What hedging plants do you recommend?

Orlando

Hi folks, firstly - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I wanted a little advice on the type of bush/hedge to choose to create a nice divide between me and my neighbour. There's a two-to-three metre border between the two houses. At first I'd thought about some sort of hedge - Japanese or English Box - but I thought that might look too formal, as I have a nice free-flowing native garden. Can anyone suggest perhaps a hardy native small-leaf bush that grows no higher than a metre, a number of which I can arrange in a nice row that will eventually join up 'hedge-style'? My wife says it would be nice if it could flower, or at very least, be a bit colourful.  Any ideas? Thanks, Orlando

JacobZ

Hi @Orlando,

A really reliable option is coastal rosemary. It has fine foliage that looks soft and natural rather than clipped and formal, and it sits comfortably in most native style gardens. The small white to pale mauve flowers appear on and off through the year, and it handles sun, heat, wind and dry spells without fuss. With light pruning a couple of times a year, it will thicken up and happily stay around a metre high, forming a clean but relaxed screen.

If you are chasing more colour and a bit of wildlife activity, dwarf bottlebrushes such as Callistemon Little John are a great choice. They naturally grow to about a metre and have a dense habit that works well in a row. The red flowers are a real feature and tend to draw birds in, which adds life to the space. It responds well to trimming but still keeps a natural, slightly informal shape rather than looking manicured.

For something a little softer and very at home in a native garden, Correas are well worth considering. Correa alba and some of the compact hybrids make excellent low hedges, with attractive foliage and subtle bell-shaped flowers that often appear through the cooler months. They look particularly good between houses where you want something calm and understated, and they only need occasional light pruning to keep them dense and tidy.

Whichever of these you choose, planting fairly close together, around 60 centimetres apart, will help them join up more quickly. Starting with light tip pruning once they are established will encourage side growth and give you a solid, natural-looking divide without it feeling too formal.

Allow me to tag our helpful members @Dave-1, @mich1972 and @Noelle to see if they have any ideas.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob