Hawthorn newly laid hedge

Hedge flail cut

Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna, the stock fence on farmland. Deciduous, spiny, flowering, berrying and impenetrable to livestock. These days, often cut with a tractor mounted flail mower. Craftsmen traditionally lay a hedge to strengthen the base and promote fresh growth. Equally suited as a garden boundary hedge and will respond well to an annual trim. The other way to use it is part of a mixed species hedge, combined with a selection of evergreen and deciduous species.

Ilex aquifolium, Prunus lusitanica, Viburnum opulus, Fagus sylvatica, Rosa rugosa. Source a selection of these plants. Mix them randomly and plant in a double staggered row to form the hedge. Over the years these will knit together and provide year round interest.