Hedge plants: the best evergreens for your garden
Hedges are among the most sought after and used plants for their multiple functions. Firstly, they serve to carve out a private space in which it is possible to keep away from unwanted glances; then, they can protect the garden from the invasion of animals; finally, of course, they have a great aesthetic-decorative capacity. It is essential, however, to take into account some details, such as the quality of the soil or the presence of thorns. However, the plants they can have more benefits than you think: these, in fact, purify the air of the house!
Hedge plants: the criteria to consider
As mentioned, hedges have numerous beneficial aspects, from the private aspect to the aesthetic one. Yet, before buying the necessary and getting to work in the garden, some basic preliminary criteria should not be neglected. First of all, you have to consider the quality of the soil and the exposure of the area you have thought to decorate, or protect, with the plant. Immediately after, you will have to consider the height you would like to reach, the foliage, which can be persistent or seasonal, the possible flowering and the type of the same - more or less showy, for example - and finally, obviously, the presence of thorns.
The choice is huge. In fact, there are numerous hedge plants from which you can choose, considering everything you need and carefully evaluating the possible alternatives. But know, and you will find them by continuing to read, that some plants are real successful shrubs, precisely because of their evergreen being that will not make you regret having staked!
See also
Hedge plants: holly
Ilex, commonly known as holly, is one of the most resistant and cultivated shrubs in the world. It can reach 20 meters in height, while if cultivated as a shrub it does not exceed 4 or 5 meters.
The holly is a plant that has hard and persistent leaves, oval or elliptical to varying degrees and with thorny edges. The shrub is also suitable for flowering: white and very fragrant, they bloom towards the end of summer, while in autumn the holly plant is covered with classic red or yellow fruits, depending on the variety, known to many because the angular leaves adorned with these small spheres have become symbolic for the Christmas period.
A positive aspect is its tolerance to pruning and the more varied exposure, from shade to full and direct sun.
Ideally, the plant prefers a variable climate as it suffers from too intense cold. As for the soil, however, holly prefers light and humus-rich soils, cool in summer. However, it is so well resistant that it adapts optimally to any type of soil.
Hedge plants: the Boxwood
Present on a large scale in the most famous and splendid Italian gardens, boxwood is well known for its ornamental character. This plant, in fact, has been appreciated for decades for its persistent foliage, of an intense and shiny green color. One of the reasons why it is loved and chosen in so many places is probably its ability to assume the most varied forms following specific pruning: in the ground or in pots, from oval to square, the shrub seems to completely change its appearance, however, keeping faith with its shining leaves.
The shrub could be defined as a bush and its height can vary from a single meter to 6. A further positive note is its strength which makes it very resistant to cold, since it also bears temperatures much below 0. finally, with regard to the soil, boxwood is not particularly demanding: ideally, a well-drained and chalky soil would be optimal, however it does not require abundant watering.
Hedge plants: the cherry laurel
Loved by those who want to build a coniferous wall, the laurel is an evergreen that can be grown freely or can be pruned. In both cases, this broad-leaved tree forms a barrier for the wind, which filters without stopping it, as well as for prying eyes, thanks to its massive consistency and height. In fact, this plant is an optimal solution for garden or terrace borders as they reach up to one meter in height and with dense, dense and glossy green foliage.
As for the soil, it prefers it soft and deep, well drained, and it is good that it receives a few hours of direct sun. At the end of winter, when the plant will have to recover from the harsh climate, it will be necessary to fertilize with manure or, alternatively, to use a fertilizer for flowering plants every 20 days.
Another point in favor of the laurel is its little need for watering: only occasionally and by wetting the ground.
Hedge plants: the privet
The privet is a classic shrub for creating hedges, especially outside the urban environment. It is a deciduous, richly branched plant characterized by a bushy crown that can reach 2-3 meters in height. The shrub easily adapts to different environments: it grows well in half shade even if it likes a partially or totally sunny exposure and resists the winter cold.
