When deciding on a fence vs hedge for garden boundaries, the wooden panel is often the default choice. While a fence offers quick installation and immediate privacy, a dense, thriving hedge provides so much more than a barrier. In this blog we explore the tangible, long-term advantages of choosing a living screen over a static wooden one. We’ll explore why a hedge is a better investment for your budget and the natural environment in the long run. You can also discover some of the best varieties you can plant now for a sturdy, elegant and vibrant garden backdrop.
When creating boundaries, a hedge offers more benefits than a wooden fence. Environmentally it creates a habitat for wildlife, improves air quality, and acts as a natural windbreak. A hedge is better value for money in the long-term as the upkeep consists simply of pruning as opposed to weather-proofing. Hedges also provide a living backdrop for other plants and can last indefinitely if properly cared for.
Many of our customers opt for hedges for the following reasons;
Long-term value – Planting a new hedge, particularly with bare-root plants is significantly cheaper than installing a new fence. There’s also no ongoing weather-proofing an maintenance costs.
Instant effect – our mature hedges and fast-growing varieties will bring instant impact and won’t take long to fully establish.
Natural windbreaker – A solid fence takes the full force of the wind, often leading to damage, turbulence, and costly repairs. A dense hedge, however, filters and slows down the wind, reducing its damaging effects and creating a calmer, more sheltered environment for other plants to thrive.
Seasonal interest – hedges provide changing seasonal colours, flowers, or berries, acting as a natural, elegant, and soft backdrop for your garden plants.
Habitat for wildlife – hedges provide shelter for nesting birds, and berry-producing varieties provide food for insects and birds. Hedges can also help to form “wildlife corridors” allowing creatures to travel safely between gardens.
Improves air quality – living plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Dense foliage is also effective at trapping pollutants, dust, and particulate matter (like from road traffic), filtering the air in your garden.
Natural sound barrier – The thick, layered structure of foliage and branches is highly effective at muffling and absorbing external noise much better than a solid, flat wooden panel which can often reflect sound.
When to plant
Plant new hedges from mid to late November, as the plants are dormant and will hardly know they’ve been moved. When they wake up in spring they’ll race away to grow into a sturdy, elegant backdrop providing invaluable shelter for your garden.
Here at The Big Plant Nursery, you’ll find a wide range of hedging plants available in all sizes. Smaller plants are an economical solution for long runs of hedging, while larger specimens are the best bet for instant results.
Here’s our pick of the best hedging plants for planting now:
- Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) – Our top seller and a popular alternative to cherry laurel an some might even say classier, with it’s dark green foliage and red stems.
- Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) – A hedging favourite. Large, dense evergreen leaves.
- Yew (Taxus baccata) – The traditional choice for its elegant, dense dark green leaves. Slow-growing and easily-clipped into satisfyingly neat shapes, it’s the no.1 choice for topiary.
- Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’ – This is an excellent alternative evergreen to conifer hedging, Photinia is fast growing, reliable and easily maintained, exhibiting beautiful bright red new shoots throughout the year.
- Thuja plicata ‘Atrovirens’ -This will form a dense screen. Plant 60 – 100cm apart.
- Beech (Fagus sylvatica) – This is a lovely native deciduous hedge which holds on to its coppery leaves in autumn so you still get plenty of privacy even through winter.
- x Cuprocyparis leylandii (Cypress) – Available in green or slower growing golden varieties. Establishes quickly.
If you already have a fence in place or value the extra security then planting a row of hedging plants in front of it can soften the boundary and create a richer, more ecological border.
Benefits of combining the two include;
Softens the look – A hedge planted alongside the fence introduces texture, colour and movement. The hedge acts as a beautiful living backdrop for your beds, especially when it features seasonal changes, flowers, or berries
Doubled security and privacy – The fence provides a solid, immediate physical barrier, while the dense hedge adds an extra, natural layer of privacy. This combination is particularly effective at deterring intruders—a prickly or dense variety like Yew or Portuguese Laurel makes the boundary much harder to penetrate than a fence alone.
Extended longevity of the fence – by having a hedge planted in front of it, the hedge is partially shielded from the full force of the wind, rain and sun. This can slow down the deterioration of the wood, reducing the frequency and cost of weather-proofing and repairs.
Hiding wear and tear – if your fence is past its best then a hedge is a perfect way to hide scuffs panels or weathered posts.
