Beefing up the hedges

Although we’re not messing too much with the boundaries of the garden which, for the most part, are formed of beautiful native hedgerow shrubs, there are places where they could do with being bulked up a bit. We’ve already got a pretty sturdy evergreen backbone of holly, ivy and hawthorn, but where there are gaps I’d like to add Prunus spinosa, (so I have my own supply of sloes for Christmas gin); Sambucus nigra (same, but for elderflower champagne); Symphoricarpus, for winter arrangements; and Rosa canina – both for the gorgeous heart-petaled flowers and the crimson hips. 

I’m also drawn to wild honeysuckle for early summer interest and the gorgeous metallic colours you get from beech and hazel in the autumn. And I’m open to other suggestions – the more the merrier.

Elsewhere within the garden we’ll have more formal yew dividers, which look so neat and dark and perfect all year round. So a bit of wildness as you get further away from the house will provide a nice contrast, I think. And plenty of nooks and crannies for wildlife.