Planting Privacy With Hedges

If you are planning to install a fence to keep an area of your property more private, you may want to consider plants used for privacy with hedges instead. Hedges can offer a more natural look to your landscaping while still being a functional part of your property. Privacy hedges are also great for hiding unattractive things such as a messy part of your neighbor's yard. Installing a fence may still be what you want, but a privacy hedge is less expensive and requires no repair down the road. Consider these things when you need more privacy or simply want to add to the beauty of your property.

Although any plant will essentially work as a hedge, you will need to use specific species when trying to build a privacy hedge. When looking for a plant to use, try finding one that has dense foliage. This will help the plant maintain a solid look and really work to help you have more privacy. If you choose one that is not dense, you will find that you and your neighbors will be able to see straight through it. When you find a really dense plant to use, there will be little vision available to you and your neighbors through the hedge.

Another thing you should consider when trying to find a plant to use for your privacy hedge is height. You will definitely want to choose a plant that will grow to be at least six feet tall. You want to choose a taller plant so your hedge will do exactly what it is intended for, to provide privacy. Most people are less than six feet tall, so a privacy hedge that is six feet tall will not be able to be peered over easily. Choosing a smaller plant will only ruin the entire purpose of the privacy hedge. The only exception is if you are only planning to use the hedge to cover up an unattractive area. In this case, you may be able to use shorter plants, as long as the unattractive area is hidden by the hedge.

One of the most popular varieties of plants to use is the purple lilac. These plants are beautiful and offer a dense coverage. The plant is plenty tall enough, growing to almost ten feet tall. The plant offers beautiful flowers that emit a lovely fragrance. You will not only enjoy the privacy when using this plant, but also the beauty and fragrance. One of the best things about using this plant as a privacy hedge is that it is extremely hardy and can withstand even the coldest temperatures.

If you want something that will grow even taller, the Siberian Peashrub may be the choice for you. This hardy plant can also withstand cold weather when it presents itself. It grows to be around 15 feet tall. This is certainly a great choice if you have had a hard time growing a hedge. This plant works well in even the most difficult growing locations.

When it comes to privacy hedges, most people think of those that are nicely squared off and pruned regularly. These privacy hedges are beautiful and traditional in style. They work great in yards and gardens that have a classic or English style. When dealing with privacy hedges however, there are few rules. If you loathe that groomed style, you can always choose to leave your privacy hedge virtually unpruned. There is no need to prune them, unless you feel the need to style them a bit. An unpruned privacy hedge may look a bit messy in style, but if that is what you are going for then there is no problem with it at all.

Overall, adding a privacy hedge to your property is the best way to ensure your privacy as well as the beauty of your yard. When you add an ugly fence to your yard, you often end up with a very manufactured and unnatural look to your property. If you want to preserve your yard as well as keep your privacy, strongly consider adding a privacy hedge instead. Once you plant the hedge, there will be very little maintenance needed, unless you want to prune it. Unlike a fence, a hedge will likely last you for years with no extra repair needed.