The garden is very underappreciated when we talk about our home. It is the most editable aspect of our home, as we have unlimited freedom of what we can do to it. Having a lovely garden should be prioritised to make your home stand out from the rest. For a more attractive garden, many people add ponds, gazebos, plants, and other features.
Hedges are one item that can significantly alter the appearance of your landscape. It’s crucial to keep these clipped and in good condition since if they are neglected, they might give the impression that a place is disorganised. Hedgerows with varying shapes can give a garden something extra and make it stand out. It has become somewhat of a gardening trend.
Let’s take a look at some of the best creative and unique hedge shapes that you can use in your garden to make your neighbours look in awe.
Flowering Hedges
Adding brightness and colour to your garden can make it stand out and look beautiful, which is why flower hedges are perfect. There is so much flower variety to choose from, meaning that you can design your hedges to fit any aesthetic. Azaleas, hawthorns and lilacs are some of the most popular flower hedge choices.
You can look for different flowering hedges for certain benefits. For example, Escallonia Iveyi is the best evergreen choice, as it keeps glossy dark green leaves all year long and through every season. Whereas, Cherry Laurel would be the best option if you want a fast-growing hedge, as it grows at a rate of up to 60cm per year.
Maze Hedges
If you have an extremely large garden or courtyard, you can incorporate a maze hedge design. Initially, the hedge maze was supposed to be a unicursal walking path, but has since developed into somewhat of a game. These puzzle-like hedge mazes can be fun for people of all ages, while also looking very interesting at the same time.
Tall maze hedges were popularised during the reign of King William III of England and have been present in large courtyards ever since. While they aren’t as popular as they used to be, they are still a great feature to have in a garden.
Round Green Hedges
Round edges can offer a sleek look to any garden or outdoor space, as they look neat and aesthetically pleasing. They can be used to create focal points, define spaces or add a touch of elegance. Softening harsh lines is another benefit of using round hedges, as square edged bushes can be uninviting.
They can also be shaved into a variety of different sizes to fit any occasion. However, one downfall of the round green hedges is that they can be difficult to maintain if they grow too quickly.
Checkerboard Hedges
Having a checkerboard design for your hedges creates a very interesting look that can also create boundaries inside your garden. You can incorporate a different type of flower into each different square of hedge to add a dash of colour, which can be inviting for both people and wildlife.
Maintenance can be time consuming for a checkerboard hedge, as it will require more care and attention. However, this will be well worth it as it will create such a unique aesthetic. Due to consisting of two rows of plants, checkerboard hedges require more space than a single row hedge so you need to make sure that you have enough room in your garden.
Gumdrop Hedges
If correctly sheared using an electric chainsaw, gumdrop hedges can add a fun element to your garden or outdoor living space. These hedges are often seen running down either side of driveways to create an interesting look in your front garden, although they can be used in any kind of way.
Gumdrop hedges also offer the perfect opportunity for decoration. You can easily wrap around some LED lights that glow up during the nighttime, or even attach Christmas ornaments during the most festive time of the year.
Stepped Hedges
These hedges are often planted on a slope and at varying heights to create multiple levels. These types of hedges are most often placed at the side of a building to create an interesting outside-edge of a structure. They are becoming very popular in housing estates.
If you want to get really quirky and creative with this, you can add statues to the hedges to give the sense of someone walking up them. Alternatively, you can terraform these hedges around trees for an intriguing design. Stepped hedges can also be used to create usable areas on uneven terrain.
Archway Hedges
Perfect for creating a grand entrance way, archway hedges are becoming very popular in larger gardens and courtyards. While they can be difficult to create, as it involves carving a huge archway out of tall hedges, it can be well worth it to create a pleasant aesthetic that invites people in.
You can also decorate these hedges with a variety of different flowers and blooms to add some colours to your garden. This can be perfect for special occasions, such as parties, barbeques or wedding parties.
Hedge Walls
Hedge walls are typically much thicker than single-row hedges. This extra density creates a more solid and effective barrier, blocking unwanted views and providing greater privacy.
These are living structures that can regenerate and flourish for many years, unlike fences that eventually need to be replaced or repaired. They also give wildlife the perfect spaces for nesting and feeding, which is great for the environment. This will help your garden’s ecosystem become more lively.
Photinia Hedges
Red Robin hedges are brilliant red and ideal for springtime. It grows swiftly but only needs two prunings a year, and the red shoots will be at their best if they are done in late spring or early summer.
These hedges, which can reach a height of 15 feet, are excellent choices for establishing privacy in your garden area. You should keep an eye on these all year to prevent overgrowth, as they can get pretty messy if left untrimmed.
