Marking your boundaries

Hedging

In most gardens hedging is used to mark the garden’s external boundaries and, quite often, internal ones. Formal hedging will require clipping at least once a year (more if a fast growing hedging plant is chosen), so may be something you wish to forego as part of ‘low maintenancing’ your garden. An informal hedge made of slow-growing shrubs and trees may be a better solution, although some maintenance will still be required to keep it in check and train it to a dense form. If you wish to retain hedging, we suggest some plants in the plants section.

Walling

While expensive, walling can be a good investment in terms of low maintenance, as long as a classic design is chosen using plain bricks or natural stone, so you won’t need to change it if fashions change.

Fencing

While not as low maintenance as a wall, fencing can be a great alternative to a hedge as it provides instant effect and is cheaper to construct than a wall. However, it will require re-staining every few years and won’t last as long as walling or hedging.

Trellis

A trellis is a good option for divisions within a garden as it can screen part of the garden without blocking it, and also provides good support for plants to grow through. It’s also relatively cheap to erect and is available in a range of styles and ‘hole’ size. Like fencing, it will require re-staining to keep it in best condition and will eventually need replacing.