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Native Mix Instant Hedge
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Hedge Biodiversity Benefits /in /by

Green up your development with Mixed Native Instant Hedging!

 

Immediate Biodiversity Benefits

Instant hedges have the advantage of being pre-grown, meaning they arrive on site mature, up to 2m high, dense, and capable of providing immediate habitat and food sources for a variety of wildlife.

This “ready-made” green infrastructure allows developers to create ecologically functional spaces from day one, eliminating the lag that often accompanies conventional hedgerow planting.

Instant hedging, particularly those comprising a mixture of native species, are emerging as a highly effective, accessible way to enhance habitat connectivity and support Biodiversity Net Gain requirements. They will also contribute towards BREEAM certification having both social and ecological benefits.

Our UK grown Practical Instant Hedge™ has the following strengths:
• Supplied as a mature pre-formed hedge
• Over fifteen thousand metres of instant hedge in production
• Densely pre-planted and ready grown to 35 – 60cm wide and up to 2m high, species dependent
• Supplied in one metre long pieces in hedge bags
• Easy to handle, and plant, all year round
• Available in 16 species
• Supplied on standard 1m x 1.2m pallets
• All stock is carefully maintained, irrigated and treated with controlled release nutrients to optimise health
• Available in any lengths, and can be bent to almost any shape
• Contract growing available – contact us for details
• UK grown in Buckinghamshire – you are welcome to visit to view our stock for yourself
• Acts as natural air purifiers, reducing pollution levels by capturing particulate matter and filtering airborne pollutants.
• Reduces noise pollution.
• Absorbs carbon – Contributing to Carbon Sequestration

Instant Hedges for Biodiversity Net Gain

Incorporating Practical Instant Hedge™ into housing and infrastructure projects can support the Biodiversity Net Gain policy. Not only does mature hedging provide immediate ecological benefits, but they can also address some of the broader environmental challenges associated with urban growth, including pollution mitigation and climate resilience. By using instant hedges, developers can create vibrant green corridors that support wildlife, enrich communities, and ultimately contribute to a more sustainable future for the UK’s urban landscape.

Contact our Horticultural Team to find out more.

Definitions

from our Habitat colleagues

Biodiversity Net Gain
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), is a way of creating and improving natural habitats, leaving the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was beforehand – From February 2024, new projects must deliver a BNG of 10%, Meaning a development will result in more or a better-quality, natural habitat than there was before development.

Carbon Sequestration
Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing carbon compounds from the environment, reducing the greenhouse effect and mitigating climate change. This can be achieved on a large scale by reclaiming land and creating natural habitats.

Habitat Connectivity
Urban landscape often fragments wildlife habitats, but providing green corridors can enable the safe passage of wildlife between habitats, increasing access to food, water, and shelter. This connectivity is particularly vital for pollinators, small mammals, and other fauna that rely on hedgerows for movement across these environments.

BREEAM certification
BREEAM is a holistic sustainability assessment framework for buildings and infrastructure. It is used to specify and measure the sustainability performance of buildings, ensuring that projects meet sustainability goals and continue to perform optimally over time.

 

Native Mix Instant Hedge
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Instant Hedge In Focus: Native Mix Hedge /in , /by

Why Plant a Mixed Native Hedge?

Native mix instant hedges are the perfect hedging option for a natural look. They contain plants that are all native to the UK and as such emulate traditional country hedgerows found throughout Britain.

Top 5 features of Mixed Native Instant Hedges

  1. Seasonal year-round interest
  2. A great natural windbreak and reduces noise
  3. Will thrive in all but the coldest or waterlogged locations
  4. Increased security, such hedges have kept livestock in check for centuries
  5. Attract wildlife to your garden.

Mixed native instant hedges will create a natural look and contain a variety of colours and textures, which provide a rich living collage for excellent seasonal interest.  From the structural beauty of bare winter twigs, to the early spring blossom and lush summer foliage. The autumn brings fruits, berries and wonderful golden colours.

