Flowering hedge - Part 1

Hedges are very important for windy gardens because they act as a wind breaker and are much more efficient for breaking and dispersing the back force of the wind compared to hard structures such as walls or wooden fence.

While roses shrubs demands good air circulation, they really do appreciate some protection from gusty strong wind especially the bitter cold wind in winter months.

When I first created the garden, my first vision was to achieve a formal look, so I planted rows and rows of evergreen Buxus Sempevirens, Mahonia, Leyland Cyprus and Prunus laurocerasus for creating a little bit of privacy because they remain green during winter months, and they are are also the defining back bone to the overall garden design.

The buxus and the Mahonia is a slow grower but the other 2 are fast growing tall hedging plants which requires constant trimming. After the third year, the garden was nicely green but also looking very heavy and dark especially on cloudy grey days.

Later on, I decided hedges shouldn't be boring, so I began planting a second layer of seasonal flowering plants, decidous and evergreen mix together infront of the evergreen hedge. This immediately lightened up the dark corners of the overly green garden.

Chemomeles or flowering quince (picture above) look stunning when interplanted in the view line of the Mahonia (picture below).

After a couple of years trying to straighten, bending and controlling plants growth, I realised that every single plant have got their own characteristic and personality, that all efforts from my part to make them grow according to my ideals resulted in making them gawky awkward and very unnatural looking.

I have since left them alone to do their own things. Afterall, my garden setting is located next to a natural woodland. Its only natural that I go along with the surrounding wilderness and not spend too much time getting bothered by unruly growth from plants that's overzealously trying to invade its neighbouring plants. I planted this red maple leaf tree thinking that one day I would like to plant a white rambling rose to scramble over it. At the moment the golden yellow Kerria Japonica seemed happy in partnership to the red leaves.
Syringa Vulgaris stood out beautifully infront of the airy pink Tamarisk.

Spirea can lighten up dark corners efficiently but it would thrive even better when grown in full sun. This shrub can grow up to about 5 feet tall (1.5 metre) It's not evergreen but a pile of brown twigs in winter.
In my effort to have continuously colours and bloom every day for the season, I've planted and still planting different varieties of flowering, fruiting plants, tall species rose and wild rose shrubs amongst the evergreen hedge to create different interests for the 4 seasons.

Most of those roses I've chosen for the garden hedge produces beautiful rose hips in autumn.

Interplanting the living fence with tall rose shrubs did the trick and provide abundance of colours, scents and excitement to the outdoor living, but it is in winter months that I really feel the satisfaction watching the birds enjoying the rose hips as part of their meals.

The vicious rose thorns along the hedges also make the trespassers think twice before slipping through.

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