Planting next to hedge - advice please

Hi All,

I am new to this site and quite a novice but keen gardener too! I was wondering whether anyone could advise me? I have quite a large garden and nearly all of it is surrounded by hedges. Do you have any advice on what plants thrive next to hedges? I am looking preferable for those with as much colour as possible.

Thanks
Lindsey

 

Hello and welcome.

To help folk give good answers to your question, maybe you could tell us a bit more, such as:
* How much sunlight does the intended planting area get? I.e. does the hedge shade it all, or does it make little difference because of the aspect?

* What shrub/tree species make up the hedge? E.g Leylandii (nutrient and moisture robbing), or maybe Hawthorn (far less demanding) etc?

* What's the soil like there? Clay, nice crumbly loam, sandy, peaty etc?

* Does it get soggy wet, does it dry out etc?

At my last house I had a leylandii hedge (not planted by me). I could get nothing to grow next to it. But then I took drastic action and dug half the roots out (probably not necessary) and enriched the soil with loads and loads of manure. After that I got loads to grow in there, but I did have to feed it regularly with chicken poo pellets. I think that's the main battle with planting near a hedge, is keeping the ground well fed enough to support the demands of the hedge, while still leaving enough surplus to support smaller plants.

Any idea what you'd like to grow there?

 

Welcome Lindsey, as clueless says ,hedges can take a lot of nutrients from the ground, so smaller rooted plants lose the battle.

 

I dug a trench along my Leylandii hedge [also not planted by me!!] with a JCB smashing through the roots in order to get things to grow there. I did give the hedge several feet to itself, and there is nothing to hinder its root growth on its far-side.

If the hedge is a greedy feeder you could make a raised bed, with a "barrier" under it, to stop the hedge roots coming up.

I don't suppose much will grow on the North side of a hedge, regardless of what type of hedge it is. The South side of a hedge will do best, and the East and West facing sides will be best suited to plants that don't want sun all day (e.g. some shrubs that flower in the Spring are better suited to West facing so that any late frost on the buds thaws before the sun gets on to them)