All kinds of wildlife will be attracted to these native hedges.  They provide food, shelter and nesting places for birds, mammals and invertebrates.

Native mixed instant hedging, by its very nature, will thrive on most soil types and can be planted in all but the deepest of shade.  It will tend to grow quite quickly at some 20 – 40 cm per year and will require pruning once a year, ideally in July. It can also be left un-pruned, when it will prove even more wildlife friendly.

British Grown Native Mix Instant Hedging

Our homegrown native mix hedge generally contains roughly equal quantities of the following species:

  • Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
  • Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
  • Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
  • Hazel (Corylus avellana)
  • Privet (Ligustrum vulgare)

Our Practical Instant Native Mix Hedge™ has also been used in many award-winning Show Gardens at RHS Flower Shows, from Hampton Court to Chelsea. Grown at our nursery in Iver, Bucks.

We currently have this Practical Instant Hedge™ available in heights of 1 to 1.2m, 1.5 to 1.8m and 1.8 to 2m high, in ready to plant trough bags.

Email hedge@pracbrown.co.uk us if you would like a quote for this instant hedge. Or buy online here. 

Species Latin Foliage Pruning Annual Growth Aspect Soil preference PH Leaves
Native Mix n/a Deciduous Once in July Fast30-40cm Sun to partial shade All except the poorest Neutral to slightly acidic Various
Osmanthus Instant Hedge growing on our nursery ideal hedge for small gardens.
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Instant Hedge In Focus: Hedges for Small Gardens /in , , /by

Choosing the Perfect Hedge for Your Small Garden

In the world of gardening, hedges are the unsung heroes of landscape design, offering a blend of functionality and beauty. For those with smaller gardens, selecting the right hedge can be challenging but fortunately, there are several species of our Practical Instant Hedge™ that could be the perfect choice for your small garden.  Whether its the classic charm of Holly, the sweet fragrance of Osmanthus, or the timeless Yew.

Our pre-formed, top-quality Practical Instant Hedge™ range is produced in specially designed hedging bags and supplied in pieces that are 1m long by 40 – 50cm deep. When replanted into your garden, these evergreen instant hedges will give instant maturity, and require minimal maintenance.

Osmanthus Instant Hedge

Holly

Holly, with its glossy, spiky leaves and vibrant red berries, adds a touch of traditional charm to any garden. Their dense growth habit creates a natural privacy screen, and the presence of both male and female plants ensures the iconic bright berries during the winter months. Practical Instant Hedge™ is available as English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) and Blue Holly (Ilex meserveae). Both hedges are relatively low maintenance, requiring only occasional pruning to maintain their shape and density.  It’s also very hardy, resistant to pests and diseases, and can tolerate a variety of soil conditions.

Osmanthus

Osmanthus hedges are our favourite choice for fragrance. Known for their small, white flowers that bloom in late winter or early spring, Osmanthus hedges infuse the garden with a sweet, apricot-like aroma. Practical Instant Hedge™ (Osmanthus burkwoodii) is a compact evergreen, making them well-suited for small spaces. These hedges require moderate pruning to maintain their shape and promote bushier growth with more flowers the following season. Their versatility extends to both sunny and partially shaded locations.

Yew

Yew hedges have adorned gardens for centuries, standing as a symbol of enduring beauty. Known for their dark green, needle-like foliage, Yews provide an evergreen backdrop throughout the seasons. Their slow growth rate makes them ideal for small gardens, allowing for easy maintenance and shaping. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, Yews also have a remarkable tolerance for different soil conditions and are shade-tolerant, making them a versatile choice for various garden settings. Practical Instant Yew Hedging is available in various heights.

In the world of small gardens, the right hedge can transform a confined space into a verdant sanctuary. They are easy to manage and enhance any environment with their natural charm; whether you opt for the enduring elegance of Yew, the traditional charm of Holly, or the fragrant blooms of Osmanthus, each species brings its unique character to your outdoor space.

