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We have put together this great selection of native fruiting hedgerow species to encourage wildlife into your garden. Every variety in this mix will produce a berry or nut that birds, bees, and butterflies will love and as the hedge grows it will provide shelter for small mammals, birds, and more. Mixed together these species will create a more informal hedge/screen that can be clipped to shape but is well suited to a taller hedge if you'd like to let it grow a bit more wild. You can read more details below or jump straight to the plants.
The point of choose-your-own is so that you can create a mix of the plants that you love most, but if you would like a suggestion for an affordable, lovely mix, here is what we would do:
60%: Crataegus monogyna - Hawthorn
10%: Second species of your choice from below
10%: Third species of your choice from below
10%: Fourth species of your choice from below
10%: Fifth species of your choice from below
The more diversity in a mixed hedge, the better, but if there aren't four other species available, don't worry! Any mixture of two plants or more is still a mixed hedge!
The plants in this mix will take inland exposure and will grow in any reasonable, well-drained soil.
We recommend planting this hedge mix at 3 plants per meter in a staggered row, with 6" to 9" between the rows.
For best results we recommend planting the varieties in groups that repeat themselves down through the hedge; e.g. Hawthorn, Hazel, Crabapple, Hawthorn, Hazel, Crabapple and so on.
When first planted, a prune will encourage good bushy growth. How hard you cut the plants depends on how low down you want them to bush from, at the very least prune off any whippy growth or prune down to 1ft.
Ongoing, this hedge can get a trim in early Spring. For mature hedges, avoid cutting during the nesting season between early-March and end-of-August.
Keeping any young hedge weed and grass free is vital to the overall vigour and health of the hedge. Using weed membrane keeps back weeds and insulates the roots and will greatly increase growth rates, as well as cutting down on your weeding work. Mulching is another great option for insulating the roots and holding back weeds, bark mulch is the most commonly used medium.
