For a smart, sharp, structurally interesting winter garden, Hinton Ampner’s Jen Harbrow suggests architectural box alternatives for hedges and topiary
Hinton Ampner, Alresford, Hampshire SO24 0LA. Tel: 01962 771305; nationaltrust.org.uk
The spring, summer or autumn garden is easy to love; winter is the true test of whether a garden is able to sustain interest all through the year. Clipped forms, be they hedges or topiary, are instrumental to a garden’s off-season success, and a good place to see these elements at work is at Hinton Ampner, the National Trust property some ten miles east of Winchester in Hampshire. Here topiary forms, including shaped yew and clipped hedges, are key to the mood of the garden. As box blight and box tree caterpillar take their toll, Hinton Ampner gardener Jen Harbrow suggests ten alternative candidates for hedges and topiary.
1 Ilex aquifolium
“Our dense, prickly, native holly makes a good barrier hedge with protection for wildlife, including birds, which also eat the berries,” notes Jen. “It makes large topiary shapes and holds its form well if pruned once or twice a year.” She also suggests Ilex x altaclerensis ‘Golden King’ as a good choice for variegated foliage.
2 Phillyrea angustifolia
“A relative of the olive, this is happiest in a sunny spot. It will tolerate most soils and is pretty tough, so copes well with exposed sites and coastal areas,” Jen explains. It has glossy, dark green, evergreen foliage, and she recommends it as a good alternative to box for larger and unfussy shapes such as spheres and hedges.
3 Fagus sylvatica
“Beech is a hardy native that can be planted in sun or part shade, offering a habitat for wildlife,” says Jen. “In spring it’s a stunning lime-green, which darkens in hue to a coppery-red in autumn. The tree form is deciduous, but a hedge retains its foliage for year-round privacy and noise-reduction. Cut yearly with a hedge trimmer.”
4 Taxus baccata
“This is my favourite topiary shrub since it tolerates any condition. Once it has been cut to a certain form over a few years, you’ll have a framework from which to work and it can be hard pruned if necessary,” Jen observes. “It’s slow-growing and needs cutting only once a year. Beware the bright red berries, which are poisonous.”
5 Teucrium fruticans
