COMBINING PLANTS

Planting a hedge of one species creates a single dramatic flush of striking colour. This gives a uniformity that is useful for displaying specimen plants in a border alongside the hedge. But as a standalone feature, a mixed hedge has greater impact. This can either be more than one flowering shrub, or a mixture of flowering shrubs and ones chosen for their spring foliage. Companion plant choice is critical because they must complement each other both visually and in terms of cultivation. Timing is critical, as all the shrubs look their brightest within a two-week window when they first start to bloom, or new foliage opens. When different plants are chosen, this is taken into account. Many flowering shrubs bloom in March. Growing forsythia with Ribes sanguineum creates a combination that reliably flowers together. A hedge of varying Prunus cerasifera cultivars gives a perfectly synchronized display of pink and white blossom. Most hedging plants thrive in moist but well-drained soil. The majority of garden soils that have been improved with plenty of dug-in compost will support a mix of species. Aspect is more important as many hedging plants will respond differently to sun or shade. A hedge next to a house will often be bathed in sunlight in one end, but will be in deep shade next to the building. In this scenario, even shrubs of the same species will flower slightly earlier at the sunny end and later in the shade. Taking into consideration where light and shadow falls is important in species selection.