230 GARDEN DESIGN 



believe in letting the hedge get up to 5 ft. before 

 training it stiffly. Roses and plums grow so fast 

 that a hard pruning their first year in order to 

 force up a thicket of bottom growth is a distinct 

 benefit. The idea of giving freedom is to develop 

 the root system, and when that is well grown out, 

 the foliage can be clipped without fear of checking. 



The distances at which to plant hedge stuff is 

 determined by the size. A good rule is to have 

 two-thirds of the height between each plant. 

 Thus plants of 3 ft. high would be set 2 ft. apart, 

 and 2j ft. (a common size for yews) at 20 in. 

 Well grown stuff will be just in contact at this 

 spacing. Single lines are recommended for formal 

 planting. Where shelter is the object, a double 

 line set alternately is more solid. 



The height of a hedge can be augmented from 

 the beginning by raising a low bank for the plant- 

 ing. The top of this bank should be flat for at 

 least 2 ft., and if on grass the turf should be 

 brought up the sides of the bank. (See Diagram 



8 4 .) 



What one may call fancy hedges can be very 

 effective for small enclosures golden privet, 

 golden yew, silver hollies, prunus Pissardii and 

 so forth but in long stretches they would be 

 tiresome. As a finish to a terrace, and to shelter 

 seats such hedges look well. They are not suffi- 

 ciently quiet in tone to be used as backgrounds 

 to bright colours. A good effect may also be had 



