Grow A Living Fence
(Page 3 of 5)
December 2007/January 2008
By Jeff Ball
Select your trees. Choose from among whatever small to medium size trees grow well in your area. Leave larger slow-growing beauties, such as oaks and elms, for some other part of the landscape.
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Look for one or two flowering trees, or perhaps a couple of shade trees with good fall foliage or an evergreen for winter wind protection and cover for the birds. You might also consider planting one or two fruit trees such as an apple or pear. Be aware that two fruit varieties often are required for pollination. Buy medium-size fruit trees rather than the full-size ones — you’ll still get more fruit than you can eat yourself. Shop at the best nursery or garden center in your area, and chat with the person who buys their trees and shrubs. That person should know what grows best in your area. You also can check with your local extension service.
Choose your shrubs. Fortunately almost all the popular shrub species now come in varieties that mature to different heights, widths and shapes. The common forsythia, for example, can grow to 10 to 15 feet tall; however, you can get ‘Golden Peep’ forsythia which grows only 5 feet tall. Most shrubs will grow about as wide as they grow tall. Some shrubs want full sun, but many are happy in partial shade. Pay attention to the available light for each plant, and remember to factor in the size of the closest trees when they mature.
Design the lower layer. The number of species of perennials, annuals, bulbs, vines, wildflowers and ground covers that will look great and grow happily under and around your shrubs is almost infinite. Even native plants such as milkweed and goldenrod, which some folks consider weeds, can make valuable additions that attract wildlife or can be used medicinally. Remember that plants you install this year easily can be replaced next year if they don’t work as well as you expect.
Hedgerows as Camouflage
As it becomes more dense, the hedgerow is a wonderful space to locate and hide such unattractive elements in the yard as a compost pile, a pile of stones and even a brush pile. If you take down a tree, the hedgerow is where you can conceal the stump.
Conceal your passive compost pile. A passive compost pile is a much easier system for producing valuable compost for gardens and beds than an active pile, which is turned periodically (too much work for this guy). It’s simply a pile where you discard all your herbaceous waste, including weeds, grass clippings, leaves and other stuff that isn’t woody in nature.
Blot out a brush pile. Over the years, the home brush pile can evolve from limbs, brush and hedge trimmings, and it can be unsightly. When camouflaging a brush pile in your hedgerow, the only trick is to keep the pile fairly dense so it takes up less space, gives better cover to birds and creates a new environment for yet another group of insects. When you add limbs and brush, cut them into smaller pieces so the pile becomes denser.
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