Plant a Formal Hedge

A tidy, clipped hedge is the standard border for formal gardens. Here's how to get one started.

Excerpted from How to Grow Practically Everything
Filed under: Shrubs, Plants, Gardening

Firm In Well

When in place, check that the plants are upright and then firm in around them with your foot. Create a slight dip around each plant to act as a reservoir and water well. Add a thick mulch of compost or manure, keeping it clear of the plant stems. Water for the first year and feed plants annually in spring.

Use Pot-Grown Plants

Some plants, such as lavender, boxwood, holly and privet, aren't generally available in bare-root form and are grown and sold in pots. The planting technique is similar to that for bare-root types but pot-grown hedging can be planted at any time of year, as long as the soil is not frozen or very dry.

Dig Planting Holes

Prepare the soil and mark out the area as before. Either dig a long trench or individual holes for each plant — holes need to be as deep as the root ball and twice as wide.