Native Hedging Plants
For convenience, hedge nurseries will carefully select native hedgerow mixes formulated to give year round interest to humans and wildlife alike in the form of catkins, flowers, fruits and berries. All of these hedging species are available separately if you want to make your own wildlife friendly hedge mix.
Garden plants, trees and shrubs are as important as those in the wider landscape and we can all do our bit to support native plants. Hedgerows are synonymous with the UK’s landscape but they are as important for their use as barriers and for privacy as they are for the many species of wildlife that inhabit them.
Hedgerows date back thousands of years. There is evidence that Romans planted thorn hedges to provide boundaries to estates. Hedges were first introduced for privacy and security and they are still two of the biggest reasons for garden hedges today. Britain is a nation of gardeners and continues to be passionate for gardening and tending to pieces of privately owned land.
Hedges frame a garden and provide privacy and structure. Hedges are not harsh like a brick or stone wall and can be shaped differently if required. They also allow airflow through a garden which a wall does not and without an airflow plants can suffer.
It was since World War II that hedgerows began to decline and even up until 1993, the decline of hedgerows was severe. Luckily, the awareness and importance of hedgerow conservation and management has lead to a slowing down in hedgerow demise. The management of hedgerows is extremely important as a new hedgerow does not have the same value as a established and historical hedgerow.