"Storm-proof" hedging - excellent for wildlife!

If Dudley, Eunice or Franklin gave your fences a battering, this could be the perfect opportunity to plant a hedge in their place.
 
Hedges fare much better in high winds, and they are fantastic for wildlife too.

Because they slow the wind rather than blocking it - like solid fences do - they are much less likely to get blown over.
 
Their role as natural windbreaks makes them brilliant for butterflies and other little insects that struggle to fly in exposed areas (and of course makes it nicer for you to sit out in your garden too).
 
Hedges can provide habitat for hedgehogs, birds and myriad other creatures, as well as food for all sorts of wildlife from their leaves, flowers and berries.
 
Unless you want the perfect geometric privet hedge, you should only need to trim once a year, and your hedge could last you a lifetime – not bad compared with the maintenance and replacement needed by wooden fences.
 
Plant now, and your young hedging plants should be settled in before any hot, dry weather we might get in summer.

Take a look at what we have our online shop. If you have any requests please get them in sooner rather than later as hedging season ends in March!

If you need any planting tips click here for our advice page and video tutorial.

Click to order hedging

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*If any of your plants have suffered damaged shoots, stems or branches, cut back below the damage and immediately above a "joint".


This could be to just above a leaf, above a side shoot, or you might just be looking for a subtle bulged ring around the stem.

*If any plants have been blown out of the ground, treat them like a fresh planting.

Dig clear any detached roots from the ground to make a decent sized planting hole.

You might want to add root builders such as bonemeal or micorrhizal fungi.

Place the plant and backfill the hole with composts or manures, firm in and water well.

The more root has been lost the more top growth you will need to trim back, ie if half the root system has broken away you should ideally cut the plant by half; if there is no real damage to the roots a light trim on top should suffice.

Keep watering your plant for the next few weeks and hopefully it should re-establish.

*If any fences have blown down with climbers attached, it should not harm the climbers if you have to cut them back, although you might lose this years' flowers.