A mixed native hedge is a living corridor for birds, bees and hedgehogs. Here's why it's worth planting.
Created by jflgardens.co.uk
A mixed native hedge does far more than screen your boundary — it's a food source, shelter and safe route for wildlife across the garden. For the same effort as a boring single-species hedge, you get a garden that's alive.
Hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, dogrose and field maple are among the native species that provide blossom for bees, berries for birds and dense cover for nesting. A mix of a few species gives a far richer habitat than one alone.
To protect nesting birds, avoid heavy trimming and cutting during the nesting season. If you do need to cut, do it carefully, check for active nests first, and lean towards light, infrequent trimming.
Climbing plants like honeysuckle and dogrose add extra flower and berry for pollinators and birds. The less strictly you clip, the more blossom and fruit the hedge produces — and the more wildlife it supports.
Leave a gap at the base or log pile nearby to let hedgehogs and small mammals move through. Your hedge becomes a mini ecosystem that makes the whole garden healthier.
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