The foliage of the privet is very bright and just as spectacular is the flowering: small and fragrant, from April to June white flowers bloom, followed by small berries with oily pulp, first green, then black when they reach maturity. In spring, to get the best out of this evergreen plant, it is good to enrich the soil with manure.
If the intent is to maintain a low and formal profile, pruning must be regular, otherwise it can be allowed to grow freely, thus enjoying the fragrant and white flowering, as already mentioned. Finally, privet is also recommended for lovers of fauna as it is a favorite shrub for nesting.
Hedge plants: Photinia
Also in this case we are faced with an evergreen of Chinese origin, cultivated as a primary ornamental purpose, both as a hedge plant and as a single plant in pot. This is because the shiny leaf has always been found lovable and precious, usually red and then turning green in the transition from summer to winter. In spring it blooms and small white flowers bloom.
As for the size, the plant is a shrub up to 5-8 meters high which requires no direct sun, but on the contrary areas of half "shade. Photinia is characterized by its vertical growth, ideal for hedging plants. reaching up to 1.5 in width. The sapling grows rapidly and requires little pruning.
Hedge plants: Pitosforo
This ornamental shrub exists in about 200 evergreen plants. Pitosforo is suitable, just like Photinia, for creating shielding hedges but also for growing in pots on the terrace. Flowering is splendid: in the spring and summer months, from April to July, yellowish and cream colored flowers bloom. In the initial months of this floral surprise, about until May, when the temperature is not yet too high, the plant should be kept "at rest" in fertile and well-drained soil, but it has the advantage of adapting to sandy soils.
In young plants, it is advisable to prune them at least twice to obtain perfect branching, while in the case of hedge plants more frequently throughout the year. Pruning consists in sprouting the new shoots at height to bring the plants back to a regular shape. In fact, if left to grow freely, over time the area close to the ground will tend to empty. The remedy is a firm cut in spring, which is their optimal time, as mentioned above.
Hedge plants: Jasmine
Jasmine belongs to the family of Oleaceae, of Mediterranean origin, and includes numerous evergreen species, mostly climbers. This species, in fact, partly for its characteristic scent, partly for its pleasant aesthetics, is very popular as a houseplant, in pot, on the terrace or at home, but also as an outdoor plant and, in particular, as a hedge.
It is a rustic shrub that is quite resistant and adapts to different climatic conditions. Its fragrance is so popular that it is used on a large scale by the cosmetic and herbal industry.
This plant is one of the most popular: fast growing evergreen climber. In fact, it can reach 2.5 m in height and produces characteristic and very fragrant white flowers, which bloom in winter.
Hedge plants: the Cypress
The cypress is a conifer that prefers sunny areas, possibly without too cold winters and winds. It is quite resistant to cold, but hardly survives too cold climates. The cypress prefers a moist soil even if it has a good tolerance of drought: it is advisable, in autumn and spring, to feed it with organic fertilizer.
The shrub is much appreciated for its vigor and height, in fact it can grow very quickly in just a couple of years, until it forms a hedge that acquires, if well pruned and cared for, the shape of a real wall. If left to grow free, it can grow to a great size in height.
Hedge plants: myrtle (or mortella)
It is a very elegant and compact evergreen, perfect for hedge plants and bushes because it easily reaches 2 meters in height. The myrtle is probably recognized by its particular oval-shaped leaves and by the fruits, which ripen in autumn We speak of small, ovoid, black-purple berries, whose taste is very appreciated in the composition of grappas.
The shrub is more prosperous under a mild climate, it tolerates drought well - in fact it does not need excessive watering - but it must be protected from frost. Not surprisingly, it prefers well-dissolved and permeable soil.
The possibilities of choice are truly among the widest and ready to satisfy the green thumb of gardeners. These evergreens will make your garden flawless and, if necessary, also useful and functional, as well as pleasing to the eye and smell, if the flowering and the season allow it!
