Impressive hedges to grace your garden and provide seclusion.
Hedges, for all the maintenance and work required, are a much-needed part of every garden. Whether you prefer a formal row of clipped Buxus sempervirens or a wild and rambling line of Bursaria spinosa, hedges provide shelter and privacy to support wildlife and create boundaries for functional spaces.
Choosing the right hedge
When selecting hedge plants, it’s important to consider:
Purpose: privacy, decoration, wildlife, windbreak
Height: low (buxus, rosemary), medium (Californian lilac, Escallonia), or tall (bay laurel, Chilean myrtle)
Evergreen or deciduous: year-round cover vs. seasonal interest
Growth rate: fast-growing species fill space quickly but need more maintenance.
A mixed-species hedge can provide the best of all worlds: beauty, resilience, and fantastic wildlife value.
Hedges for privacy and windbreak
Hedges planted for privacy are typically chosen for their density, height, and evergreen foliage. Species such as Lilly Pilly, Viburnum, Photinia robusta, and Portuguese laurel create lush green walls that block neighbouring views and help absorb noise. Regular trimming encourages thick growth from top to bottom, making the barrier even more effective.
While it may seem logical that windbreak hedges should also be very dense, they’re actually most effective when they slow and filter the wind rather than stop it abruptly. Mass-planted hedgerows in varying heights work best to soften and disperse strong winds. Choose hardy, wind-tolerant plants such as Dodonaea viscosa, Atriplex cinerea, Leptospermum obovatum, and Banksia integrifolia.
Decorative hedges
Decorative hedges focus on creating visual interest and adding structure or artistry to the garden. Shrubs with seasonal blooms, topiary, pleached trees, or even espaliered dwarf trees can all be used to create a boundary that also serves as a decorative expression of the gardener. Garden designer Andrew Stark illustrates this beautifully with his rows of English box balls which create a caterpillar-like effect. Choose plants such as Buxus sempervirens, Chinese Star Jasmine, and Escallonia ‘Apple Blossom’.
Hedges for wildlife
Wildlife-friendly hedges are one of the most valuable features you can add to a garden. Unlike hard fencing, a living hedge provides food, shelter, nesting sites, and safe corridors for birds, insects, and small mammals. Even a single mixed hedge line can greatly increase the number of Superb fairywrens, blue-tongued lizards and Eastern barred bandicoots in the garden. Choose dense shrubs with thorny stems that provide added protection for wildlife, such as Berberis thunbergii and Bursaria spinosa. Plants that provide berries and nectar-producing flowers, such as Buddleja, Hakea and Leptosopermum will also attract an abundance of wildlife.
Visit Us to View Our Extensive Range of Hedges
Low hedges
Tall hedges
Informal hedges
Hedge maintenance
Well-maintained hedges stay dense, healthy, and attractive for years. Whether you’re shaping a formal box hedge, managing a tall privacy screen, or tending a loose, wildlife-friendly planting, regular care is key. Hedge maintenance comes down to thoughtful pruning, good soil care, and consistent watering. A high NPK fertiliser for exotic hedges and a low-phosphorus fertiliser for native hedges applied twice a year, in spring and again in autumn, will keep hedges looking green and lush.
