The main sign of modern summer cottages is tall metal fences from corrugated board. Every self-respecting lover of country recreation certainly raises the question: how to fence off neighbors in the country? The desire to hide from prying eyes is quite natural. However, is it worth it to install a blank fence so that your eyes constantly rest on this monumental structure, instead of admiring the beauty of the surrounding nature?
Disadvantages of metal fence
Installing a blind fence in a small area immediately violates the natural ventilation and heat transfer system. In summer it gets a few degrees hotter, and in winter a few degrees colder. Hide this unaesthetic design, planting plants next to it, will be almost impossible. It is difficult to find a culture that can withstand the proximity of metal hot in the sun in summer. And the solid shadow from this "furnace" does not contribute to the cultivation of green spaces. In a small area, where each square meter of area is worth its weight in gold, next to such a fence, an “alienation strip” is formed, which some people use to compost heaps or store all kinds of rubbish “so that the place does not disappear”, which does not improve the appearance of the cottage plot. In addition, in some country associations, the height of the fence is regulated by the charter, so it is simply forbidden to use corrugated board as a fence. In this case, how to isolate oneself from neighbors in the country according to the law?
Alternative to metal fence
In order not to suffer from the shortcomings of a solid metal fence, you need to make it in the form of a picket fence or from a mesh netting. Through them, the sun shines through and the breeze blows. But for prying eyes, they are not a hindrance. What to do? How to isolate oneself from neighbors in the country beautifully and with benefit? For these purposes, there is a hedge. It can serve simultaneously to delimit the site into zones, to protect it and for aesthetic pleasure. A hedge can be created from trees, shrubs, as well as herbs and vines, which complement and decorate more durable fencing options. They will help you understand how to fence yourself off from neighbors in the country with a hedge, photos used in this article.
Types of hedges
In height, hedges are:
- Low, or curbs, up to one meter high.
- Medium, up to three meters high. To create them, use shrubs and low trees.
- Living wall. This is a hedge over three meters high, consisting of trees that can easily bear a haircut.
By width or row, all hedges are divided into
- Single row. In them, plants are planted in one row at the same distance from each other.
- Double row. Plants are planted in two rows, usually in tiers.
- Multirow. Plants are planted in several rows, usually staggered, taking into account the distance from the trunks and crowns in the future. Often are cascading.
Hedgerows can be either freely growing or sheared (formed). This must be taken into account when deciding how to fence off plants with neighbors in the country. If you decide to stay on the second option, plants for such a hedge need to be chosen from those that tolerate a haircut and have a dense dense crown. Depending on what crops the hedge is made up of, it can be curly, blooming, evergreen or deciduous. In addition, hedges are divided into:
- Single-breed - consisting of plants of the same species.
- Combined - formed from various types of plants.
- Tapestry - in them plants are intertwined.
Pros and cons of hedges
When planning how to fence yourself off from neighbors in the country, you need to consider all the advantages and disadvantages of each type of fence. The undoubted advantages of hedges include:
- nice appearance;
- protection of the summer cottage from soil erosion and from the effects of strong winds;
- moisture retention in the soil;
- protection against heat in the summer.
The disadvantages of hedges include:
- the need to care for plants, their components (watering, fertilizer, shearing, combating diseases and pests);
- they take up a lot of space, taking away the precious usable area of the summer cottage;
- it takes time for the plants, their constituents, to grow to the right size, and the fence will take on its intended form.
However, the last drawback is easy to overcome by using fast-growing plantings for the fence. How to fence off neighbors in the country quickly? A great option - thorny shrubs that create an insurmountable barrier for uninvited guests and animals. And if these shrubs are also fruitful, a double benefit is obtained - not only protection, but also a harvest of tasty, healthy berries.
Dogwood
What to fence off from neighbors in the country? The photo below shows examples of hedges from shrubs.
The best option for outdoor fencing is cornel. This unpretentious shrub from two to five meters high is not afraid of shade. He has beautiful flowers, leaves and fruits, so this fence is pleasing to the eye throughout the summer season. In addition, the fruits of dogwood are edible and have medicinal properties. Dogwood blooms for two weeks in March-April, then leaves appear on it. Differs in plentiful fruiting. It prefers neutral soil, but feels rather well under any conditions. For the device of the fence, shrubs under the age of two years are chosen. They are planted in spring or early summer. It can be planted in the fall, but no later than three weeks before the onset of frost, and it is necessary to remove the leaves. To protect against frost, autumn seedlings are covered with dry leaves.
Barberry
This thorny bush creates an insurmountable obstacle for unwanted visitors. It is able to grow on any soil, is not afraid of drought, but does not tolerate stagnation of water in the soil. It serves as a decoration of the site, especially during periods of flowering and ripening of fruits. Fruits are used for home harvesting. The height of the barberry hedge can be adjusted using either low or tall varieties for planting.
