A hedge is a line of closely spaced shrubs and bushes, planted and trained in such a way as to form a barrier or to mark the boundary of an area. A shrub or Bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of Woody plant, distinguished from a Tree Hedges, especially those used to separate a road from adjoining fields or one field from another, and of sufficient age to incorporate small trees, are also frequently known as hedgerows.
Many hedgerows separating fields from lanes in England and the Low Countries are estimated to have been in existence for more than seven hundred years, and some are even older. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt The root word of 'hedge' is much older: it appears in Old English, in German (Hecke), and Dutch (haag) to signify 'enclosure', as in the name of the Dutch city The Hague, or more formal 's Gravenhage, meaning The Count's hedge. A count is a Nobleman in European countries The word count comes from French comte, itself from Latin Charles the Bald is recorded as complaining in 864, at a time when most official fortifications were constructed of wooden palisades, that some unauthorized men were constructing haies et fertés – tightly interwoven hedges of hawthorns. Charles the Bald ( 13 June 823 – 6 October 877) Holy Roman Emperor (875–877 as Charles II) and King of West Francia palisade is a steel or wooden Fence or wall of variable height usually used as a defensive structure [1]
The nineteenth century Great Hedge of India was probably the largest example of a hedge used as a barrier. The Great Hedge of India or Inland Customs Line was a customs barrier across India from the 1840s to the 1880s built by the British rulers to facilitate It was planted and used to collect taxes by the British.
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Hedgelaying
If hedges are not maintained or only trimmed repeatedly, gaps tend to form at the base over many years. Hedge laying is a country skill typically found in the United Kingdom and Ireland, which through the creation and maintenance of hedges, achieves the In essence, hedgelaying consists of cutting most of the way through the stem of each plant near the base, bending it over and interweaving it between wooden stakes. This also encourages new growth from the base of each plant. Originally, the main purpose of hedgelaying was to ensure the hedge remained stock-proof. Some side branches were also removed and used as firewood.
The maintenance and laying of hedges in such a way as to form an impenetrable barrier for farm animals is a skilled art. In Britain there are many local hedgelaying traditions, each with a distinct style. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Hedges are still being laid today as they are not only beautiful and functional but they also help wildlife and protect against soil erosion. Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants animals and other organisms Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind
Dating ancient hedges
Hedges that have existed for hundreds of years are colonised by additional species. This may be useful to determine the age of the hedge. Hedgerow dating suggests that one new species is attracted to each 27 metre section of hedge every 100 years. Hooper's Rule is the observation by Dr Max Hooper that a British Hedgerow can be dated quite accurately by counting the number of Species therein However, results are mixed and the technique is controversial.
Hedges in gardening
Hedges, both clipped and unclipped, are often used for ornamental purposes in the layout of gardens. A garden is a planned space usually outdoors set aside for the display cultivation and enjoyment of Plants and other forms of Nature. Typical woody plants for clipped hedges include privet, hawthorn, beech, yew, leyland cypress, hemlock, arborvitae, barberry, box, holly, oleander, lavender, etc. This article is about the privet plant in the genus Ligustrum. Hawthorn ( Crataegus) is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in For the babyfood see Beech-Nut. Beech ( Fagus) is a genus of ten Species of Deciduous Trees in the The family Taxaceae, commonly called the yew family includes three genera and about 7 to 12 species of Coniferous Plants or in other interpretations The Leyland Cypress, X Cupressocyparis leylandii (syn Callitropsis × leylandii) is often referred to as just Leylandii. Tsuga (from ツガ ja 栂 the name for Tsuga sieboldii) is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. Thuja occidentalis (Eastern Arborvitae Northern Whitecedar is an Evergreen coniferous Tree, in the cypress family Cupressaceae Berberis ( Bér-be-ris, barberry, pepperidge bush) a Genus of about 450-500 species of Deciduous and Evergreen Buxus is a Genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box (majority of English-speaking countries or boxwood Holly ( Ilex) is a Genus of about 600 Species of Flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only Oleander ( Nerium oleander) is an Evergreen Shrub or small Tree in the dogbane family Apocynaceae. The Lavenders Lavandula are a Genus of about 25–30 species of Flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean An early 20th century fashion was for tapestry hedges, using a mix of golden, green and glaucous dwarf conifers, or beech and copper beech. For the babyfood see Beech-Nut. Beech ( Fagus) is a genus of ten Species of Deciduous Trees in the Unclipped hedges take up more space, generally at a premium in modern gardens, but compensate by flowering. Rosa multiflora is widely used as a dense hedge along median (central) strips of dual-carriageway roads, such as parkways in the United States. Rosa multiflora ( Multiflora Rose, Baby Rose, Rambler Rose) is a species of Rose native to eastern Asia, in China On divided roads including Expressways Motorways or Autobahns the central reservation (British English, median (North American A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. In the United States, Parkways are defined as follows A type of road A broad landscaped thoroughfare especially: one from which trucks and The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In mild climates, more exotic flowering hedges are formed, using Ceanothus, Hibiscus or Camellia. