| In a world of increased industrial activity | | | | the time you put into your hedge fence |
| and an overabundance of manufactured beauty, | | | | initially will come back to you in the way of |
| people are becoming more and more interested | | | | a healthy and attractive landscape down the |
| in the natural world. It is only natural | | | | road. |
| then, that when considering how to divide | | | | |
| their property from others; consumers are | | | | Once you are sure that you can provide the |
| skipping past the chain link fencing and | | | | time and energy needed to establish your |
| going directly to the garden center. | | | | hedge fence, you will have to do a bit of |
| | | | research to determine what your native plants |
| The idea of using trees and shrubs as | | | | and shrubs are. You certainly do not want to |
| enclosures or to mark off space is not a new | | | | plant any kind of shrub that will not survive |
| one. Hedges were used in 16th century Italian | | | | the local climate. Native plants, those that |
| gardens to make avenues for travel within the | | | | are found growing wild in your area, are best |
| garden, and hedgerows, which are simply lines | | | | to use as a foundation to your hedge fence |
| of bushes or trees of the same species | | | | because they have already proven themselves, |
| planted close enough for their limbs to | | | | they are sturdy and well-suited to the soil. |
| intertwine, have been in use in England for | | | | Check with your local nursery to find an |
| more than seven hundred years. | | | | appropriate foundation species if you are |
| | | | unsure of the native plants in your area. |
| Hedges used as an alternative to fencing | | | | |
| fulfill many more purposes than simply | | | | Finally, the time has come to plant your |
| serving as a property line. They can keep | | | | hedges for your fence. It is at this time |
| wind and erosion to a minimum, cut out noise | | | | that you will want to remember the advantages |
| from traffic, and helps keep the neighborhood | | | | of the fencing you have chosen rather than |
| kids from running through your newly laid | | | | the work you will have to do to put the fence |
| grass. Hedges also help to restore native | | | | together. A little bit of planning now can |
| plant life, which may have been dwindling | | | | save a headache later. Consider the final, |
| because of construction and development. | | | | mature size of the shrub or hedge that you |
| Also, as a natural habitat for all manner of | | | | are planting, not how close you can get them |
| insects, you will hear more songbirds early | | | | right now, and plant extra shrubs or flowers |
| in the morning as they catch breakfast. | | | | along the front or in between the row of |
| Financially speaking, a hedge fence is | | | | foundation hedges, not in place of them. |
| usually less expensive than chain-link, will | | | | Replacing a section of a hedge fence because |
| not rust and break, and rarely needs | | | | of disease is one thing; having to buy a |
| replacing. | | | | hedge to replace a plant that did not belong |
| | | | in the fence to begin with is quite another. |
| If you have made the decision to use hedges | | | | More than likely you will never have to deal |
| as an alternative to traditional fencing, | | | | with replanting or replacing once the fence |
| there are a few things to keep in mind before | | | | is established and growing well. |
| you go in search of shrubs to plant. First, | | | | |
| confirm in your mind that you will have the | | | | Hedges serve as a wonderful alternative to |
| time to work with the hedges after work or on | | | | traditional metal or wood fencing, because |
| the weekends. Newly planted flowers or shrubs | | | | they increase the aesthetic value of your |
| of any kind need a lot of initial attention | | | | home in addition to inviting natural beauty |
| so that they can spread their roots and | | | | into your neighborhood. As the world begins |
| settle into their new homes. You may have to | | | | to slow down and realize the importance of |
| water them more often and perform a lot of | | | | preserving nature, hedge fences will overrun |
| routine maintenance, such as weeding out | | | | all of those old, rusty remnants of the |
| invading species and pruning those plants | | | | industrial age and reveal the gentle |
| that are not growing well. Just remember that | | | | potential of the future. |