Types of hedging plants for Ireland

Hedges are popular among amateur and expert gardeners alike. They protect from the wind and prying eyes, they are green and natural, many types of hedges are cheaper than a wooden or steel privacy screen, and they live a long time with a little care.

But the choice of hedge plants is huge. There are evergreen, deciduous, or wintergreen, conifers and deciduous shrubs, flowering shrubs, and even fruit trees. Some hedges are poisonous, some grow particularly fast. Others provide valuable food for insects and birds.

How to make the right choice

Do you primarily want to be protected from the neighbor’s gaze between spring and fall, or do you also want to be protected in winter? Depending on this, only evergreen, semi-evergreen or deciduous plants can be considered.

Do you want completely opaque protection or is it enough for you if the view is not completely free? Some plants grow extra dense, others let more light through. A fast-growing hedge will provide privacy quickly – but the plant will continue to grow once it reaches the desired height. You’ll usually need to trim these hedges twice a year.

What are the location and soil like where the hedge will be planted? Some plants prefer the sun, others thrive better in the shade. How much time do you want to spend on maintenance? Some plants need pruning more often and more fertilizing and watering than others.

A few sentences in advance about the cost of different types of hedges:

  • Many stores offer specifically hedges. In addition, the plants will always be cheaper if you buy a larger quantity.
  • Containerized plants are much more expensive than balled or rooted plants. However, you will not have any problems with the growth of the plant.
  • Individual varieties can also vary significantly in price.

Do you have children or pets? Then you might want to choose a non-toxic hedge plant. If you want to do something good for insects and birds, then you should make sure that the native fauna finds food with the plant.

There are many plants that are suitable for a hedge, just pick the one that suits you best and enjoy.

Why Choose Cherry Laurel Hedge?

Cherry laurel hedges divide the gardening community: some appreciate the evergreen, large-leaved privacy screen for its Mediterranean appeal, while for others the cherry laurel is simply the cliche of the new era – not only tasteless but also ecologically worthless.

Undoubtedly, cherry laurel hedges are somewhat too massively represented in one or the other new housing development. Nevertheless, this evergreen hedge has a lot of advantages.

Advantages of a cherry laurel hedge

One of the greatest advantages of the cherry laurel, or Prunus laurocerasus, is its robustness. The evergreen hedges can easily survive heat and drought and can cope with almost any type of soil – they grow as well in poor sandy soils as in heavy clay soils.

A cherry laurel hedge can also withstand so-called root pressure. This means that it will grow even in intensively rooted soil under larger trees and is also shade-tolerant. Like most hedge plants, cherry laurel hedges can be easily trimmed. You can cut older plants right back to the ground without any problems, they will reliably sprout new shoots again.

By the way, cherry laurel is largely immune to serious diseases and pests. The most common pest problems are caused by thick-mouthed weevils and shot hole disease, but neither is life-threatening. Another argument in favor of this plant: it is relatively inexpensive compared to other evergreen hedge plants, such as the glossy medlar, holly, or yew. Since the hedge grows more or less in width, you can also get by with just a few plants, there is no need to get dozens of them.

One thing to keep in mind

When you get a cherry laurel hedge, there are a few things you should know but the most important one is trimming. The hedge trimming itself is somewhat more tedious with the cherry laurel than with many other hedge plants – as long as you have high aesthetic standards. The blades of the motorized hedge shears shred the large leaves quite severely, causing the cut surfaces to dry out and turn brown. If you don’t want this to happen, you will have to trim the cherry laurel manually.

How chould you care Cherry Laurel

However, if you really like the look of cherry laurel, do not be afraid of getting it for your home. It is a beautiful plant that will completely transform your garden and does not require a lot of care.

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Hardy evergreen cherry laurel hedge in Ireland

We bought and planted our cherry laurel hedge 3 years ago. It had to grow fast because we needed it as a screen against a nasty neighbor. Therefore, I cherish and care for it like my own child (hope that does not sound crazy). I wanna share some of my little secrets, hope they help you if you get yourself a hedge.

Trimming was the hardest thing I had to learn in quite a while. I hope I do it right, have googled sooooooo much about it: at the beginning I cut only on the sides, so it should just shoots up in height. Not sure that it’s the right way but it worked for me, so I can recommend it if you want a higher hedge.

The ideal time to trim laurel hedge, it turns out, is in the spring before it blooms, but it can also be done right after it blooms, such as in June or in the fall. Actually, the trimming of the hedge is all year round thing, except in case of severe frost or constant heat and strong sunshine. This is one of the reasons we got a hardy evergreen laurel hedge, other plants are much more demanding.

