Hedgerow

hedgerow

Fence or boundary formed by a dense row of shrubs or low trees. Hedgerows enclose or separate fields, protect the soil from wind erosion, and serve to keep cattle and other livestock enclosed. To lay a hedge, the trunks of closely planted saplings of species suitable for hedgerows (e.g., hawthorn) are cut a good portion of the way through and the sapling laid down on the ground. New growth rises vertically, forming an impenetrable mesh of branches. In Britain, hedgerows have been a feature of the countryside since the enclosure movement and provide a habitat for numerous songbirds and small animals. As large-scale mechanized farming has become dominant, hedgerows are being removed to combine small fields into larger ones.

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hedgerow

a hedge of shrubs or low trees growing along a bank, esp one bordering a field or lane

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hedgerow

Trees and shrubs in a row forming a fence which encloses or separates fields.

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Hedgerow 

a row of shrubs or trees with thick interlocking crowns of the same height. Hedgerows are used in landscape architecture for protecting roads, for separating residential buildings from the street, and for framing avenues, squares, and boulevards. They are also used in landscaping gardens, parks, and city streets. In kolkhozes and sovkhozes hedgerows may serve as belts to separate areas and to prevent cattle from entering fields and gardens.

Hedgerows are divided into three groups according to height: the so-called borders (less than 1 m), medium hedge-rows (from 1 m to 3 m), and green walls (over 3 m). Irrespective of their height, hedgerows may either be kept in their natural state or trimmed regularly. Hedgerows may be formed from one, two, or several rows of varying heights (multilevel planting). Borders are used to frame parterres, flowerbeds, lawns, and park paths. In making borders, low shrubs with thick foliage and small leaves that grow slowly and withstand trimming well are used, including mahonia, cotoneaster, and arborvitae. For hedgerows of medium height, medium and tall shrubs, as well as the shrub forms of some trees, often hawthorn, dogwood, or honeysuckle, are used. Green walls are formed from freely growing trees and shrubs with naturally symmetrical crowns or with crowns that can be maintained in a definite shape by regular trimming. Green walls that are not trimmed are formed from trees with columnar crowns. Beech, spruce, poplar, and linden are used for green walls.

Hedgerows should be thick, compact, leafy at all heights, and geometrically regular in shape. Single-layer hedgerows make good backgrounds for flowerbeds and small garden landscapes. Multilayer hedgerows may consist of shrubs with leaves of one color or of contrasting colors, and untrimmed hedgerows are made from plants with beautiful flowers and fruit. In addition to ordinary hedgerows, trellises are also used in landscaping: rows of trees or shrubs that form a flat leafy lattice as a result of trimming, growing together, or the bending of runners in a particular direction. Trees are used for creating tall trellises, trellised avenues, and special formal designs.

I. P. IGNAT’EVA