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of Ceanothus L is a Genus of about 50–60 species of Shrubs or small Trees in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. Hibiscus, or rosemallow, is a large genus of about 200&ndash220 species of Flowering plants in the family Malvaceae (the mallow family Camellia ( ( Japanese: 椿 Tsubaki) is a Genus of Flowering plants in the family Theaceae, native to eastern and southern
Hedges of clipped trees forming avenues are a feature of 16th century Italian gardens such as the Boboli Gardens in Florence, and of formal French gardens in the manner of André Le Nôtre, e. Traditionally an avenue is a straight road with a line of Trees or large Shrubs running along each side which is used as its French source venir ("to This entry concerns the history of ornamental gardening considered as an amenity of civilized life as a vehicle for style for conspicuous show and even an expression of philosophy The Boboli Gardens, in Italian Giardino di Boboli, form a famous park in Florence, Italy, that is home to a distinguished collection of sculptures dating Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany André Le Nôtre ( March 12, 1613 &ndash September 15 1700) was a Landscape architect and the gardener of King Louis XIV g. at Versailles. Versailles (vɛʀsaj in French) formerly de facto capital of the kingdom of France, is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and is still an important The 'hedge on stilts' of clipped hornbeams at Hidcote Manor Garden, Gloucestershire, is famous and has sometimes been imitated. Plants in the genus Carpinus ( Cár-pi-nus) are commonly called Hornbeams. Hidcote Manor Garden is a Landscape garden located on the outskirts of the village of Hidcote Bartrim, near Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century
Hedges below knee height are generally thought of as borders. Elaborately shaped and interlaced borders forming knot gardens or parterres were fashionable in Europe during the 16th and early 17th centuries. Knot gardens were first established in the UK in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging, and gravel paths arranged to form Generally they were appreciated from a raised position, either the windows of a house, or a terrace. In Gardening, a terrace is an element where a raised flat paved or gravelled section overlooks a Prospect.
Clipped hedges above eye level may be laid out in the form of a labyrinth or garden maze. In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth ( Greek λαβύρινθος labyrinthos) was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer A maze is a complex Tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route Few such mazes survived the change of fashion towards more naturalistic plantings in the 18th and 19th centuries, but many were replanted in 20th century restorations of older gardens. A garden is a planned space usually outdoors set aside for the display cultivation and enjoyment of Plants and other forms of Nature. An example is behind the Governor's Palace, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. Colonial Williamsburg' is the historic district of the Independent city of Williamsburg Virginia.
Hedges and pruning can both be used to enhance a garden's privacy, as a buffer to visual pollution and to hide fences. For other uses of the term "Pruning" see Pruning (disambiguation. Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively In geography a buffer zone is any zonal area that serves the purpose of keeping two or more other areas (often but not necessarily countries) distant from one another Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in A fence is a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary A hedge can be aesthetically pleasing, as in a tapestry hedge, where alternate species are planted at regular intervals to present different colours or textures.
See also
External links
- The British Hedgelaying Society
- Plant Selection for Hedges
- Irish Hedgerow Diary
- The English Hedgerow Trust
References
Notes
- ^ Rouche, Michel, "Private life conquers state and society," in A History of Private Life vol I, Paul Veyne, editor, Harvard University Press 1987 ISBN 0-674-39974-9, page 428
Sources
- van Der Horst, Arend Jan [1994] (1995). Hedgerow removal is part of the transition of Arable land from low-intensity to high-intensity Farming. A Cornish hedge is a style of hedge found in Cornwall.A Cornish hedge has two sides which are built by placing huge stone blocks into the earth and packing them in A quickset hedge is a type of hedge created by planting live Hazel or whitethorn ( Common hawthorn) cuttings directly into the earth A windbreak or shelterbelt is a Plantation usually made up of one or more rows of Trees or Shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter "Hedges", Art of the Formal Garden, Trans. from Dutch by Mary Charles, London: Cassell. ISBN 0-304-347426.
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