Funnily enough, after each trimming, our hedge becomes even bushier. Besides, it is high enough now (approx. 6-7 feet). It should not really become much higher, but now can really go more in the width.

I am also testing and trying different fertilizers now. I tried that before with a scattered fertilizer but somehow I’m not happy about it. It is very difficult to spread an exact amount around the closely grown plants. I will go back to watering with liquid fertilizer, it is the easiest way in my opinion.

Do not forget to check your hedge for snails. We got some colonies in ours and it is amazing how fast they are eating the plants. While getting rid of the snails is not a very nice process, I don’t want our hedge eaten away like 2 years ago. Check it regularly and do what must be done.

Also, sparrows seem to have colonized the hedge. Unlike the snails, they just make nests and do not seem to do much damage. More than that, I think birds are good for the hedge, they eat some of the insects.

We like the hedge quite well as it is right now – not so stiff and straight, but loose.

Hope my experience and tips will help you at some point. Just want to add: getting a laurel hedge is a great choice if you do not mind taking care of it.

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Cherry laurel and portuguese laurel in Ireland

Are you planning on getting yourself a cherry laurel hedge? As someone who had hedges all my life, I can honestly say that is it a great option. I had common laurel, Portuguese laurel and now I have a cherry laurel. Depending on the variety and how you care about them, they grow pretty tall and you can create a good privacy hedge.

This time I choose cherry laurel because it has dense foliage, and it is also great protection from wind, sun, noise, and air pollution. It is also evergreen, hardy, and robust. Most importantly, it looks pretty good as a hedge.

I read that cherry laurel is not particularly demanding when it comes to its location. However, I found out it is not so. It needs well-drained, dry, sandy soil. In the best case, it should also be rich in nutrients. I had to do a lot of work before planting, including intensive fertilizing. I would recommend analyzing your soil beforehand, maybe a different laurel variety will be more suitable for you.

My friend run into another problem with a hedge. Soil near his house was so compacted (even thou he prepared a place for a plant beforehand) that his hedge died in a year or so. If you do not want it to happen to you too, loosen compacted soil before planting.

Some say that cherry laurel can be planted all year round. However, I must warn you, that this is not the case. It is essential to avoid days when it is freezing or extremely sunny. The best time for planting is autumn, preferably in September or October. This is because then it does not grow and can concentrate on rooting. Alternatively, the cherry laurel can be planted in the spring. Buying the plant is another thing. I bought potted common laurel on LaurelHedging last year and thought about making a part of the hedge from it, but it turns out it is a great indoor plant, who knew… My wife simply loves it, even uses leaves for cooking.

Speaking of which. Cherry laurel has berries. Do not let the children and pets eat them! While they look good, they are also extremely poisonous.

Trimming is another thing I would recommend doing regularly, otherwise, your hedge might not grow in height as much as you want and will just become a bush.

All in all, I recommend you get a laurel hedge. Even though it requires occasional care, it is definitely worth it!

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Fastgrowing laurel hedge on LaurelHedging

A little more than a year ago we bought a laurel hedge on LaurelHedging and I have only positive things to say about it. “Out-of-the-box”, so to speak, plants were about 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Now it doubled the height, we will let it grow a bit higher and then start to cut it regularly. I’m not sure how tall it can get if left without trimming.

The hedge actually became very dense, which we did not expect, but it is perfect as a privacy screen. Also, I imagine that hopping over it is more difficult than with a regular fence, and it is another unexpected advantage. The only downside is when it blooms, its flowers attract wildlife, and I’m not a fan of all the bugs, especially when they just come out of nowhere when you are doing something near the hedge.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, we got a common laurel. Considered cherry laurel but they say it has berries that can be poisonous and we got kids, so… It was better to play it safe. If you get a cherry one and do not mind sending a picture, I would really love to see how one looks in your garden. I suspect that most pictures on the Internet do not represent reality.

By the way, are you supposed to water the hedge or is it going to fine on its own? We did water the soil before planting and the last autumn was pretty rainy so this questing did not arise before the summer. Since it is so hot now, I started sprinkling the hedge from time to time, still not sure if I was supposed to do that.

Recommend anyone who does not like those metal fences to get themselves a fastgrowing laurel hedge. It really shoots up in no time and looks simply amazing. Yeah, you have to fertilize the soil and trim the plants but it is much better than a fence that will be covered in rust in a few years. Do not know how long laurel lives but hope it will stay this beautiful for a long time.

All in all, we are very happy with the hedge. Want to say a special thanks to the people working at LaurelHedging, the consult was excellent, and perhaps only by following their instructions we got such an amazing result. And to anyone who is hesitant but really wants a hedge, I want to say that is it worth it and needs a lot less care than you might initially think.

