CHAPTER XXXVI
FLOWERING AND OTHER HEDGES
Of the more or less known 3000 species and varieties of trees and shrubs hardy in this country, only a small proportion are suitable for making good hedges. Every garden of any size has a hedge or two of untidy look through inattention at the proper time. A hedge must be kept in proper order, not a difficult business when clipping is done annually, when to do so depending upon the plants used.
Hedges may be of two kinds—the neat trimmed hedge, which serves as an outside line to a garden, and also as a screen or wind-break to small or tender plants growing near it; and the straggling rough hedge, varying from 10 to 20 feet in width, more properly a wide bank made up of all sorts of plants, rambling Roses, ornamental Vines, and other things which usually serve to brighten some spot where colour is desirable, or to shut out an undesirable view. The best plants comprise both evergreens and deciduous, but only one thing should be used, as mixed hedges are rarely a success, and of mingled evergreen and deciduous plants are generally quite a failure. It is right to mention, however, that if a mixed hedge is planted the best results are from White Thorn, Holly, and Common Beech. The best evergreen plants in their order of merit are Holly, Yew, Arbor-vitæ (Thuya occidentalis), Thuya gigantea or Lobbi, Common Box, Cupressus lawsoniana, C. nootkatensis (Thujopsis borealis), Privet (Ligustrum), Common Laurel, Portugal Laurel Pyramid Laurel (Prunus lusitanica myrtifolia), Berberis Darwinii, and Osmanthus ilicifolius.
Holly.—The Common Holly makes one of the best evergreen hedges. Its growth, though somewhat slow, is regular, and it does not mind the shears, but it is costly to use to any extent. It does not move readily, so that for the first year or two there will probably be a few gaps to fill up, but when the hedge is once established it is there practically for ever, and with proper attention will never become rough or unsightly. Before planting the site should be marked out, and the ground trenched 3 feet wide and deep, breaking the subsoil with a fork, and working some well-decayed manure about half-way down. This will tend to draw the roots down, and keep them from running out on either side to the injury of neighbouring plants. Plants should be obtained in the early autumn, as soon as it is safe to move them, and planted at once before the ground gets cool. If this be done they will make fresh roots and get established before winter. Some prefer to move Hollies in May, but much depends on whether artificial watering can be done. If it can, May is quite as good a time as September or October; if not, then choose the autumn.
The size of the plants used depends upon taste and the depth of the pocket, but good plants, 1½ to 2 feet high, with a leading shoot or two on each, placed from 12 to 16 inches apart, can be recommended, as they move readily at that size, and are not so costly as larger plants. Holly hedges should be clipped in late August or early September, when they will make a short growth before winter, and keep in good condition without further attention until the following autumn. The height of the hedge is entirely a matter for the owner to decide, one 30 or 40 feet high, properly feathered to the ground, being quite possible, as we know from some already in existence. When grown to this height, however, the top should be cut to a point to throw off snow. The flatness of the hedge can be broken by allowing a few leading shoots, 20 or 30 feet apart, to run up, budding them in August with some of the variegated varieties. Gold Queen, Waterer's Gold, Silver Queen, and Argentea variegata are good sorts to use for this.
When a Holly hedge has been neglected for some years cut it back to the old wood in March or April, and fork in a liberal dressing of manure around it. It may not make much growth the first year, but will practically re-establish itself the second.
Yew.—The Common Yew is hard to kill, and easy to prune into various shapes, as topiary work suggests. Yew is generally used for the inside of a garden, such as terraces and hedges near the house. It should be treated in the same way as the Holly, with the important exception of being clipped in May, as the Yew makes most of its growth in the early part of the year. In buying Yews, choose rather stunted-looking plants in preference to those of fresher look and freer growth. The former have been moved within the last year or two, the latter have stood for three or four, and become coarse rooted, suffering, therefore, after removal.
Arbor-vitæ.—For a hedge this and Thuya gigantea can be placed together. The common Arbor-Vitæ is sometimes not liked because it gets brown in winter, but this colouring is not so pronounced in Thuya gigantea. In preparing the ground little or no manure need be trenched in, but a dressing of spent manure may be added with advantage. The soil should be as good as possible, but not too heavy. They may be clipped at any season, and for the first two or three years twice annually will not be too often. It is wise to cut off from six inches to one foot of the leaders every year, otherwise the plants attain a great height without breadth. If a hedge of these conifers is allowed to become rough and ragged, it is almost impossible to restore it, as it will not, except in special cases, break from the older wood.