Establishing a hedgerow

Listen to this radio show (MP3 download) or read below.

Radio interview source: Katherine Whiteside, garden designer

We tore out a couple overgrown hedges that were probably 70 years old and nothing but trunks and stems. But, they had served their purpose well. Hedges mark off your space and also serve as a natural habitat for all kinds of wildlife.

Hedges are a great alternative to wood or metal fencing because they provide natural beauty. Katherine Whiteside is a garden designer, and says the first step in establishing a hedge is deciding how tall you want it to be.

"You do that with two bamboo poles and a clothesline," Whiteside says. "If you're trying to hide something like the next door neighbor's RV, you'll know how high it has to go. When you go to the nursery you say, 'I need hedge material that's disease free, and I need it to grow 6 feet, 5 inches,' because some hedge material doesn't grow that high."

On the flip side, a hedge can grow to 25 feet tall with the right plant species and maintenance. So before you start searching for plants, be sure you have enough time to water and routinely maintain the hedges while they're settling in.