Planting A Hedge

 Why Plant A Hedge

• Living privacy fence to provide privacy from street traffic and neighbors
• Sound barrier to reduce noise
• Windbreak to reduce harsh winds
• Snow fence to reduce snow accumulation
• Wildlife sanctuary and feed birds

Planning

Select vigorous disease-free and pest-free and resistant plants that suit your region. Wise plant choices make a healthy hedge that's easy to maintain. Slow- and moderate-growing shrubs and trees are best. Fast growing plants require more pruning (hedging).

Your choice of shrubs or seedling trees also should be guided by the style of hedge you want. Formal hedges, with a solid architectural form, neatly frame a yard or rooms within it. Deciduous flowering shrubs, such as lilac, spiraea, forsythia, and evergreens, such as boxwood, arborvitae, holly, develop into effective hedges although much of the flower power is loss. Set the height and depth of the hedge according to the vigor of the plants chosen.

Planning, Measuring and Staking the length of the planting area is next up, followed by shopping for plants, digging, and watering. 

Planting...

1. Stake and mark the planting area, whether in a straight line or a curved one. Use a measuring tape as a guide. Be sure to consider underground utilities when selecting the planting location. Avoid planting over utilities if possible.

2. Space plants set potted shrubs in place, allowing room for the plants to reach their mature size. Stagger plants in two rows for a thicker hedge that will fill in more quickly.

3. Space accordingly based as on the mature width of the shrub as the spacing between the plants' root balls.

4. Dig the planting holes and remove the shrubs from pots and set them at the same dept. Space according to what shrubs you are setting and refill in the planting holes.

5. Water shrubs as needed throughout the first growing season.

6. Mulch - Spread a 2 to 3 inch layer of shredded pine bark mulch between the plants. Keep the mulch away from the plants' stems to allow water to reach the roots.

Plant Choices For Hedges:

Evergreens: Emerald arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’), Western arborvitae (Thuja plicata), Green Giant arborvitae (Thuja standishi x plicata), Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), Schip or Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus 'Schipkaensis'), Glossy abelia (Abelia × grandiflora), Japanese holly (Ilex crenata), Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra), Boxwood (Buxus spp.), Hicks yew (Taxus x media), Junipers (Juniperus chinensis), Cedars (Juniperus virginiana), Japanese Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus).

Deciduous: European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Linden (Tilia spp.), European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), Hedge Maple (Acer campestre), Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum), Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea), Forsythia (Forsythia spp.), Various spireas (Spiraea spp.), Flowering quince (Chaenomeles x), red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima'), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii).

Seedless (Sterile) Blooming Rose Of Sharon Shrubs

'Lavender Chiffon' althea

Rose of Sharon, aka shrub althea, (Hibiscus syriacus) is a woody hibiscus shrub that is hardy in temperate northern areas of the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). This summer flowering shrub is exceptionally easy to grow. 

At one time,  it was a great pass-along shrub that fell out of favor. However, old fashioned varieties frequently reseeded around the garden. New cultivars strut variegated foliage, double flowers, and infertile (sterile) blooms that produce little or no seed. They are available in a wide range of flower colors including pink, purple, blue, white, and almost red. 

Blooms may be single, semi-double, and double and range in size from 2-5 inches across. They grow in average to good garden soils with moderate drainage. For maximum flowering, site plants where they receive 6 or more hours of direct sun and feed annually with a slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote™ or Nutricote™. Blooms attract numerous bees and butterflies. Japanese beetles may damage the flowers for a few weeks in early summer, but shrubs rapidly recover.

After their first year, Rose of Sharons are highly drought tolerant. Shrubs respond well to annual pruning and to severe “rejuvenating” by pruning to a few inches above the ground.

Some gardeners opt to grow them as perennials by cutting the plant back every year or two. In late spring the “shortened” plant(s) emerge as multi-stems, grow a 2-3 feet tall, and flower.

Alternative technique: thin out emerging growth to 1, 3 or 5 main shoots to train into a small patio tree.

Utilize Rose of Sharon as a specimen shrub or small tree, as a shrub border, or set into a large container. Best of the sterile forms of Rose of Sharon (althea):

Chiffon® series feature anemone-like double blooms for low seed set and long-blooming; color choices: Lavender (purple), Blue, and White; 8-12 feet x 6-10 feet wide.

Sugar Tip® - pure pink double blooms (no seed) and variegated semi-double creamy-white blooms/ bluish-green foliage; 8-12 feet x 6-8 feet.

Purple Pillar® - slender columnar growth habit (16 feet tall x 3 feet wide), 4-inch vibrant purple single to semi-double flowers with red centers; ideal fit for small urban gardens.