Getting the Edge on a Beautiful Hedge

By Jos Van Hage

Hedges are both beautiful and practical and are planted for a variety of reasons. They are used to create a privacy screen, or a wind screen or as a beautiful background to a flowerbed, or a natural way to divide the yard into different sections. Others plant a hedge instead of a fence or use it to cover an unsightly area. A hedge is a long term commitment that can last a lifetime so careful thought should be taken in what type of hedge to plant as well as taking the time to plant it properly.

You need to decide first whether you want a deciduous or an evergreen hedge. Another thing to decide on is how high you want to grow the hedge, how fast, and also how much time you want to spend on maintenance. Another factor is how much money you are willing to spend.

Evergreen hedges make a beautiful border or background year round. They are very dense giving you year round privacy. They are also low maintenance, requiring a yearly shearing during the growing season between May-July when they have achieved their acquired height. If you are looking for a low growing hedge choose ‘Little Gem’ which grow 2 feet high and 2 feet wide. A mid sized hedge of 4-5 feet high would be a globe cedar such as ‘Woodwardii’. For a tall hedge use ‘Emerald’ or ‘Warena’ cedars which grow 12-15 feet high. For cedars to grow well they need to be kept moist and well fertilized with 30-10-10. If they do not receive enough moisture they will show signs of stress by producing seeds which in turn slows down the growth. For a different type of evergreen hedge you can use ‘Colorado Blue Spruce’ which gives you a whole different affect.

If you are looking for a cheaper hedge that grows very quickly try planting a flowering shrub hedge. These are deciduous and require more shearing to keep them in a clean, neat shape. The most popular and successful of the flowering shrubs used in the Prince George area is the ‘Siberian Caragana’. This is a very fast growing, drought resistant, shrub that is very hardy. It can grow up to 18 feet tall if you let it go. A shorter hedge plant would be the ‘Cotoneaster’ which grows 2-3 feet tall and has small shiny leaves. For a shady area the ‘Alpine Currant’ would make a nice short hedge. Another beautiful flowering hedge is the ‘Lilac’ which is also a very fragrant hedge. The nice thing about growing a deciduous hedge is that in the summer it provides shade and in the winter it allows the sun to come through.

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