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Roy
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sow it grows

SA garden feature,
the hedge gces back
to Greek and Roman
‘times and has been impor-
tent in gardens ever since.
‘ Different societies have used
the hedge for different purposes.
_ After castles became obsolete,
many Europeans tried to emulate
fortress walls using large hedges.
The French, under Louis XIV,
lined their estate avenues with
trees that were shaped to form
“enormous hedges.

‘66 Today, hedges
are used for
' privacy or as
_. @ backdrop for
* colorful flowers
and shrubs, 99

a

In the low, exposed coastal

areas of Holland, hedges provided . .

the only available protection from
the constant wind. To add interest:
“to the common hedges'some Dutch
: gardeners began clipping them into
“Unique shapes and forms that
: developed i into the Practice of topi-
| aye,

See eT ARE Aree eRe mere

ALT Ey

Formal European estate gardens
used low neatly trimmed hedges to
create complex geometric patterns,
symbolic knots or to define and
outline Mower beds and gravel
horse paths. The gardens were
often so large that the nobility
would go for a ride in the garden
rather than a walk.

Where enclosure or protection

_was required and building materi-

als like stone and wood were in
short supply. growing a hedge, and
in particular a thorn hedge,
became a viable alternative to 2
fence or wall. in seme cases the
addition of a deep ditch or rock
berm enhanced the burrier, a fact
the Canadian Tank Corp became
painfully aware of in Normandy
during Second World War.

Today, hedges ure used for pri-
vacy or as a backdrop for colorful
flowers and shrubs,

High hedges can form the
“walis’ of a garden enclosure, cre-
ating a special setting. With pro-
tection on all four sides. the walled
garden can have a distinct micro-
climate.

Hedge plants come in many

- forms. They can be divided into

conifers, broadleaf evergreens and
deciduous plants.

Some conifers respond better
than others and the yew (Taxus)
has been used for hedging more
than any other tree. Native hem-
locks (Tsuga) and cedar (Thuja)
are commonly grown here in B.C.

The most conimon broad-leafed

_ evergreen used for hedging is box-

wood (Buxus) followed by laurel
(Prunus) and holly (Ilex).

Deciduous hedges are less com-
mon because they lose their color
in the winter. Some deciduous

edges can still be seen around the

North Shore but are far less com-
mon today.

Planning a new hedge is impor-
tant because if you make a tmis-
take, the problem will be with you
for a long time. Make your choice
of plant with consideration for
appearance; hardiness, longevity
and maintenance.

Fast-growing plants may fill in
quickly but shearing frequency and

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NEWS photo Terry Peters

HEDGES LIKE these in the British Properties take a long time to become established but once
grown provide an effective barrier to noise and intrusion. Regular pruning and shaping is key to
maintaining an attractive and healthy hedge.

maintaining a manageable height
may be a major problem.

Know the potential diameter of
the plants and spacing distance,
otherwise you may have gaps in
the hedge for yéars. This is partic-
ularly true for the pyramidal
cedars that should be spaced on 60
cm (2 ft.) centres or less.

Digging a wide planting trench
and breaking up the native soils
will help encourage the spread of
roots. Additional top soil should be
used if the native soil is too poor
or shallow. Bone meal or slow-
release fertilizer can be added to
give the plants additional food.

Hedge maintenance is critical’
once the hedge has been planted.
Start pruning and shaping the
plants as soon as they show signif-
icant growth. This will cause them
to bush and fill out. The less lad-
der work required when clipping a

Mathew Jouvenel, B.F.A, Br. A.D.
a member of our design team

hedge the cusier the job will be.
Do not let the hedge get too
wide as this makes the centre area
at the top difficult to reach from
either side. If you want a two
metre (6, ft.) hedge, initially prune
the hedge to [4% metres (5 ft.) and
let it slowly grow up to the higher
level. Cnce some hedges get ta the
desired height they cannot be
stopped permanently at that height
or pruned back to a lower level.
Most coniferous hedges, unlike
the broadleaf types, will not form
new growth on old brown stems. ft
is essential to leave three to five
cm (1-2 in.) of green growth on
the surface of the hedge or it will
be permanently ruined. Don’t let
an amateur or poorly trained gar-

dener touch a coniferous hedge
unless they know what they are
doing.

Broadleaf evergreen and decid~ °
uous hedges can generally be cut
back hard every few years when
they become tao tall or overgrown.
The best time to do this is in the. ~
early spring just as the new growth
begins to appear. When doing
major pruning, be sure to cut all

* sides and the top or much of the

new growth will be on one surface
only.

Regular-type shearing can be ©
done almost anytime except in
mid-summer and mid-winter. Mid-
to late fall shearings should be ;
done very lightly. Now is a good
time to get that hedge in shape.

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