Osmanthus Instant Hedge

Osmanthus

Blue Holly Instant Hedge

Blue Holly

Holly leaf and berry

English Holly

Yew Instant Hedge

Yew

 

How to order Practical Instant Hedge™

If you like to find out more about our comprehensive range of evergreen and deciduous Practical Instant Hedges, you can:

  • Book a visit to our nursery in Iver, Buckingham to view our hedges and trees
  • Call 01753 652022 to speak to our horticultural team
  • Email hedge@pracbrown.co.uk with your requirements (such as hedge length and size, species, and your location) and we can provide you with a bespoke quote.
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Instant Hedge In Focus: New Hedges /in , , /by

New Practical Instant Hedge™ ranges

We are proud to introduce two new evergreens to our Practical Instant Hedge™ range:

  • Ilex meserveae Blue Maid/ Prince or Blue Holly
  • Osmanthus burkwoodii or Burkwood osmanthus

Blue Holly

Ilex meserveae Blue Maid/ Prince has dense, lustrous, blue-green, spiny leaves from purple stems and tiny, white flowers are produced in spring. These cultivars are some of the best blue hollies available. Our Practical Instant Hedge™ has a mix of Blue Maid and Blue Prince to ensure the delightful profusion of bright red berries in autumn and winter. Late summer pruning will reveal dark purplish-green stems, which add to the ornamental effect.

 

 

Burkwood osmanthus

Osmanthus Instant Hedge growing in hedge bags in Iver

Burkwood osmanthus is a dense, slow-growing, evergreen. The glossy, finely toothed, dark green leaves beautifully offset by highly scented, jasmine like, white flowers in mid and late spring. If pruned after flowering, it will increase the blooms for the following year.

 

The addition of these attractive new instant hedges brings our range of evergreens to a dozen species, with 5 deciduous to complete our offering. There really is a Practical Instant Hedge™ for all gardens.

The Practical Instant Hedge™ Difference

  • Densely pre-planted and ready-grown to 30 – 40cm wide and up to 2m high, species dependent
  • British grown by us!
  • Grown in 1m long pieces and supplied specially designed hedge bags
  • Easy to handle and plant
  • Can be planted all year round
  • All stock is carefully maintained, irrigated, and treated with controlled release nutrients to optimise health
  • Available in any lengths, and can be bent to almost any shape
  • Supplied on standard 1m x 1.2m pallets
  • Prices vary according to species, height, quantity, and planting logistics
  • Available direct on a supply only or supply and plant basis throughout the UK by the metre
  • Recommended automatic irrigation systems can be installed at the same time as planting

How to order Practical Instant Hedge™

If you like to find out more about our comprehensive range of evergreen and deciduous Practical Instant Hedges, you can:

  • Book a visit to our nursery in Iver, Buckingham to view our hedges and trees
  • Call 01753 652022 to speak to our horticultural team
  • Email hedge@pracbrown.co.uk with your requirements (such as hedge length and size, species, and your location) and we can provide you with a quote within a few days.
  • Order online here.

Did you Know – We offer our Instant Hedge as both supply only, or supply and plant as well.

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Best Hedges for Homes /in , /by

How to choose the best hedge for your home

If you are thinking about using hedging in your garden, you may want to consider buying a pre-grown instant hedge, whether its evergreen instant hedging for privacy screening or the seasonal interest of a mature deciduous hedge. Why wait for individual plants to grow, when we’ve done the work for you?

Which Hedge?

Practical Instant Hedge™ is available in various species and sizes, up to 2m high, so how will you choose which one is best for your garden? The first choice is whether you would like one that is evergreen or one that is deciduous:

 Evergreen hedges maintain their foliage throughout the year.

This provides screening, privacy and shelter all year round. Despite their name, an evergreen hedge isn’t just one colour. It comes in many different varieties to suit your individual taste. If you like bright colours, then the apple green leaves of Griselinia could be your favourite. If shiny leaves are more your thing, then its Common Laurel. For classic elegance, nothing can really beat the traditional Yew. Or if subtle greys are what your garden needs, then Elaeagnus would be perfect.

