SolveYourProblem
Hedges Article Series
I
Want To Create
The Perfect Hedge
Ornamental
Hedging: Designs for Your Yard
If you are one of the thousands of people
who love to see an interesting hedge in a yard, you may want
to consider adding great ornamental hedging sculptures to your
own yard or garden. Although it may seem incredibly difficult
to construct, you can sculpt your own hedges in no
time with a little guidance. There are a few things you should consider
however before you jump into hedge sculpting. Start with making
a rough sketch of your yard or garden to get an idea of where
the hedging would look best and work most efficiently.
Experts would tell you that there are certain species of hedges
that work best with ornamental hedging. Although you can try
to work with any type of hedge, these varieties are
easiest to work with and maintain. Chamaecyparis, Artemisia, Azara,
Berberis, Buxus, Caryopteris, Cassinia, Cephalotaxus, Chaenomeles,
Corylus, and Cotoneaster are all recommended types of hedges
to use when participating in ornamental hedging.
Although some may feel this type of sculpting is best when
the whole world can see it, you can put these works of art
almost anywhere. One thing you should consider when planning
where to place your ornamental hedging is the style of the
hedging. If you are trying a more traditional hedging style
such as boxed hedging or a sculpted wall design, you can put
it almost anywhere. These types of hedging are elegant and
can even be used in the front yard without taking away from
your home’s elegance.
If you are more interested in causal shapes
for sculpting, you may want to limit them to your backyard
or garden area.
Many people love to include fun shapes or hedges in shapes
of animals in their yard décor. While these things are
interesting and fun to look at, you may want to think about
whether or not you want them to be the first thing guests see
when they arrive to your home. While the more modern shapes
works for some people, if you are more traditional in style,
you will want to keep them at the minimum.
The
best way to get the most professional results in ornamental
hedging is to hire a professional. There are professionals
that specialize in topiary and ornamental hedging. They have
been trained to work in these forms of art. There are people
however who would rather try this task themselves. If this
is the case, you should strongly consider taking a class on
the art form. Many local community colleges will offer topiary
classes from time to time for small fees. You can also check
with your local expert or nursery to get contacts for instruction.
One great thing to think about is starting
small. Many people
will go at their largest hedge with clippers. Choosing to attack
the largest hedge in your yard can end in total disaster. If
you take it too far, the hedge must be replaced. Instead of
taking the risk with these results, you can start a little
smaller. Consider buying a small, inexpensive hedge that you
can work on inside. You can also work on it outdoors, if the
weather permits. Try different approaches on this “tester”
hedge before moving on to something larger. Once you have mastered
the smaller hedge, you can try to move on to more permanent
hedges in your yard.
If you enjoy looking at sculpted hedges, you can also visit
gardens such as Green Animals, a topiary garden in Rhode Island.
Some of the world’s most talented artists have worked building
and maintaining sculptures in parks such as these. They are
perfect places to take your family or to enjoy a relaxing picnic
on your own. No matter what the reason, they are amazing places
to get inspiration for your own ornamental hedging project
at your home. Pay attention to details and how each hedge is
constructed to get the best ideas and put them to use at home.
Remember, before beginning to sculpt you should always develop
a plan. Make sure the plan includes practicing or perhaps taking
a class or two. There is nothing worse than ruining an old
hedge because you did not take the time to plan and research
ahead. Once you have all of the information you need however,
you can create beautiful art work that will add nicely to your
home.
