📍 Location: Worcestershire
🏢 Client: Private Home Owner
🔎 Summary
Following the recent purchase of an adjacent plot of land, our client sought to enhance the boundary with a native hedge that would provide both ecological value and visual appeal.
🎯 Objectives
The brief was to establish a mixed-species hedge using native plants, with a focus on biodiversity, density, and minimal encroachment into the usable garden space.
🛠️ Project Execution
After consultation, a planting scheme was developed featuring equal proportions of Hawthorn, Hornbeam, Field Maple, and Mountain Ash, with a smaller proportion of Crab Apple interspersed throughout the hedge for added diversity. To achieve a dense and healthy structure, the hedge was planted in a double staggered row, commonly known as a zig-zag or offset pattern, which promotes better coverage and resilience. Spacing between the two rows was set at approximately 200–250 mm, ensuring optimal density without excessive spread.
The planting process began with the use of a hand auger to prepare the ground, allowing for the incorporation of nutrient-rich compost mixed with the site’s native clay. This provided an ideal growing medium for the bare-root hedging plants. Planting was carried out during the dormant season to maximise establishment success, with careful attention paid to protecting root systems and ensuring each plant was firmly bedded in, allowing for both stability and adequate water percolation.
✅ Outcome & Evaluation
The project was completed efficiently and at the appropriate time of year. The hedge established quickly, benefitting from the careful preparation and planting methods. Two years on, the hedge is thriving, providing a robust and attractive boundary. Notably, the hedge has become a valuable habitat for local wildlife, with regular sightings of sparrows, blackbirds, robins, and blue tits using the hedge for feeding and shelter. The client is delighted with both the visual impact and the increase in birdlife, demonstrating the success of the project in meeting both aesthetic and ecological objectives.
