clusters of small pure white flowers that are honey-bearing and pleasantly fragrant. The fruits are bright orange and shiny.

- 1 Symphoricarpos dorenbosii Mother of Pearl: deciduous, approximately 1.50 m (5ft) in all directions. A profusion of pale pink berries, gathered in large decorative clusters from August onwards. They remain decorative until January on the bare branches. Discreet summer flowering. The dark green foliage turns beautiful shades of yellow in autumn before falling.

- 1 Symphoricarpos doorenbosii White Hedge: deciduous, approximately 1.50 m (5ft) in all directions. A profusion of round, pearl-like white berries, gathered in large decorative clusters from August onwards. They remain decorative until January on the bare branches. Discreet white summer flowering. The foliage, dark bluish-green, turns beautiful shades of yellow in autumn before falling.

- 1 Viburnum lantana - Wayfaring Tree: deciduous, approximately 3 m (10ft) in height and 2 m (7ft) in width. Abundant, fragrant white flowering from April to June, depending on the climate, in clusters, followed by a fruiting in clusters of round fruits that turn from pink to red and then black when ripe, from September to December. The fruits attract birds, which will enliven the shortest and gloomiest days of the year. The grey-green foliage, covered with down on the underside, often takes on beautiful colours in autumn before falling.

Plant these bushes preferably in autumn or early spring, in full sun or partial shade, mixing them and spacing them about 1 metre (3 feet) apart. They are content with any well-prepared garden soil, enriched with leaf compost. Once established, they do not require watering in summer. A hedge planted 2 metres (7 feet) from the property boundary should not exceed 2 metres (7 feet) in height.

Tip: This hedge requires little to no pruning in order to enjoy the flowers, fruits, and feed the garden birds in winter. Trim only to limit the growth of certain bushes if necessary (Ilex Blue Prince, Cotoneaster lacteus, Pyracantha...).