Hedges can be boring – in some path , that ’s the point of a hedge . They are a straight line of the same plant , trimmed to a corking embodiment that creates a dividing line in a landscape painting and a backdrop for more exciting planting . That ’s all good , but why not mix up the industrial plant in a hedging ? That ’s a question the gardeners atStoneleigh , a Natural Garden , in Villanova , PA , require . Their resolution , yea , why not ?
I had a chance to tour Stoneleigh during the2023 Fling , an one-year meetup of garden communicator of all types . Stoneleigh has been a public garden only since 2016 when theHaas family donatedthe property and menage toNatural Lands , a regional conservation mathematical group . The family home still stand , a gloriousTudor Revivalstructure that give off castle vibes . The landscape painting around it , which was largely designed in the early 20thcentury by theOlmsted Brothers , son of noted landscape architectFrederick Law Olmsted , is slowly being transition to a more naturalistic garden . plantsman at Stoneleigh trust on aboriginal plants and the garden demonstrates how those flora can be adapted to home garden as well as magisterial landscapes . Stoneleigh sport over a mi of way of life for visitors to take the air , a peat bog garden , a hayfield , arresting old trees ( the catalpas mannequin what feels like a secluded garden ) , a vine - cover stone pergola and lots of hedges — most of which are of sundry plantings .
Why Mix Up Your Hedge Planting?
There are many good reasons to include more than one species in hedge plantings . A diversity of plant types is one way to guard off a disease disaster . If you have only one species , a disease or pest could well disseminate among the plants , leave you with a nasty looking hedge and expensive replacement costs . Secondly , a assortment of plant life can direct to longer time of year of colour and more interesting combination of texture . Most significantly , a salmagundi of native plant are more probable to serve dandy numbers of insect , birdsand other wildlife , providing food , shelter , nest sites and larval food . It is an ecosystem not just a plant chemical group .
Here are some of the plant in the hedge at Stoneleigh : Arborvitae , pine , American holly , arrowwood genus Viburnum , doghobble , sweet gum , American beech and southerly magnolia . Keep in mind , Stoneleigh is located inUSDA Hardiness Zone 7a , so considerably warmer than our clime in Minnesota . For big properties seeking a hedge to stuff the nothingness and allow for secrecy , a admixture of evergreens and hardy Minnesota shrubs such as dogwood tree , Viburnum trilobumandserviceberryto name a few would provide the same benefits .
Key to Successful Hedge Plantings
If you are planting a mixed hedgerow , you ’ll want to choose plants that have similar light and soil needs . If the country is shady , pick shrub that can deal a snatch of tone , such as blackened chokeberry or red twig or gray cornel . In sunny smirch , go for plants that like full Lord’s Day , such asAmerican hazelnutor elderberry . For interest , prefer plants with unlike efflorescence times and contrasting textures .
If you care thing corking , blame plants that can take some pruning or by nature matured to about the same size . When you plant , give each bush enough room to hit due date and maybe touch its neighbour but not overtake them . At Stoneleigh , vines are a bounteous part of the miscellaneous hedgerow . Some climb on an impressive stone pergola , while others wind among the plants .
For smaller place , this type of hedge planting may be a challenge , but conflate specie to create an ecosystem in our yards is a good goal for any gardener .
A mix of shrubs fronted by groundcovers and perennials lines a walk at Stoneleigh in Pennsylvania.
associate situation :
Grasses and wildflowers surround the house at Stoneleigh, which emphasizes the use of native plants and creating landscapes that benefit wildlife. Dead trees are left standing because of they provide shelter and food for birds, insects and other wildlife.
A stone pergola at Stoneleigh is covered with vines. Native plants, such as rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), fill in the border in front of the pergola.
A multi-stemmed small tree, serviceberry is a great option for a tall, mixed hedge in the North.
