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Community Editor Andrew McCredie

Home and Garden Editor Layne Christensen

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Roy Jonsson

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

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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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