 Deciduous hedges tend to shed their leaves in the winter.

They offer year-round seasonal interest from flowers, coloured foliage, or autumn fruits. Hawthorn, for example, has an abundant display of white scented early spring blossom, and red haws in the autumn. Both Beech (Green and Purple) and Hornbeam have wonderful autumn bursts of coloured foliage, and Beech retains most of its leaves through the winter too. Native Mix hedging replicates the traditional country hedgerows found across Britain and local wildlife will be attracted by the food and shelter opportunities.

There are many more varieties of Practical Instant Hedge that will help make your garden your perfect outdoor space, and you can plant it all year round!

Book a visit our nursery in Iver, Bucks or to talk to our Horticultural team on 01753 652022 to find out more.

Or buy online here.

 

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Best Hedges for Horses /in , /by

Hedging for Horses

Practical Instant Hedge™ is the best choice for a horse friendly boundary. Our hedging range is a mature, ready to plant product, so the animals can feel the immediate benefits, including protection from the elements. These stockproof hedges will give interest all year round and will be beneficial to other wildlife too.

Best Hedges for Horses

We are frequently asked about hedges suitable for horses, and can recommend the following Practical Instant Hedge™, that, if grazed by horses, should cause no harm.

Hawthorn – Crataegus monogyna
One of the most popular deciduous horse-friendly hedges, as it looks perfectly natural in the landscape and is loved by birds and insects. Horses like to nibble on the new shoots too.

Griselinia littoralis
An attractive evergreen hedge, with soft lime green leaves and suited to salt laden winds of coastal locations.

Hornbeam – Carpinus betulus
A deciduous hedge whose leaves turn yellow in the autumn and then emerge bright green in early spring. Similar in look to beech but with finely ribbed leaves.

Oleaster – Elaeagnus ebbingei Compacta
A dense evergreen hedge that is particularly suitable for seaside locations. Horse friendly with a lovely grey / green leaf.

Beech – Fagus sylvatica
This deciduous hedge retains its leaves in to the winter, offering additional screening in the coldest months. Horses quite often nibble leaves, twigs, and bark of the trees. Beech nuts are poisonous but if your hedge is trimmed in summer, nuts are unlikely to be produced.

Benefit of Horse Friendly Hedging

  1. Keeps horses in and/or other animals out.
  2. Offers shelter against winds and rain in winter and the sun and flies in summer.
  3. It can supplement your horses’ diet.
  4. Seasonal interest from hedgerow flowers, catkins, berries and Autumn foliage.

Planting

If you are planning to include trees in your horse friendly hedging, then autumn and winter are the perfect time to plant semi-mature large trees. Our Practical Instant Hedge™ can be planted at any time of the year, meaning you can plan around your needs.

Learn more here or contact our Horticultural team for more details by email Hedge@pracbrown.co.uk or call 01753 652022

 

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1.8m high Native Mix Hedging available now! /in , , /by

Native Mix Instant Hedge

Native Mix hedging is one of the most popular in the UK, and it’s easy to see why. Hedgerows are a common sight in the British countryside and are part of our rich heritage. Hedges are usually planted to define property boundaries and provide privacy or to give shelter from prevailing winds. Our Native Mix Instant Hedging contains plants that are all native to the UK and as such emulate these traditional country hedgerows.

Mixed Native hedges create a natural look and contain a variety of colours and textures which provide a rich living collage for excellent seasonal interest from the early spring blossoms to fruits and berries in the autumn.  Hedges made from flowering and fruiting native plants are a massive boon for wildlife too, as many will be attracted by the food and shelter opportunities.

Even if you only have a relatively small garden, a native hedge can look very attractive, especially if your garden backs onto open fields.

Native hedging, by its very nature will thrive on most soil types and can be planted in all but the deepest of shade. It will tend to grow quite quickly at some 30 – 60 cm per year and will require pruning once or twice a year, ideally in the summer. A native hedge can be kept to a formal shape if clipped regularly, or it can be left to have a wilder look, when it will prove even more wildlife friendly.  However this hedge is cared for, the mixture of plants gives it plenty of interest at different times of the year.

Practicality Brown’s Practical Native Mix Instant Hedge generally contains roughly equal quantities of the following native species: Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Hazel, Hornbeam and Privet.

Blackthorn

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) has long spikes that make a good deterrent to unwanted intruders while wildlife benefits from the early white spring flowers and fruit known to gardeners (and gin drinkers!) as sloes

Hawthorn

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is a native hedging staple. Its dense habit and thorny growth give it excellent stock-proofing properties and a good site for birds looking for somewhere discreet to nest or roost. Creamy-coloured flowers are followed by red berries.

Hazel

Large, downy leaves of hazel (Corylus avellana) support a range of moth caterpillars, while the flowers attract many bee species. The fruits (nuts) are popular with squirrels.

Hornbeam

Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) has significant wildlife value as a food, shelter and roosting site.  It does not shed all of its leaves in winter, which can provide shelter throughout the winter months. While the catkins are a rich food source for insects, birds and mammals.

Privet

Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) is attractive to wildlife. Bees visit the clusters of cream flowers and birds feed on the black berries. Privet Hawk Moth, the UK’s largest resident Hawk-moth, feeds on the nectar and whose caterpillars can be found on the foliage.

 

Practicality Brown’s award-winning Practical Native Mix Instant Hedge is available from 1m to 2m high. This mixed native instant hedge has been used in award-winning RHS Flower Show Gardens. For more details, see the project page on our website.

For more details, including a quote, please email trees@pracbrown.co.uk or call 01753 652022 for more information

 

Close of Blackthorn hedge with ripe sloes growing on branches

Blackthorn hedge with sloes

Native Mix Instant Hedge growing at Practicality Brown's nursery in Iver

Native Mix Instant Hedge growing at Practicality Brown’s nursery in Iver

close up of Mixed Native Hedging showing leaf detail

Mixed Native Hedging close up

Griselinia Instant Hedge
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The Instant Hedge Specialists /in , /by

Practical Instant Hedge™

Practicality Brown have specialised in instant hedging since late 1990s, providing immediate impact and maturity to many private gardens and landscaping projects across the country.

Using this experience in developing, maintaining and planting instant hedging, we now produce our own Practical Instant Hedge™ which is mature hedge grown in 1m long pieces here at our nursery in Iver, Buckinghamshire. The production method ensures that this mature hedge is easy to handle, with no transplant shock and can be planted all year round.

 

Award Winning Hedging

Our UK grown Instant Hedge is proving very popular with gardening professionals. Over 400m has been planted in the Children’s Garden at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Whilst many garden designers at the Royal Horticultural Society garden shows and festivals throughout the year, including Chelsea and Hampton Court, have used our Practical Instant Hedge™  as a background for their award-winning designs.

Evergreen and Deciduous Instant Hedges

We have over ten thousand metres of instant hedge in production. Our current range includes Native Mix, Griselinia, Yew, Elaeagnus, Portuguese Laurel, Common Laurel, Privet, Photinia ‘Red Robin’, Hawthorn, Green Beech, Purple Beech, Hornbeam, Holly and White Cedar.  We welcome specific enquiries and you are also very welcome to visit our nursery to view and select your instant hedge; please contact us to make an appointment and one of our experts will show you around.

The Instant Hedge Specialists

We are able to offer a premium mature hedging product, grown with top quality plants, suitable for both commercial and domestic situations. Achieving all this requires great attention to detail. We have an expert grower overseeing production, and dedicated nursery team who hand craft the hedges to the highest standards.   Practical Instant Hedge™ is a market leading product that we are truly proud of.

