A Benjes hedge rounds off the natural garden design as a local ecosystem, bursting with life. Find out here how the special form of a hedge is structured as a living wall. Practical instructions explain how to skilfully create a deadwood hedge.
A Benjes hedge is the cheap alternative to a fence
What is a Benje hedge?
At the end of the 1980s, two enthusiastic landscape gardeners and nature lovers developed a concept for the sensible use of the leftovers after pruning. The result was an island of animal and plant life born from an accumulation of green waste. The deadwood hedge was named after its inventors, the brothers Hermann and Heinrich Benjes. The following properties characterize a Benjes hedge:
- Initially: loosely stacked heaps or strips of thin clippings, such as branches and brushwood
- As a result: creation of habitat for birds, small mammals and reptiles
- Moving on: growth of diverse plants as a result of wind blowing of seeds
Without planting, a living hedge is created on this pasture as a mini ecosystem in your garden. This special form of hedge is not only easy to care for, but also offers fascinating insights into the growth and decay of our nature. As a beneficial side effect, you always know what to do with the clippings.
Build a deadwood hedge correctly - you should pay attention to this
A Benjes hedge is created in no time at all. In order to give the natural wall a harmonious shape, you need several stable wooden posts that are sharpened at the bottom. These supports act as a boundary to hold the stacked clippings in place.
First drive a row of stakes into the ground two meters apart. Position the second row in the desired hedge width. Experience has shown that a distance of 1 to 1.50 meters is practicable. Now fill the gap with clippings. Ideally, you should pile up thicker branches in the lower area so that small mammals feel at home here. Stack thinner branches at the top to provide habitat and nesting sites for birds.
tips
Practice has shown that dominant plants such as stinging nettles, goldenrod or birch settle in a Benjes hedge and suppress desired plants. It therefore makes sense to plant a deadwood hedge with native, slow-growing wild fruit trees right from the start and to keep uninvited trees short.