Those of you with children are sure to know the movie, “Over the Hedge”! Did you pause to admire the perfect, lush green hedge and wish that you too could have a hedge of that quality in your garden? Obviously the hedge in the movie is animated, but if you select the correct plants, a neatly clipped hedge is an obtainable dream! Here are 3 suitable hedging plants:

Dodonaea angustifolia, of die “Kaapse Sandolien”, is ‘n vinniggroeiende inheemse struik tot 4m, met heldergroen loof en roomrooi papieragtige vruggies. Dit is droogte en windbestand.

As jy ‘n klein heining wil hê, is Euonymus japonica Microphyllus perfek! Euonymus is ‘n stadiggroeiende kompakte struik tot 30cm met klein, donkergroen loof. Dit is immergroen en vereis volle son of halfskaduwee.

Searsia crenata (Rhus), of “Duinekraaibessie”, groei tot 3m, is hoogs windbestand en geskik vir kusstreke. Dit vereis volle son en matige water.

Hedges have many uses and are a desirable asset in the landscape. They provide privacy and screen unsightly views. They are also useful as windbreaks and can be used to designate boundaries. Depending on the plants selected, a hedge may be short or tall, formal or informal, evergreen or deciduous. Always select a plant that is compatible to your site.

A formal hedge is kept closely sheared and is always wider at the bottom than at the top. Evergreens should only have the tops levelled off at planting time. After this, prune whenever necessary, but never closer than 10cm to the last cut, until the desired height is reached. Vary the pruning level of a mature hedge slightly to prevent knotty growths from forming.