- The Plot
- Posts
- Good hedges make good neighbors
Forwarded this email? Join free at the-plotnewsletter.com/subscribe
Today is a very special issue of The Plot! We have our first guest author, Liz Sinclair, owner of Aster + Lupine in Madison, WI. The feature is a wonderful read on a common problem faced by many new gardeners: a lack of privacy! Note that there are references to examples of native plants in Wisconsin. See the field notes for guides to native plants of other regions if you are lucky enough to be reading from somewhere where it is not still snowing. Only 1 more issue of The Plot until Spring!
Hello Reader,
Many of my clients don’t mind having neighbors, they just don’t always want to be observed by them. So how do we create privacy in our suburban back yards?
The quintessential privacy hedge is a wall of arborvitae, privet, or maybe boxwood. I’m not thrilled by these choices for a few reasons: they’re boring, most of the time the selections aren’t native so they don’t offer much ecological benefit, in the case of boxwood they often suffer in our winters, and did I mention they’re boring? We can come up with something better: more beautiful, more interesting, and more beneficial to our neighbor birds and pollinators. I recommend designing a privacy hedge to feature a variety of shrubs and trees in layers, with different heights, bloom times, and features. Variety looks more natural, but you can still make it look intentional and cohesive by planting in groups and repeating things. Here’s a step-by-step approach.
Assess the site conditions for light, moisture, soil type, and exposure to any complicating factors like deer or rabbits, road salt, or black walnut trees.
Call Digger’s Hotline (811) to make sure it’s safe to dig.
Decide on the shape and size of your new hedge. I always design gardens to have big, sweeping curves, rather than straight lines, as they’re more pleasing to the eye. So instead of creating a hedge in a line along your property line, think about how you can create a more graceful shape.
Draw a representation of the outline your new hedge. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just close enough to scale that you can figure out where to put things.
Select woody plants starting with the largest ones and working your way down.
Consider adding trees if they’re not already present. Then, move on to large shrubs, and smaller shrubs, layering them so that they overlap with each other. Think about which trees or shrubs are tall enough that they’ll need an understory layer at maturity.Prepare your site and plant your shrubs and trees, making sure you’re spacing them according to their size at maturity. Water, weed, and watch your hedge grow!
A sample hedge design by Liz.
Now, onto a few thoughts about plant selection. Those arborvitaes so common to the suburban garden hedge are often chosen because they’re evergreen, but they’re far from the only option. When selecting a variety of trees and shrubs for your hedge, consider where you can create groupings of smaller shrubs (in odd numbers, preferably), and where you want to repeat shrubs throughout the hedge. This will help make your hedge look more planned and less like a hodgepodge. Create necessary habitat for your feathered and invertebrate friends by selecting shrubs native to Wisconsin that provide shelter in their branches and food with their berries and seeds. The following are just a few suggestions that are host plants for numerous species of birds and insects.
Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Full sun to full shade, moist soil.
Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). Full sun, moist to dry.
Northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis). Full sun to part shade, moist soil.
Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina). Full sun, average to dry.
Eastern wahoo (Euonymous atropurpureus). Full sun to part shade, average soil.
American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis). Full sun to part shade, moist soil.
Blackhaw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium). Full to part sun, dry to average.
Common ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius). Full sun to part shade, moist to dry.
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). Full sun to part shade, moist soil.
Redosier dogwood (Cornus sericea). Full sun to part shade, moist to dry.
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata). Full sun to part shade, wet to average soil.
Canadian yew (Taxus canadensis). Full to part shade, moist soil.
Running serviceberry (Amelanchier stolonifera). Full sun to part shade, moist soil.
Fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica). Full sun to part shade, average soil.
Shrubby St. John’s wort (Hypericum prolificum). Full to part sun, moist to average.
Dwarf bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera). Full sun to part shade, average soil.
New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus). Full sun to part shade, average to dry.
When it comes to native plants, I prefer to use them most of the time but I’m not a purist. So, if you have a shrub that you love but isn’t native to Wisconsin, I encourage you to add it to your hedge (as long as it’s not invasive, of course). Throw in your favorite Hydrangea simply because it brings you joy! Follow the steps below to add privacy to your space while inviting more birds and butterflies into your garden.
Liz Sinclair, Owner of Aster + Lupine
Field Notes:
There is a collection of books about native plants of different US regions included in my guide to removing lawn below.
This was our first guest author! A fun milestone for The Plot, and I am hoping to find more collaborations for you to enjoy in the future.
I’m reading a great book right now called Planting In A Post-Wild World. I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to go a bit deeper on their garden design.
|
Plotter’s Commons:
Do you have any questions for Liz about privacy hedges or an upcoming project? Just reply to this email and I will be happy to connect you.
Marketing is not my strong suit, and I would be very grateful if you could help share this article today with your friends as a thank you to our guest author!
Bulletin Board
Visit Aster + Lupine’s website if you are in need of garden consulting or design.
Written for 529 secretive gardeners. 💌
This newsletter needs your help to grow. Refer two friends with the link below for a free sticker!
Until next Thursday,
Ken Welch
Feature Article: Liz Sinclair is the owner of Aster + Lupine. She helps clients make their yards more beautiful and more eco-friendly with her garden consulting and design services. She loves reducing unnecessary lawn, incorporating more native plants, and creating year-round color and interest.
Ken Welch is a garden writer with a very serious degree in Horticulture. When his city lacked a community garden, he helped build one. He teaches new gardeners how to grow their own food.
Cibus Est Imperium | Food is Power