This week I was in Lissellan estate near Clonakilty in Cork, and within the sprawling estate there was a beech hedge that took my eye, it was planted as a divide within the walled garden, splitting the large walled garden into two separate areas – one full of ornamentals the other half being the productive side of the operation.
This beech hedge was striking, both for its colour and its size. Its 10’ high and 5’ thick, a real wall of a hedge. And at this time of year the colour was wonderful, with the retained foliage all brown and crispy.
In our own gardens we tend to think of hedging as being something we keep 6’ or maybe 8’ tall around the garden boundary, but we sometimes overlook its usefulness in creating ‘rooms’ or division in the garden.
So instead of thinking about a large fence around your wheelie bins, why not plant a Beech, Yew or Hornbeam hedge to provide the screening – same as where your oil tank is.
A hedge like this Beech is Lissellan is obviously not for the small garden, but the principles of having a living screen, rather than a wall of fence makes sound environmental sense too – no carbon footprint associated with the concrete or transportation of heavy materials, and you have a living breathing habitat for wildlife in your garden!
Now is the time to be planting beech hedging like this, the only thing that should put you off in the winter months is if the ground is water-logged or frozen, but frost won’t harm your plants.
A good hedge is obtained by planting your beech in a double row, using 6 plants to the metre. Or if space is short use 3 to the metre to create a singular hedge.
Species like Beech and Hornbeam do really well in gardens here, and once established will grow 12” or so per year, so they’ll take some time to get there but they thicken out lovely.
For good, local grown plants contact Finn Valler Nurseries in Stranorlar, Conor is the third generation of Gallinagh men working in the family nursery, growing all their own beech from irish seed – so you know you’re getting plants well accustomed to the Donegal climate!
Tags: