As Trevena Cross has shared in the uncertainty and challenges of many other small, independent Cornish businesses during the past few months, it has given the family run nursery and garden centre time to reflect, and consider areas of the business that it would like to grow and invest in. One such area is its hedging range.

Trevena Cross has been growing certain hedging types, like Griselinia littoralis in their thousands, for many years, but now plans are in motion to increase the scale on which it grows hedging, further still. The opportunity to compete with the high profile online hedging retailers on a national scale is now very real, as Trevena Cross can offer the quality, quantity and value for money expected by any hedging customer across mainland UK.

Growing Griselinia hedging in the nursery at Trevena Cross

Graham Jeffery, Owner of Trevena Cross explains why so much time, investment – and now even more space, is being dedicated to hedging, on his 35 acre Cornish nursery:

“A hedge is a natural, attractive backdrop for most garden landscapes. They tend to handle the wind better than rigid, impermeable barriers, and are more greatly appreciated by birds and garden wildlife than any artificial, man-made structure. A real fundamental of a garden, on which everything else can be built around or upon; there seems no better focus for us as a nursery.

We have the space to compete with the ‘big boys’ in hedging and put Cornwall on the map as the ultimate source of hardy hedging plants – whatever the nature of that hedge or requirements of the customer. We have the knowledge and first-hand experience of the best hedging to grow by the coast, as well as inland, and while geographically not central, are able to support our loyal Cornish customer base as well as those outside of the county”.

As Trevena Cross continues to navigate its own hedging journey, we thought it would be an ideal time to share our top tips for creating the perfect hedge – to help others embarking on their own hedging journeys, replacing or installing new hedges of any size or length, in any location.

Top tips for creating the perfect hedge:

  • Choose a hedging type that doesn’t just ‘look pretty’ but that is hardy and can withstand the conditions it needs to e.g. harsh salt laden winds near the coast
  • Do you want an instant hedge or are you prepared to wait for it to form? Plant large plants around 18inches to 2ft apart for a quickly forming hedge or smaller plants spaced further apart if you don’t mind waiting
  • Choose bushy, rather than ‘leggy’ looking plants – these indicate a healthier ‘pot grown’ start in life and are likely to form a thicker hedge more quickly
  • Enrich poor soil around the planting holes with a well-rotted manure or compost, and add a good slow release fertiliser to the hole before planting (ensure the roots don’t directly touch the fertiliser or it they might burn them)
  • Once planted, mulch around the area with compost or bark chippings to keep weeds at bay
  • Keeping newly planted hedges well watered is key to their survival! Drying out is a common cause of hedge failures. Watering really well once a week is better than little and often in drier months
  • Our top coastal hedging picks are: Olearia virgata Laxifolia and Olearia traversii Compacta, (for the most exposed positions/positions very close to the sea) and Griselinia littoralis (for positions set back a little from the seafront, or in a more sheltered estuary).
  • Ask advice from the experts – your local nursery should be able to offer great hedging advice, to help you on your way to creating the perfect hedge

More information regarding hedging and the most suitable options for your own garden can be found here.