Kalinolistny vesicle
What to fence off from neighbors in the country? In the photo below - Kalinolistny vesicular.
Pay attention to this unpretentious shrub with a lush rounded crown. It can grow both in the sun and in the shade (in this case, the leaves lose their saturated color). Well suited for hedges growing along roadways. For planting, take container seedlings that can be planted throughout the entire warm season. For a year, the vesicle grows to three meters in height. The shrub is frost-resistant and does not require shelter for the winter, drought-resistant, tolerates a haircut and is not sick.
Turn
Are you planning to fence yourself off from neighbors in the country with a hedge? Pay attention to the turn. This thorny bush is unpretentious, caring for it does not take much time. It grows to a height of three meters, while not requiring careful pruning. The hedge of thorns is absolutely impassable, and in spring, during the flowering period, the eyes delight with a beautiful appearance and a pleasant almond aroma. In autumn, fruits suitable for food ripen on the bushes, and they are also used as a medicine. To make the shrub grow faster, when laying the hedge, it is trimmed to 15 cm. And to make the hedge thicker, pruning can be repeated next year, and in the future just maintain the required height.
Plants on the pylons
How to isolate oneself from neighbors in the country if there is a picket fence or fence from a netting net? To do this, you can use climbing plants with good decorative properties. They will not protect the site from the penetration of unwanted guests, but they will hide it from prying eyes. Climbing plants are annual and perennial. They are densely sown next to the support. Annuals are updated annually. Most often, to create such a fence use kobe, decorative beans, morning glory (twisted panichy), sweet peas, nasturtium and other plants. Intertwined, they form a continuous flowering panel, the height of which depends on the species composition of the selected plants. How to fence off neighbors in the country with the help of curly perennials? Consider the most popular options.
Curly roses
Such a hedge is very beautiful during the flowering period, which lasts from June until the onset of frost. Thanks to thorns and interweaving of branches, it is an insurmountable barrier. Roses do not like stagnation of moisture, so it is not recommended to plant them where groundwater lies close to the surface. A rose fence is laid in the fall, and the appearance is made for the second year after planting. Do this by gartering the plants. Horizontal garter causes the growth of branches in height, vertical - the formation of many shoots.
Clematis
Very beautiful throughout the entire warm season. To form a hedge, choose bushes no older than two years old, which are planted in the fall. Clematis grows best in open places. This plant is rather capricious, it does not tolerate:
- high acidity soils;
- excess moisture;
- peat and manure as fertilizer.
In the heat, clematis should be protected from overheating by mulching the soil with humus. For abundant flowering plants need pruning. And for the winter, the bushes should be covered, since their root neck often freezes. Despite the more complex care, clematis are very popular due to their excellent decorative qualities.
Honeysuckle
Very beautiful shrub up to six meters high. Different varieties of honeysuckle differ in the colors of a wide variety of shades - yellow, orange, pink and red. The combination of these colors makes the honeysuckle hedge simply magnificent. Looks great in honeysuckle in combination with curly roses. Caring for such a hedge is quite simple. In the first five to seven years, she will only need sanitary pruning, later it will be necessary to form the crown of the hedge. Honeysuckle fruits can be eaten.
Ivy and grapes
These plants look beautiful on the support due to their foliage, which grows densely, protecting the site from dust and prying eyes. Such hedges can be formed from different varieties of plants. Ivy does not have any special requirements for soil and pruning. It should be remembered that it tolerates the shadow quite easily, but with very strong shading it loses foliage. Ivy does not like scorching sunlight and drying out the soil.
Leaves of girl's grapes are painted in different shades of crimson in autumn, creating an unforgettable beauty picture, contrasting brightly with the yellow-green tones of the surrounding foliage. It must be taken into account that the support for it must be very strong and stable.
Fast growing trees
How to fence off neighbors in the country without a fence? It is best to do this by planting trees around the perimeter, the fastest growing of which is eucalyptus. To create a hedge, Hunni, Lemon and Malocotsvetkovy varieties are recommended. They do not impose special requirements on the soil, are sufficiently drought tolerant and tolerate pruning well. For the winter it is better to cover them.
Willow is a very beautiful tree that grows fast. It is undemanding to the composition of the soil, but loves moisture. For fencing, you can use undersized and dwarf species - goat willow, purple willow, which are the best suited for this.
Aspen is a picky tree that grows on any soil. To create a fence use shoots no older than a year. Their branches intertwine, creating an impenetrable barrier. The desired height is achieved with the help of pruning, as a result of which a lot of shoots appear, which increases the density of the hedge.