Description
Each 25 plant pack contains the following:
- 12 x Hawthorn - Crataegus monogyna - frothy white, may flowers in spring and bright red haws in autumn (Green)
- 2 x Wild Privet - Ligustrum vulgare - white flowers, black berries (Red)
- 2x Hazel - Corylus avellana - catkins in February, fresh green leaves, nuts in autumn (Blue)
- 2 x Guelder Rose - Viburnum opulus - lace-cap flowers, redcurrant looking berries (Purple)
- 2 x Blackthorn - Prunus spinosa - fluffy white blossom, black autumn berries (Black)
- 1 x Elderflower - Sambucus nigra - lacy white flowers, maroon berries (Yellow)
- 2 x Crabapple - Malus sylvestris - stunning pink blossom, crabapples in autumn (White)
- 2x Sweet Briar Rose Rosa rubiginosa Bees and hoverflies are attracted to the flowers. Many birds, including blackbirds, waxwings and greenfinches feed on the hips (Orange)
Each of these plants is chosen for the avian gourmet, either directly by having lots of berries or in the case of something like wild privet by harbouring masses of insects that the birds can then eat. And setting that aside, these are all extremely attractive plants in their own right and at different seasons, so they are also food for the soul. The mix is suitable for pretty much any soil and contains enough thorny plants to deter intruders. It will provide food for birds for a large part of the year and, once it is mature, it will be cat-proof, encouraging many birds happy to build their nests in it.
Spacing for planting hedges:
Plant your hedging at 3 plants per metre, 33cms apart. Alternatively, you can also plant at 5 plants per metre in a staggered double row, with 33 cms between each plant along the row and 40cms between the rows. Each pack of 25 plants will make 8 metres of single row hedge and 5 metres of double row hedge. This Hedging mix is good for hedges up to about 3-4 metres high.
Features
· Size: up to 4 m
· Soil: any
· Use: wildlife ,native,country/environmental/informal
· Single Row: 3 per metre
· Double Row: 5/m staggered
· Colour: pink, white, red, autumn colours
· Feature: attracts birds, beautiful, intruder proof
· Flowering: white and pink in spring and summer
· Berries: red and black in autumn and winter
When The Plants arrive
When your plants are delivered, bare rooted plants normally arrive inside a box with plastic bags over the roots and should be treated carefully. It’s essential that they’re not allowed to dry out or be exposed to frost. The bags should be kept standing up in a sheltered area away from wind etc., The quicker the hedge is planted the better. If you can’t get out and plant the bare rooted hedging within a couple of days, the plants should be removed from the bags and heeled in (stood upright in a trench and the roots covered with soil).
Spade Method (Also known as Slit Planting)
This entails cutting a slit in the ground and holding it open with a spade whilst the roots of the plant are carefully inserted and spread downwards.
Check out our blog post on "How to plant a bare root hedge" here.
