Benefits of Hedges Around Your Home

When it comes to your lawn, don't think only of the grass, but the hedges as well. They provide a lot of benefits, but are rarely used to their full potential. Many already know how they can increase property value, but few know the other benefits to hedges.

They act as low cost, but highly effective, fences and barriers. During the windy seasons, wind can erode your house, and can be an annoyance for outdoor barbecues or children playing in the yard. Hedges filter the wind, so an enjoyable breeze squeezes through, and the dust is cut down (lessening erosion). Unlike fences, which have to be repainted in reward of their poor dirt-filtering job, hedges just need trimming. They are also great for gardens, which require protection against excessive winds.

Speaking of the dust absorption, hedges can absorb the dust before it has any chance of ruining your grass. What happens to the hedge? When rain comes, it will wash away the dust, where it will be neutralized and no longer be a bother for you or your lawn.

For those of you looking for extra security, a prickly hedge could save you more than a few thousand dollars when looking into security systems. They act as great deterrents for even the most persevering of intruders. It offers great protection, all while adding a great accent, both in color and texture, to your lawn.

And who doesn't want a little extra privacy? A few hedges in the right area is less conspicuous than other methods of avoiding Peeping Tom neighbors. Besides, with a healthy hedge, those neighbors will be more interested in your lawn than what you are doing.

Bird watchers and adorers out there will also enjoy the extra birds in your lawn. Hedges are a place of living for insects, food for the hungry birds. With shelter and nourishment, you can now enjoy their presence more than ever. For you lucky hedge owners, they may even nest in your hedge. Remember, if it can protect your house it can certainly protect a bird's nest.

What about maintaining the hedge? As before, it's much easier than having to repaint the fence every year or two, but you do have to take into consideration the light it needs. For bigger hedges that are several years old, you will want to make the top narrower than the bottom. While the box shape is commonly seen for these hedges, I bet that just as commonly you will find the bottom branches have turned a yellow or brownish color. That is because they are no longer receiving the correct amount of sun, as the top is sucking up all the nutrients. Trimming usually needs to be done about once per year, but depending on the variety and location it may require two or three cuts.

You also need to pick between manual hedge clippers and mechanical ones. The manual variety is best for smaller hedges or the green thumb friendly gardener, who likes to be one with his or her hedge when clipping. For bigger jobs, a mechanical clipper works wonders.

Not only can hedges provide all this, but also for you truly artistic people out there, it is another medium to express your creative abilities. We have all seen the shows or cartoons of rich people adorning their lawn with animals and people made from hedges. Now you can look rich, too. If you find the task too daunting, there are many affordable hedge artists out there, looking to turn your hedge from the common box or inverted vase, into a masterpiece of art and wonder.

So plant a few, let them grow, and discover just how great owning hedges can be. You have adored them for their beauty, but now you can experience all the benefits, with less work (not to mention less money) than putting up a fence or installing an expensive security system.