LIFE ON THE HEDGE
DON’T LET LEYLANDII’S BAD REPUTATION BLIND YOU TO OTHER HEDGING SPECIES
CONIFERS get a bad press, mainly because of ‘Leylandii’ (Cupressocyparis leylandii), which grows into a giant hedge at domestic boundaries, causing bitter neighbourhood disputes over blocking out sunlight and the effect this has on the enjoyment of garden areas.
This particular evergreen species has an extremely fast growth rate with dense branches that are impenetrable to light and which completely mask any desired views – but the conifer family has so much more to offer than the much misused ‘Leylandii’ tree.
There are lots of elegant species that will bring great pleasure to the garden, many of which are dwarf ornamentals.
To set the scene, conifers are nearly always evergreen being characterized by needle-shaped leaves and particularly straight trunks with horizontal branches that create the archetypal conical outline.
Most importantly for botanical reasons, conifers bear pollen or seed-producing cones in their cycle of reproduction.
As a species, their distribution is wonderfully cosmopolitan with family members occupying the highest mountains and driest deserts of the globe, with many conquering remote oceanic islands. The Polar regions are the only places that have remained free of these natural wanderers.
Some of the most fascinating conifer facts can be found in the giant sequoias or Californian redwoods – the largest trees on the planet.
The gargantuan Sequoiadendron giganteum has a mature height of 90m with an eventual trunk diameter of 11m. They have distinctive red-brown trunks that are deeply furrowed and can be found in great numbers in regions of California and in groves within the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
The Californian redwoods are a wondrous gift from nature, but thinking closer to home, what can we plant and appreciate in our own gardens?
Yew (Taxus baccata) is great in the domestic situation. It can be used to create compact hedges that will provide form and a deep green backdrop for planting or a classic boundary for a patio area.
They are very chic as clipped blocks or columns within planted borders providing the perfect exclamation mark for impact and definition.
The only consideration is that yew is extremely slow-growing and buying mature plants can be a bit expensive. But for a good strong outline structure to a garden it probably is worth the investment.
The close-growing habit lends itself beautifully to the art of topiary with ball, beehive, pyramid and spiral shapes all being widely available in yew.
However, one of the outstanding characteristics of most members of the conifer family is their incredibly fast growth rate and, in contrast to the misuse of ‘Leylandii’, this strength has proved to be beneficial for many gardeners.
An increasing amount of dome shapes, balls and more intricately clipped shapes are being produced using Cupressus species so that mature topiary specimens are becoming much more affordable. Position these focal specimens at the end of a vista or to dress the entrance of the house.
Many coniferous species don’t need to be shaped into anything in order to be beautiful. Delicate dwarf species include Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz Midget’, a slowgrowing spherical bush that reaches an elegant 80cm, and the beautiful Abies koreana ‘Icebreaker’, a much favoured specimen in Japanese garden design for its statuesque qualities.