Advice on using formal and wildlife hedging back-to-back

Vanlyn · May 2020

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some advice regarding establishing a new hedge for our new house. We have a wrap-around garden and part of the sunniest part of the garden is adjacent to a road and currently fenced with (low) 5ft fence panels.

We would very much like to make our garden wildlife friendly and are looking to plant a wildlife hedge. However, as the hedge would border the road we are not too keen on deciduous plants as that would leave our garden very exposed for some parts of the year.

I have been thinking about planting 2 back-to-back rows of hedging: the outward (road) facing side to be something rather formal (laurel or griselinia) but the inward (garden) facing side of the hedge to be a staggered wildlife hedge (hazel, hawthorn, dog rose etc).

Does anyone have any experience with something like this? I have been trying to think of the disadvantages of having 2 different types of hedging, but can only think that at some point they may grow into one another and it may be difficult to disentangle the two.

It would be great to hear if anyone has experience with this!

I look forward to hearing your replies.

Thanks.

Butterfly66 · May 2020

I think it would be difficult to maintain as you wouldn't be able to trim the sides where they meet so as you say the hedges would grow into each other. You would also need quite a bit of width for a double hedge. Also if you do get birds nesting, this would restrict how often you could trim the griselina and laurel (I think both need several cuts a year?).
Wildlife hedges are usually quite dense so you can’t really see through them even when not in leaf. They often include holly which is evergreen and beech (which although deciduous doesn’t drop the old leaves until just before the new ones appear). You could also include yew in the mix for more evergreen cover.

BenCotto · May 2020

Ivy will no doubt infiltrate the hedge and that too will raise the privacy level and you could also insert the occasional privet. We have one near the bird feeder and it is adored by the sparrows.

Another thing to consider is what you want privacy from. Are there lots of people walking past and can they see into your house or just into your garden? If it’s the latter how much time do you envisage relaxing in the garden between late November and mid May? Our climate rarely allows us to get the sun loungers out before June.

Advice on using formal and wildlife hedging back-to-back

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