Planting shrubs to protect yourself from prying eyes is particularly necessary when you live in the city. But in general, gardens in urban areas are not very large. It is therefore wise to choose species that are not very invasive but which fulfill their role as a screen, or even a windbreak, very well. Here are some examples of shrubs perfect for forming a hedge in an urban area and bringing a highly decorative note to your property.
Rose bushes for a city hedge
Original and spectacular, the urban hedge made up entirely or in part of bush roses has a crazy charm. In addition, thorn roses are a must if you want to plant a defensive hedge. To quickly benefit from a plant screen beautiful, it is necessary to plant varieties that grow quickly in height but also in width. Roses are therefore plants of the family of Rosaceae absolutely essential, as the following three examples prove.
Splendid Rosa x moschata ‘Penelope’
Some species become real small shrubs only three years after rooting, as is the case with splendid Rosa x moschata ‘Penelope’a fabulous ancient bush rose whose deliciously fragrant semi-double ivory to pale pink flowers bloom from June. Flowering continues abundantly until frost. This beautiful rose which reaches 1.80 to 2.00 m in height and 1.70 m in width is very hardy since it withstands temperatures down to -23°C.
Lady Hillingdon Climbing
This is a very old rose perfect for beds and hedges, especially in town. It is a climber that can reach 4 to 5 m in height and quickly form a large bush. It needs support like a fence. Her fragrant roses are yellow and sprinkled with subtle shades in orange tones. This very hardy rose also tolerates full sun.
Rose Pierre de Ronsard
One cannot evoke a hedge of roses in an urban area without mentioning thePierre de Ronsard hybrida pretty bushy subject 2m high reminiscent of English roses. Admittedly, the fragrance of its well-rounded double roses is very discreet, but their beauty is unparalleled, with their white petals delicately edged with pastel pink. This rustic, slightly remontant rose is a real pleasure for the eyes.
Star Jasmine
With a height of 2 m and a wingspan of approximately 1.20 m, Trachelospermum jasminoidesof the family of Apocynaceae, is perfect for integrating into a city hedge. His multiple star-shaped white flowersau heady fragrance very pronounced bloom from June to September. As for its evergreen foliage, it is a real asset for this shrub to train which can be slipped into a hedge alongside other species flowering at other times. Thus, it is possible to enjoy staggered blooms in various colors. Note that star jasmine resists down to -15°C.
The Forsythia
It is the essential shrub bringing to the city hedge this luminous touch which nicely marks the arrival of spring thanks to its flamboyant golden yellow flowers. Forsythia, which is nicknamed mimosa from paris, is one of the first shrubs to flower each year, starting in February, and its flowers appear long before the foliage. Easy to grow, this ornamental shrub from the family of Oleaceae is appreciated for the beauty of its flowering, its hardiness since it easily supports up to -20°C, but also for its rapid growth. Depending on the variety, it displays a height of between 2 and 5 m.
Le Deutzia
The deutzias, from the family of Hydrangeaceaeare shrubs that deserve their place in a flowering hedge in an urban environment. For instance Deutzia scabra, which quickly reaches 2 m in height and 1.90 m in width, is covered in spring with multiple clusters of flowers a good fifteen cm long, forming a pom pom waterfall absolutely stunning beauty. But the choice is vast since there are more than 60 species of deutzias as well as many hybrids, and whose flower color can be pink, purple or white.
Deutzia can be combined with Weigelia, Seringat, Lilac or even Forsythia and various bush roses for a spectacular effect guaranteed for several months.
The Viorne obier
If one wishes attract birds, the hedge in urban areas must be partly composed of shrubs capable of feeding them in winter. This is the case of Viburnum obier (Viburnum’s wealth), a vigorous deciduous shrub that belongs to the family of Adoxaceae. We love his bushy habitses superb white flowers in umbels which bloom from May to July then give way to red berries ornaments that birds love. Its foliage, which turns red in autumn, is just as remarkable. This fast-growing shrub, which used to be called Cattail Wood, reaches a height of 4 m in adulthood. Fairly hardy, it can withstand temperatures down to -15°C.