We are the Instant Hedge Specialists.

Please Contact our sales team for a detailed quotation, or to arrange a nursery visit.

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RHS Summer Shows /in , /by

Summer Flower Festivals 2022

 

Following on from a successful Chelsea Flower Show, the RHS hosted two events in July, which also featured Practical Instant Hedge™ at Hampton Court Garden Festival and Flower Show Tatton Park.

RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival

This event is the world’s largest flower show, full of colour and wonderful summer gardens of inspiration. It is set in the stunning grounds of the Historic Royal Palace in Richmond upon Thames

Award-winning garden designer, Dave Green created a beautiful Feature Garden at this year’s show. The RHS Forest Bathing Garden drew on a purposeful practice of spending time under the canopy of trees surrounded by nature to relax and de-stress, which can decrease both anxiety and depression.

Forest bathing often takes place with a guide and focuses on exploring the natural environment using the senses (sight, sound, touch and smell) to create mindfulness awareness. The garden was designed to for all the sense, including sight, sound and aroma.

We are delighted to have supplied Practical Native Mix Instant Hedge for this beautiful, restful garden.

You can find out more on the RHS website, and watch highlights of Hampton Court Garden Festival in a BBC Gardeners’ World special programme.

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

Celebrating colour, creativity, community and the positive power of plants and flowers, RHS Flower Show brings the joy of gardening to the historic grounds of Tatton Park.

Crowned at the show, RHS Young Designer of the Year Will Scholey created the Working From Home Garden which was a perfect working environment, while reducing the homeowner’s carbon footprint. The ‘daily commute’ was a winding gravel path through native meadow planting with multi-stemmed trees. There was plenty of native wildlife-friendly planting including our Practical Native Mix Instant Hedge, from our range of Deciduous Instant Hedges. Will received a Silver-Gilt award for this garden, as well as his title.

Talk to our Horticultural team about how Practical Instant Hedge™ could be right for your own garden.

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RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 /in , , /by

Practical Instant Hedge At Chelsea Flower Show

The Container Garden category at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show create positive green spaces for health, wellbeing and the environment. The aim is to show that any space, no matter how small, can be turned into a gardening haven. These small gardens offer plenty of inspiration for making the most of limited space and resources.

We are delighted to be working with multi award-winning garden designer Paul Hervey-Brookes again at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. As well as creating his own show garden, Paul is mentoring five newly qualified designers for the Container Garden category.

Each of the five gardens is enclosed by our Practical Instant Hedge™.

Container Gardens

The Still Garden

Designed by Jane Porter Gold Medal and Best in Category Winner

This is inspired by the plants that thrive across the Highlands and Islands. The plants reference native species and the climate to evoke an atmosphere that is immersive, secluded and still.

Wild Kitchen Garden

Designed by Ann Treneman Silver Gilt Medal and People’s Choice Winner

Wild edible plants and trees are brought into a small urban setting. The planting is informal colourful, airy, natural, and tasty too. It would work perfectly in the back garden of a city terrace.

The Enchanted Rain Garden

Designed by Bea Tann Silver Gilt Medal

Inspired by a rainy garden in Manchester, this container garden is designed to thrive in wet conditions, influenced by UK forests

Mandala, Meditation and Mindfulness Garden

Designed by Nikki Hollier Silver Medal

This garden offers a safe haven to spend time sitting and meditating, listening to the tranquil water, bees humming and birds singing – a calm and restful but rejuvenating space.

Mediterranean Reflection

Designed by Tanya K Wilson and Johanna Norlin – Mallorca Garden Design Silver Medal

Inspired by the Mallorcan landscape, this container garden utilises the colours and stone textures of the Mediterranean through artisan elements.

 

Gallery



More Information

You can see these gardens, and much more of the Chelsea Flower Show, in the BBC’s comprehensive TV coverage on the BBC iPlayer.

Talk to our Horticultural team about how Practical Instant Hedge™ could be right for your own garden.