Landscape hedges act as barriers or borders for a property. They serve a variety of function ranging from providing privacy, noise reduction, weather barrier, division of parts of the property and much more.
Choosing The Correct Materials For A Landscape Hedge
Enlist the assistance of an experienced landscape professional when choosing the right materials to use for a landscape hedge. They know what landscape materials will do better in full shade vs. full sunlight. They know which ones will require excessive pruning and which ones are less time consuming to maintain. They also know how large a particular species will grow. Planting a large growing palm in an area where there is only a narrow walkway is a recipe for disaster and and future prescription for landscape renovation.
Sizes Of Landscape Hedges
Landscape hedges range from dwarf sized materials all the way to palms that grow upward of 20′ in height. The different species provide fabulous alternatives for the function you’d like your landscape hedge to achieve.
Flowering Plants and Ornamentals For Landscape Hedges
Flowering plants and ornamentals are a great way to add color to your landscaping. Two of the popular Florida choices are hibiscus and bougainvillea.
Hibiscus plants are iconic to the a tropical Florida lifestyle. Their flowers come in a huge variety of colors. They bloom almost year round. They like and appreciate full sunlight and come in a variety of sizes from dwarf to full size. They don’t like cold which makes them a great selection for our tropical environment. While they are a hedge material, they give rise to a more loose manicured look than other plant species.
Bougainvillea are also one of the flowering ornamental plants used in landscape hedges. They are whimsical and unstructured yet can still provide a distinct landscape barrier. Bougainvillea are hardy plants resistant to pests and diseases. They don’t like frost which is another reason they are a great plant to use in tropical climates. They bloom most of the year except for the dead of summer when the days are too long and hot and the rain fall is too great.
Typical Shrubs Used As Landscape Hedges
Some of the most popular green shrubs used as landscape hedges are cocoplums and silver or green buttonwoods.
Cocoplums are one of the most popular plant materials used in Southwest Florida. They are highly demanded by landscape architects on commercial projects and used just as widely in the residential arena. Cocoplums are a Florida native plant. They grow into rich, dense hedges providing a great source of privacy especially around screen enclosures. They are drought tolerant, easy to grow and easy to maintain. They like full sunlight to partial shade.
Silver or Green Buttonwoods are also a poplar green hedge material. They too are drought tolerant and popularly used in commercial and residential applications alike. They are salt resistant which makes them a great plant to use along sea walls and beach front property. They protect the soil during storms and can grow in sandy soils all the way to wet soils. They are fast growing, prefer full sunlight to partial sun and do not like cold weather.
Larger Landscape Hedge Materials
If creating an outdoor wall or fence using landscape materials is your goal then using a species that grows larger is necessary. Some of the landscape species that are popular landscape walls are ficus trees and areca palms.
Areca Palms are the most popular and recognized material used to create a wall of landscaping. They too are a tropical material preferring full sunlight all the way to shady areas. At maturity they can reach upwards of 20’+. They create a thick full landscape wall. They are especially used at the edges of property lines to provide privacy to a residence. Be warned, they grown fast and thick and can get overwhelming if not properly maintained.
Ficus trees are also a popular choice to create a tall, dense landscape hedge. They also grow fast. If you want them to remain looking like a clean crisp landscape wall you must be diligent in their shaping and pruning. They are a popular choice for privacy screens and prefer full sunlight.
Installing Landscape Hedges
Installing a landscape hedge of any species should be done by an experienced landscape installer. You should also consider adding proper irrigation while you are having the hedge added. A well watered and maintained hedge will grow more beautifully. A hedge is best irrigated by use of drip irrigation that should also be installed by a qualified, licensed and insured irrigation contractor.
R & R Sprinkler and Landscape is capable of handing both the landscaping installation as well as the irrigation installation of your new landscape hedge. Enlisting our services is like killing two birds with one stone.
