Hornbeam hedges are ideal for planting at property boundaries and directly in the garden. After a few years they form a tight privacy screen. When designing a garden with hornbeam hedges, different garden areas can be wonderfully separated from one another.
Why is a hornbeam hedge suitable for garden design?
A hornbeam hedge is ideal for garden design as it is easy to care for, tolerates pruning and offers privacy all year round. It can be placed on slopes, in front of fences or in natural gardens and serves as a nesting place for birds.
A different leaf color for every season
A hornbeam hedge is not planted because of its inconspicuous flowers, but because of its foliage.
The leaves have a different color every season:
- Spring when budding: light green
- Summer: fresh medium green
- Autumn: yellow autumn leaves
- Winter: Brown
The leaves stay on the hornbeam hedge for a very long time. They often only fall off when new growth begins in spring.
This means that a hornbeam hedge offers good privacy all year round.
Easier to care for than beech hedges
A big advantage of gardening with a hornbeam hedge is that the plants are easier to care for and are not as picky about their location as copper beeches.
Common beeches love it a little warmer, while the hornbeam from the birch family also copes very well with cool temperatures.
The hornbeam is a deep-rooted tree, while the common beech is a shallow-rooted tree. Planting a beech hedge near sidewalks or utility lines can cause stone slabs to lift or pipes to burst. This danger does not exist with the hornbeam.
Create hornbeam hedges on slopes or in front of fences
Hornbeams also tolerate drier locations quite well. They can even be planted on slopes. This is unthinkable for a copper beech, for example.
Hornbeam hedges are so easy to cut that they can even be used to cut arches. This allows you to create passages or set interesting accents in your garden design.
You can also plant a hornbeam hedge directly in front of a metal fence. This makes sense if, for example, you keep small dogs or want to prevent rabbits and other small animals from getting into the garden. After a few years there is almost nothing left of the fence.
Hornbeam hedge for natural garden design
Hornbeam hedges are often used as a nesting place for birds, especially blackbirds. Many little garden dwellers also feel comfortable there. A hornbeam hedge is therefore an ideal planting for natural gardens.
Tip
One of the most beautiful and oldest examples of garden design with a hornbeam hedge can be found in Pulsnitz in Saxony. There is the famous, 150-year-old arcade, which looks like something out of a fairy tale with its gnarled hornbeams.