12 Gorgeous garden hedge ideas for your home

Do you love spending time in your garden? We can’t blame you! Plus, gardening is such an enjoyable stress-relief activity. What’s not to love, right?

If you’re thinking of ways to spruce it up, we’ve got an idea: Hedging. And if you’re not sure where to start, we have garden hedge ideas for you, perfect for all garden sizes and different house types.

Why plant garden hedges?

Hedges are commonly known for their primary function as fences, enclosing one’s private property against the outside world. While we love them for their ability to provide privacy and security, there are still so many reasons to consider growing hedge plants for your garden:

• filters noise pollution 

• wildlife-friendly

• acts as a windbreak

• an attractive alternative to fences

• helps make your yard look more orderly and less messy

• adds value to your property

• plenty of hedge plants are low-maintenance and budget-friendly

Which plant is best for garden hedging?

If you’re new to this, you might ask, “What is the best low maintenance hedge?”

The best hedge plant for your garden depends on your objective of wanting them in the first place. Ask yourself: Does appearance matter to you more than growth rate? Or do you want hedges that will require the least amount of maintenance throughout the year? Or do you want to be visited by more wildlife?

Answer your “why” first, and then from there, you can identify the best hedge plant for your needs and expectations. 

Meanwhile, if we’re talking about evergreen hedge plants, some of the best ones are:

• Portuguese Laurel

• Yew

• Leyland Cypress

• Box

• Red Robin

• Holly

• Green Bamboo

• California Lilac

• Griselinia

Gorgeous garden hedge ideas

1. Hedge + fence for more privacy

While hedges are commonly used as a privacy wall, they go surprisingly well with built fences for extra security. It can match tons of fence styles, from white picket to black iron ones, adding an extra oomph to your house’s frontage.

2. Lounge area with hedges

If you love lounging around in your backyard, you've got to have comfortable seating furniture outside. If you have existing benches and chairs for your garden, design the space to accommodate small hedges around the furniture. 

3. Low hedges as a foreground to statement piece

While hedges are popularly used as a backdrop for flowers and decorative plants, did you know that you can use them as a foreground for your statement piece? Take this picture, for example: the bed of green on the ground helped emphasise the tall grass.

4. A colourful pathway made of hedges and flowers

Design a beautiful pathway by placing deep green hedges alongside vibrant, colourful flowers for that dreamy, ethereal feel. Or, if you prefer to go silly, check out these hilarious backyard hedge ideas!

5. Hedged greenhouse

Think you’re limited to using hedges as a perimeter to your garden? Well, this greenhouse will convince you otherwise. With hedges around it, the glass building for weather-sensitive plants looks more lush and abundant. Consider enclosing it with hedges if you have a greenhouse or a similar structure in your garden, such as a tool shed or a storage room.

6. Dense hedges for a large property

When you own a large property like a ranch, it’s essential to place fences around it to safeguard what you own. However, if you’re looking for an alternative to fences, might we suggest hedges? Most hedge plants require only once-a-year pruning, which isn’t a lot compared to the benefits you’ll get – added security, an increase in property value, and a noise barrier, among others.

7. Luxurious fountain and barrier hedges

A luxurious garden like this one shows how hedging can serve various functions in one yard. First off, the fountain as the focal point is visually enhanced by decorative hedging. Then, we see garden box hedges on the sides, making the individual plants and flowers look more organised and coherent.

8. Chequerboard hedges

This box hedge garden idea mirrors the look of a chequerboard, usually made up of 3x3 boxes. Each box can house a specific plant or flower, enabling gardeners to grow a variety of species across the ‘board’.

9. Hedge maze for big and small gardens

If you have a vast outdoor space to play around, why not design your hedge maze? Guests will marvel (and get lost) in the wonderful garden you’ll create. Don’t hesitate to contact a garden designer for expert advice and execution.

For those who own smaller gardens, you can still emulate the look and explore different hedge patterns. What’s good about hedge plants is that they’re straightforward to shape, so you can achieve a labyrinthine aesthetic.

10. Backdrop hedging

Instead of stealing the spotlight, hedges can also work as a backdrop for ornamental pieces in a garden. If you want to imitate this idea, think of what colours will be striking when paired with green. To inspire you, this sample image shows how red stands out from the green.

11. Trimmed hedge for increased curb appeal

Impress guests and passersby when you deck your home’s entryway with perfectly cut hedges. Aside from enhancing your home’s appearance, birds, bees, and more wildlife will thank you for the hedges as they provide food and shelter.

12. Hedge wall as fence and entryway

Want to have an interesting backdoor that will provide you with total peace of mind? Consider putting up privacy hedge walls to close the garden except for a sturdy gate.

Experiment with hedge garden designs

We hope you had fun looking through this set of gorgeous garden hedge ideas! Which one is your favourite?

If you’ve already decided on a hedge garden design, or if you have any concerns regarding your yard, don’t hesitate to get the help of a gardening professional.

☞ Find more gardening inspiration: Gardening for beginners