The common mock orange
Also called Jasmine of the poets, Philadelphus coroner is a pretty shrub of the family of Hydrangeaceae which does not exceed 2 m in height. His multiple white flowers sometimes tinged with purple at base bloom in May and June. They exhale a captivating fragrance. This Seringat is perfect in a city hedge to which it brings a country note. It can be combined with a Deutzia, a bush rose or even a Mahonia. Easy to grow because it is not very demanding, the Jasmine of the poets shows extreme hardiness since it withstands down to -40°C.
The Mahoney
Mahonia x media is a hybrid species of the family of Berberidaceae. This 2 m high shrub is particularly interesting in a city hedge because of its winter flowering. Indeed, its lily-of-the-valley-scented flowers form sumptuous bouquets of a bright lemon yellow from December to April. Then the shrub produces bluish black berries which are not lacking in interest either. The icing on the cake, the Mahonia x media has a evergreenwhich allows you to be protected by your hedge even in winter.
Shrubby St. John’s Wort
With her sumptuous flowering of a dazzling yellow which illuminates a hedge in an urban area from June to October, the old variety Hypericum x hidcoteense ‘Hidcote’of the family of Hypericaceaehas the advantage of keeping its beautiful foliage with bluish undersides, especially in mild climates. It is a shrubby St. John’s wort very easy to grow, about 2 m high, resistant to drought and whose supple habit gives it great elegance. It is ideal in mixed-border because it allows to create beautiful color harmonies when associated with other shrubs with red, pink or mauve flowers for example. Special mention for its large golden yellow flowers with spectacular long stamens and its hardiness thanks to which it withstands temperatures down to -20°C.
La Mauve du Cap ‘The Lightning’
L’Anisodontea capensis ‘The Lightning’ is an absolutely stunning shrub due to the record duration of flowering, up to 12 months a year if it is well located and enjoys a mild climate. But it still resists negative temperatures (down to -8°C) if they are not prolonged for too long. This variety ‘Lightning’ abrings a colorful note to a hedge thanks to its multiple pink flowers and his evergreen decorative foliage is a plus. These shrubs are perfect for integrating into a hedge in urban areas because their height does not exceed 1.80 to 2 m.
Le Perovskia
Perovskia atriplicifolia blue spire is a shrub of the family of Lamiaceae which does not exceed 1.40 m in height. It is therefore particularly suitable for a low hedge and blends nicely with bush roses. His small, lovely mauve flowers bloom from June to September, forming large panicles measuring up to 30 centimeters. Its foliage consists of very aromatic leaves which exhale a scent of Sage as soon as they are crumpled. They are serrated and silvery green in color. This Perovskia can be found under different names: Sage from Russia, Lavender from Afghanistan or Sage from Afghanistan.
Of course, many other solutions are possible to quickly create a hedge in an urban area and bring beautiful colors to its natural fence. Photinia, Mexican orange tree, Cotoneaster, Winter honeysuckle, Shrubby honeysuckle, Flowering gooseberry or even Lady Boothby’s climbing Fuchsia are all perfect shrubs to create a aesthetic hedge, colorfuland even, in some cases, pleasantly scented can only seduce neighbors and walkers. By opting for these plants, you inevitably bring elegance to your fence and that changes a little from Thuya.
At time choose your shrubs for urban hedges, it is of course essential to find out about their maintenance needs, the type of soil most conducive to their good health and growth, but it is also necessary to ensure that they are able to withstand the exposure that they will face. will be imposed as well as the climate. Beware of frost-susceptible shrubs if you live in a particularly cold urban area exposed to icy winds or shrubs that cannot tolerate high heat if you plan to create a plant hedge in a southern region. Each coveted species must therefore be studied with a magnifying glass before purchase. This is the condition sine qua non to obtain complete satisfaction thereafter.