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Hardy seaside hedge in Irelands

If you have a garden on the coast, then a seaside hedge will not only be a beautiful decoration but will also serve a protective function. Because there are only certain hedge plants that are suitable for coastal areas, walls or fences are often used to protect the garden from the strong sea winds. This is a logical decision, but in many ways, a hedge is a better option, mainly because of its structure.

If you need wind protection, your best bet is to go with a deciduous or an evergreen hedge plant that is wind resistant and tolerant to salt. The climate on the coast is usually rather mild, therefore, you do not need to use a particularly hardy seaside hedge, since temperatures on the coast very rarely drop below 0 degrees.

Oil willow is a beautiful evergreen hedge plant that is particularly wind resistant, making it well suited. If you prefer a flowering hedge with beautiful flowers or berries, then you can use, for example, the potato rose, blackthorn, or barberry.

Griselinia littoralis, or New Zealand broadleaf, is not the best-known hedge plant, but for the coast, it is the best option. Because New Zealand has many coastal regions, the plants that grow there must be well storm resistant. And this is absolutely the case with Griselinia littoralis, it is evergreen, wind resistant, and salt resistant. The only downside, it should not be planted in the shade. Otherwise, it might wither in a couple of years, even though this is a hardy plant.

By the way, some hedge plants that are particularly often planted in the garden, such as yew or cherry laurel, are not well suited for coastal areas. A yew hedge, for example, is very wind resistant, but not particularly salt-resistant (do not forget to pay attention to this important factor).

Of course, you can’t use just any plants in a garden that is located on the coast. However, this does not mean that there are fewer options for the seaside hedge. Suitable plants are available in a variety of species and sizes, and can protect your garden from strong, salty ocean winds better than a wall or fence. And if you want everything to go much faster, take a look at ready-made hedges, which are already fully grown and ready for immediate use.

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A Hardy Evergreen Hedge in Ireland

Hardy evergreen hedge can be a perfect option if you live in a climate where most other plants don’t grow very well. By the way, the term “evergreen” in botany refers to all plants that retain their leaves throughout the year. Therefore, evergreen plants are very popular in the garden, especially during the winter months when they retain their color and dense leaves. Most evergreen plants are also hardy and fast-growing, so they form an opaque area in a short time and can act as a natural privacy screen in the garden.

Native hedge plants are particularly good options for the winter. This is not surprising, as native plants have been coping with their environment for a very long time, so they will survive those particularly cold periods if they grow in nutrient-rich and well-drained garden soil that is not affected by waterlogging. 

When it comes to the biological balance of your garden, native hedge plants are excellent, because the birds, insects, and small animals in your area know these plants very well. As a result, they also know how to handle the flowers, berry fruits, leaves, and branches so they can be used as a food source or habitat. And for you, a fast-growing evergreen hedge will provide plenty of privacy, as well as wind, dust, and noise protection in the garden.

These plants can be used in a variety of ways. Hardy evergreen hedge won’t lose its green color in the winter, so it provides plenty of texture and color in the garden at any time of year. Whether a plant is hardy and frost-resistant also depends on how it is cared for. It is particularly important to fertilize with potassium, which is responsible for regulating the water balance in the plant cells. This is because only plants that are sufficiently supplied with potassium can also be frost-resistant. However, it is also important that your plants get enough nutrients, so even particularly hardy hedge plants should be fertilized every year.

You can get find many types of evergreen hedge plants. The variety is huge, so it might be difficult to choose the right one. We recommend getting a fast-growing evergreen hedge if you want to redesign your garden because it is the quickest way to get a good result.

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Hardy Fast Growing Laurel Hedge in Ireland

There are many situations in which you might want a fast-growing hedge. For example, you have just built a house or removed a hedge in your garden. In this scenario, you want a hedge that can quickly provide privacy. Fortunately, there are several such hedges that can be grown year-round.

How fast a hedge grows depends on its species. Hornbeam, copper beech, and field maple are suitable for fast-growing hedges. Under the right circumstances, they grow between 15 and 20 inches a year. If you want a semi-evergreen or evergreen hedge, go for thuja. It grows about 11 inches per year. As a rule, the wild species of the mentioned plants grow faster. 

Remember that each hedge plant is different. Some provide better privacy, others are perfect against the wind, and still others are just more beautiful.

As diverse as their functions are, their appearances are even more so. There are free-growing and trimmed hedges. From maple to ornamental apple, a wide range of plants is available. Which hedge fits into which garden depends on its size and location, and, of course, on the taste of the owner. The choice ranges from evergreen deciduous and coniferous hedges, for example, buxus or laurel, to thorn hedges such as sea buckthorn or hawthorn, and flower hedges such as forsythia or rose.

