Garden backs on to fields, wild hedge or fence or both?

banwa

Hello


I am brand brand new to gardening, having recently bought my first house with a garden so this might be the first of many questions.


We have a small-ish back garden, I think about 5 x 7 m, but it backs onto open fields for miles. There is currently a thick hedge of I think hawthorn, bramble and ivy, and then a dull fence. The previous owners have kept the top of the hedge neat at around 6ft but it is probably 6ft thick, and we also think the fence it erected about 3ft into our garden.


So I would like to get rid of the fence, and trim back the hedge to reclaim some of the garden, and also trim it down so we can see the view. I am just wondering what might be the disadvantages of doing that. Is there a risk the hedge might try to take over as it is so wild and abundant (it is lovely though). Is there also more chance of wee beasties getting in the garden (and in the house?). If we cut it down to 5ft would that not give the garden enough shelter and would 6ft be too imposing in such a small garden?


Sorry for all the questions it might be quite hard to visualise but any advice gratefully received.


Thanks
Banwa

shopaholicz

What are your new neighbours fences/hedges like? 6 foot by 6 foot does seem a bit big. Is it that thick/high to keep out animals or humans? Are your neighbours fences inline with yours or 3 foot further out?

beautiful_ravens

I have a fence that backs onto fields and I wish it had the hedge you describe! Nettles from the field just grow through the fence [its sheep fence] and into my grass.

Is it bushyness that extends into the garden or the actual hedge roots? If its just bushyness, Id take back that 3 foot.

If its roots, could you perhaps hire a hedge layer to come and thin out and lay the inner 3 foot of hedge in traditional style on your side? And trim down the height so you can see the view.
They would know how to create a fence out of the existing hedge. I think they charge per metre of hedge.

Elsewhere

If you make the hedge too short you'll probably get deer in your garden - not good news, they eat virtually anything (except the grass).

Davesnave

You might get deer, but there's no way to find out without trimming the hedge. I'm surrounded by deer here, but I've only seen one in the garden in over four years.

I would tackle this job in stages, rather than rush into it. You need to understand your garden's microclimate to know if lowering the hedge will make a significant difference. I have an 8' hedge to the west of my garden, which does a great job filtering the prevailing wind and giving privacy. However, if I had that all around and no views, the garden, even at over 1/2 acre, would be much the poorer.

banwa

Hello, sorry for not posting for a few days, (I get annoyed when people ask questions and then never respond to the replies).

This weekend, I have dug a flower bed in front of the hedge and I think there are some hedge roots in our garden. This thing is a monster. So have kind of come to the decision that the fence is a good thing because it is keeping the hedge under control. Also, it is 6ft thick in its thickest part but at the left end it is quite thin so it might be a challenge to use it as a satisfactory boundary. Especially from those pesky deer Plus if we take it out, it'll be all dead and horrible behind and I might regret it. So for now, I think we are going to leave it.


Thanks for your replies and sorry for being a bit wet about it and doing nothing!