A newly built house, new neighbors or a new pool in the garden are good reasons to plant a fast-growing hedge. However, many hedge plants need a lot of time to form a dense privacy wall against prying eyes. That's why we have a few of the best shrubs and perennials that could be suitable for this purpose.
Just as thorny bushes grow around a fairytale castle, shrubs with thorns could serve not only as a privacy screen but as a barrier to intruding animals and people, improving the security of your property.
Firethorn (Pyracantha) can reach a height of 3 – 3.5 meters within 2 or 3 growing seasons, has strong thorns and evergreen leaves, and produces an abundance of orange berries in late autumn.
Barberry (Berberis spp.) and hawthorn (Craetaegus spp.) species grow quickly and form dense, thorny and compact hedges. They produce berries in the fall that attract birds and can form a 1 meter high privacy wall in just a few years.
Evergreen trees grow more slowly than deciduous shrubs and it could take 5 to 7 years to create a 1.5 meter high hedge. But they have the advantage that they continue to block views, noise and wind through the winter months.
The fastest growing evergreen hedge plants include Sawara cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera) and the arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis). The Virginian juniper (Juniperus virginiana) is also fast-growing, evergreen, and highly adaptable, even to less-than-ideal soil conditions.
However, the rapid growth can result in sparse density, contrary to what is desired. To avoid this, the plants should be cut back heavily in the first few years. This would make your hedge grow thicker and lusher.
Flowering shrubs combine the advantages of a dense privacy hedge and those of perennial flowers.
Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) has long been an integral part of our gardens, and not just because of its beautiful scent.
Forsythia is fast-growing, robust and blooms with beautiful yellow flowers in mid-spring. Regular pruning keeps the overgrown forsythia in shape while new shoots sprout between the old branches. In 2 to 3 years, depending on the growing conditions, the forsythia hedge can reach 1.5 - 1.8 meters high.
A number of viburnum shrub species can form beautifully flowering hedges. Viburnum opulis has small red berries that attract birds and animals to the garden. Viburnum odoratissimum grows well in sun and shade, while “Viburnum plicatum tomentosum” tends to stay low. The viburnum viburnum grows more openly than the forsythia and the density of the hedge again depends on the cut.
Do you already have an idea which variant is best for your garden? Then take a look at the examples below and get more inspiration on the topic!
