Choosing Your Hedges

Hedges can be a wonderful addition to just about any landscape or garden design. There is more to choosing your hedges though than simply picking something that may look good in your yard. There really are some guidelines that you can use to ensure you have the best possible hedges for your yard. After following these steps, you will have some hedges that are simply amazing.

• Decide on your look. You really shouldn't put hedges into your garden without having thought about the look you are going for. Are you going for a formal and structured look to your garden, or something a little rougher and more "natural?" The look you want will impact the type of hedges you choose.
• What is the purpose? Another factor that you will have to consider when choosing your hedges is what the purpose of the hedges is going to be. For example, hedges that are used for privacy or as fencing are often different than those used for decoration. Make sure that you know what you are planning on using the hedge for, even if it is only to help decorate the yard.
• Plan, and draw, it out. Since you are thinking of adding some hedges to your landscape design, it may be a good idea to create something like a blueprint. When drawing this blueprint draw out the maximum amount of space that you will either want or allow your hedges to grow to. This will give you an idea of how much room the hedges will take up when they are fully grown.
• Know your location. Take the time to learn about your area. This will allow you to learn which plants work best in your particular growing zone, as well as the particular part of the world, country, or state that you live in. While you can always try to use plants that are not native to the area, using ones that are indigenous will give you a better chance of success.
• Know your options. Once you have done a bit of research into the area that you live in, you should have a fairly extensive list of hedges and shrubs that you can choose from. Take a look at these plants and see which ones you like. Chances are pretty good that you will be able to find something on that list which will work just fine for your needs.
• How much work are you willing to do? Before you make your decision about the hedges you want, make sure that you consider how much work they will need to maintain. Some hedges, shrubs, or bushes can grow really quick and are fairly aggressive. These types of plants will often require extensive pruning to ensure they don't grow too quickly. Conversely, there are some that will require additional care so that they will grow properly.

Keep in mind that while these steps and guidelines will help you in choosing your hedges, they are really only the first step. You have the final say in exactly which hedges you will be using for your garden. If you are willing to experiment a bit, and pay the potential bills associated with purchasing new shrubs, you can quite easily try new shrubs or hedges until you find the perfect fit.