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Walls and Hedges

Gwen OGwen O Posts: 6
in Tools and techniques

Any tips on how wide the wall should be for planting hedging plants. Any hedging plants best suited for this? 

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  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    This is a very normal type of hedge/field boundary where I live.  Hawthorn, briar, blackthorn,elder, cotoneaster, are just some of the suitable plants. Plus the occasional tree, like rowan. In fact you can put almost anything on the top of a wall.

  • Tropical SamTropical Sam Posts: 1,488

    Am not sure what you mean by "how wide the wall should be for planting hedging plants". Do you need a wall and a hedge next to each other??image

  • Gwen OGwen O Posts: 6

    I will be building two stone walls - side by side and filling with soil...and planting hedge on top.....wondering how wide of a gap should I leave between both walls.....need a thick hedge for privacy.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 54,353

    I'd say around two to three feet ideally Gwen but you could make it  less than that if there's plenty of depth - the hedge will fill out and grow wider to cover the edges of the walls anyway if you want it to. image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Gwen OGwen O Posts: 6

    Thanks for that image

  • Tropical SamTropical Sam Posts: 1,488

    Ok, so it is a raised bed. 2-3 ft sounds fair. What type of hedge are you thinking of? Beech will do well in such a free draining soil in a raised bed and it keeps its brown leaves in winter - so good for screening.

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    Three foot is way more than is normal for field boundaries.  If there is a good batter on the walls the base would be much more than 3 ft wide.

    If I remember the roads agency had a frame which they filled with soil and then faced the banks with turf and planted on top.

    Remember plants will grow and will be far cheaper than a high double stone wall.

    May I suggest a little research on the internet.  Different counties have different traditional field boundaries and banks.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 54,353

    I must be missing something - I just assumed it was for a garden not a field boundary! image

    You could grow any type of hedge really - depends on what effect you want Gwen. The site, aspect, how exposed it is and whether you want evergreen/flowering or not. Seaside is a different problem because of the salt too. 

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114

    I call it a field boundary because that indicates its shape and form.  I appreciate it will be situated in a garden!

  • Gwen OGwen O Posts: 6

    It is for a garden. The wall and hedge on top will be partitioning our home area v  work area (industrial unit) therefore need privacy and also need the wall to screen off vehicles parking on the "work side of wall". We have fair amount of strong winds coming up the valley..hedging has to be quite robust. We are around 10 miles from coast. Also, do I need to worry about various hedging plants root systems with them in the wall?

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