For many hobby gardeners, a pretty enclosure is simply part of the design of the green area. After all, the green only becomes a private place that excludes public life with a fence or a hedge. Which variant you choose is up to your personal taste, but also depends a little on the local conditions.
A hedge requires more maintenance than a fence, but is often more visually appealing
The garden fence
Although a fence perfectly delimits the garden, it does not make it look smaller. Beds that are located directly on the fence receive enough sun so that plants and fence merge into an attractive unit. Depending on the material, a garden fence also proves to be very easy to care for.
Where there is shadow there is light - this also applies to the garden fence. In the following table we have compared the advantages and disadvantages of this property boundary in a compact way:
| benefits | disadvantage |
|---|---|
| Depending on the height, good protection. | Provides direct privacy only when additional elements are attached. |
| Does not visually reduce the garden. | Depending on the variant, a fence can appear bulky, stocky and very sterile. |
| Plants placed along the fence receive sufficient light. | Building regulations may have to be observed. |
| Easy to set up. | Quite expensive depending on the design. |
| Easy to care for depending on the material. | This does not apply to wooden fences, which must be painted regularly. |
The pros and cons of hedges
Hedges blend wonderfully into the green of the garden and offer numerous animals a protected habitat. However, long lasting they require a lot of care and unless you are able to grow the bushes yourself they are quite expensive to establish.
The advantages of a hedge:
- Attractive, green border that can even keep burglars out.
- Can be adjusted in height even after years.
- Perfect wind and privacy protection.
- On hot days it is wonderfully cool in the shade of the bushes.
- Easy to create, even on large plots.
- Depending on the choice of plants cheaper than a fence.
The disadvantages of the green enclosure:
- Must be trimmed into shape at least once a year.
- In hot summers, you need to regularly water the bushes.
- If the hedge is not well cared for, it can become bare and ugly.
- Not every location is suitable.
- Evergreen shrubs can take away a lot of light in winter.
- Some plants are poisonous. If children play in the garden, you should choose the hedge plants with care.
tips
A green fence can have a restrictive effect, especially on small plots of land. However, there are numerous hedge plants that also do well in a confined space and give it a nice frame.