Whatever type of hedge you choose, it is important that the plants are sufficiently hardy. What good is the most beautiful hedge, if it freezes and dies after a few winters? Unfortunately, this often happens with laurel hedges. When choosing, you need to keep in mind the maintenance that will be required. There are hedges that need to be trimmed three times a year, otherwise, they will grow immensely. If you do not want that, you need to pay close attention to the selection. Some hedge plants can get by with minimal care.

Spring and autumn are considered suitable planting seasons for hardy fast-growing hedge. In these seasons, the plants have the best chance to grow quickly and survive the winter, that will eventually come. In summer, young plants would have to fight against the sun and lack of water in the rooting process, and against frost in winter. That’s when you should refrain from planting.

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Laurel hedging: common laurel, portuguese laurel, cherry laurel

Want to plant a new hedge in your garden? Then you should definitely consider laurel. There are several varieties, so choose the one that best fits the design of your garden. A laurel hedge is not only particularly beautiful to look at, but it also offers many other advantages.

First, all varieties of laurel are evergreen. In addition, most of them are hardy. Do you want to enjoy a beautiful hedge all year round? Then a cherry laurel hedge is just the thing. The great advantage of an evergreen hedge is the privacy it provides from the prying eyes of neighbors and passersby, even in winter.

Second, many laurel varieties, such as common laurel, have large, thick leaves. This has many benefits. After planting, you will have an opaque hedge relatively quickly. In addition, the large leaves reduce noise from traffic by quite a bit. Is there a highway near your house? Then it is a good idea to get a slightly taller laurel hedge as a garden border. Of course, it will never eliminate all the road noise, but it will dampen it significantly.

Third, laurel is known for its fast growth. Have you chosen a cherry laurel hedge? Then you will have a full, opaque hedge quite quickly. Varieties that grow very quickly include Rotundifolia and Novita, these hedge plants all grow about 15 to 25 inches a year. The Portuguese laurel grows a bit slower, gaining 10 to 20 inches per year.

The Portuguese laurel is also a variety that grows into a very slender plant. This makes the hedge suitable for smaller gardens. However, it should be cut once a year to keep its beautiful, well-groomed shape. 

And fourth, laurel is very easy to trim. For many garden owners, it is a big advantage. Do you want a narrow hedge with an elegant look? In this case, you should cut the plant twice a year. Of course, this does not apply to all types, as some grow slower than others. It’s best to trim your hedge in the spring before the new branches come up. Do you want your hedge to be beautiful and well-kept looking even in winter? Then trim the hedge again in the fall.

No matter what laurel you choose, they all have one thing in common: their elegance and glossy foliage add great ornamental value to your garden all year round.

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Potted Laurel Plants – Common Laurel & Portuguese Laurel

Laurel can be planted not only as a hedge in the garden, it is also well suited for growing in a pot. Potted laurel plants are well suited for winter months when it is not advisable to actually plant them outside.

If you have the laurel in a pot, you can place it in a variety of places. Not only in the garden, where the beautiful leaves always look good, but also in a sunny place on your balcony or terrace. The plant can create a wonderful atmosphere wherever your place of rest is. And if you want to pick the leaves of the laurel and use them for spices, go ahead.

Growing a common laurel in a pot is more difficult, but ensures that the plant can be easily transported and later replanted outside. Many ready-made hedges come in a container, pot, or plant bag. If the laurel is then planted in the home garden, you don’t have to deal with dead plants and falling leaves. However, growing in pots takes more time and money, and therefore the plants are more expensive. 

In recent years, the Portuguese laurel has become very popular. More and more people are becoming enchanted by its luxurious appearance and charming bloom. But no matter what type of laurel you choose, it is very easy to replant from the pot. If you do it in well-drained soil, it can become a real eye-catcher in your garden.

Some varieties, like the above-mentioned Portuguese laurel, might need a little more attention after planting. If you add some humus-rich garden soil to the planting hole, you increase the chance that the laurel will grow well. Of course, this is also the case if the soil in your garden is rich in humus anyway.

Always keep the soil moist enough but make sure that waterlogging cannot form. But the top layer of soil should never be too dry. If necessary, use an organic garden fertilizer in the first year. Once the laurel is well grown, you can simply let it be. However, especially in the first year, it is important to take good care of it on a regular basis.

The advantage of potted laurel plants is that you do not have to plant them immediately, you can even wait a few weeks. They are also available all year round. However, you should place the plants in a protected place and make sure they get enough water.

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