If you have just purchased a new home, you probably have some major landscaping to do. The developers may have provided the basics, but it you live on a small lot with neighbors on either side, you probably want something more substantial. Fences won’t give you the seclusion you want, and may send the wrong message to your neighbors. Fast growing hedge plants are a good, aesthetically pleasing alternative.
You can choose from flowering shrubs, those producing berries, or reliable evergreens. If you love the idea of flowers, you should consider the mock orange. You won’t see actual oranges when you plant these shrubs, but you will enjoy the fragrant citrus smell and the delicate white flowers that characterize the plants. You can expect this shrub to grow six to eight feet tall, depending on the variety you choose.
Lilacs are a perennial favorite. These fragrant bushes can grow anywhere from six to twenty feet tall. The Blue Wedgewood is one of the most popular varieties. It will only get to a height of about six feet and will spread an equal width. The Wedgewood is lavender blue, but you can find the lilac bushes with white, purple, burgundy, or lilac blooms.
The Forsythia is a shrub that will let you know spring has arrived. The blooms flower before the leaves have a chance to sprout, so you will have a vibrant yellow wall of beauty in the early spring. Unfortunately, once they bloom in spring, you will be left with shrubs that aren’t noteworthy on their own. If you are lucky though, the leaves may turn a beautiful purplish color in the fall.
An interesting fast growing shrub is the Purple Beautyberry. These bushes grow so quickly most landscapers recommend pruning them down to about a foot in the spring. The shrubs have light pink or purple flowers in the spring that turn into purple or white berries in the fall. The bushes are easy to grow whether you plant them in full sun or shade.
If you want a hedge that is consistent throughout the year, you may want to go with a form of evergreen. The Arborvitae is one example. The Green Giant grows the fastest, but since it can reach heights of sixty feet, may not be suitable for everyone. The Emerald Green doesn’t grow as quickly, but at twelve feet high, when mature, and three feet wide, it makes a nice, manageable hedge.
Yews are versatile choices. They have an advantage over some other evergreens in that these shrubs will thrive even in shady, north facing areas of the yard. Yews are happy in full sun as well. These are the shrubs you see with red berries that you have to warn your children about. The berries are poisonous and not to be eaten.
It’s great to move into a community with good neighbors. There are times when you want your privacy though. Privacy hedges don’t have to be forbidding. They can simply be a reminder to respect your need for space.