Image: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwoodii’ from T&M

Our hedging calculator takes all the guesswork out of ordering hedging plants. Simply choose the variety you want, add the length you need, and decide how thick you want your hedge to be. Our helpful tool instantly calculates the number of plants to order, and applies any relevant discounts.

Whether you opt for bare root hedging plants, small 9cm potted shrubs or large 10 litre specimens, our hedge planting calculator guarantees that you order the correct number. It’s also a clever way to compare the cost of different hedging plants (and different sizes) before you make your final decision.

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Thompson & Morgan

The Thompson & Morgan horticultural team produces a wealth of content around gardening and food production. Since the first seed catalogue was published in 1855, Thompson & Morgan has grown to become one of the UK’s largest Mail Order Seed and Plant companies. Through the publication of our catalogues and the operation of our award-winning website, Thompson & Morgan is able to provide home gardeners with the very best quality products money can buy.

Hedging creates natural boundaries in your garden
Image: Copper Beech (Hedging) from Thompson & Morgan

Late autumn and winter is the time to plant your bareroot hedge. That’s because from late November through to March, most hedging plants are in their dormant phase and can be moved without causing undue stress. If you wait until budburst you’ll have lost your opportunity for the year, so don’t leave it too late! Planting a hedge is a satisfying job which will keep you warm on a chilly winter’s day. Here’s everything you need to know to tackle the task successfully. 

Looking for inspiration? Check out our full range of hedging plants.

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Annelise Brilli

Annelise Brilli is the Horticultural Copywriter for Thompson and Morgan. Annelise caught the gardening bug from her mother, whose tiny backyard was crammed with a huge collection of plants. As an adult, she had a career change into horticulture, gaining a training apprenticeship with the National Trust at Powis Castle Garden in Welshpool. She went on to work in a range of private and public gardens, later running a garden design and maintenance business. She is passionate about sustainable gardening and has developed her own wildlife-friendly garden which she has opened as part of Macmillan Coastal Garden Trail.

Low box hedging surrounding parterre beds at National Trust Wimpole Estate. Image: Canva

There are many situations that call for a low hedge. It could be a formal edging to a border or path, a way to divide up a small garden into separate areas without cramping the space, a structural backdrop to other planting or simply a way to separate your drive from your neighbour’s. The beauty of a low hedge is that it creates a divide whilst still maintaining an open and spacious feel.

Whilst the size of almost any hedge can be limited by how often and how hard you trim it, there are certain plants that lend themselves particularly well to low hedges without wearing out the hedgetrimmer. The ideal candidate is a compact, small-leafed evergreen shrub that is not too fast-growing. Here we’ve picked out some of the best plants for a low hedge – whether you’re looking something formal, informal, flowering or prickly, read on to find the best for you!

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Hedges provide shelter and privacy in the garden
Image: Hornbeam (hedging) from Thompson & Morgan

Here’s everything you need to create a spectacular living boundary from hedging plants in your garden. We’ve pulled together wisdom from a whole host of independent gardeners and designers and featured their best YouTube videos, Instagram posts and articles. Whether you start with bare root or container grown plants, here’s how to choose, plant and prune the perfect hedge.

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Sophie Essex

Sophie Essex is a freelance garden writer with a passion for horticulture and environmental conservation. With a BSc in Botany/Plant Biology from the University of Plymouth, she further honed her expertise through a Masters of Science in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants from The University of Edinburgh.

Sophie has also worked as a professional gardener and landscaper, showcasing her practical skills by transforming outdoor spaces. Her commitment to fieldwork is further evident in her acquisition of a Certificate in Field Botany from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and over the years, she has interned at the Eden Project, Cornwall, the National Trust for Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Find more information about Sophie over at LinkedIn.

Guelder Rose hedging has beautiful flowers in the spring, and vibrant red berries in the autumn
Image: Guelder Rose (Hedging) from Thompson & Morgan

Hedges are generally viewed as practical but dull garden workhorses, marking boundaries and screening ugly vistas or providing a plain backdrop to more colourful planting. But hedges don’t have to be boring, and there is a place in the garden for more flamboyant hedging choices. 

There are many hedging shrubs which offer flowers, including some practical evergreens which still perform as dense screens. Smaller flowering shrubs provide opportunities for pretty path edges or to divide up areas. Flowering hedges can provide a lift to an otherwise plain and predictable landscape, enlivening an ordinary boundary hedge with a seasonal surprise of colour.

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Annelise Brilli

Annelise Brilli is the Horticultural Copywriter for Thompson and Morgan. Annelise caught the gardening bug from her mother, whose tiny backyard was crammed with a huge collection of plants. As an adult, she had a career change into horticulture, gaining a training apprenticeship with the National Trust at Powis Castle Garden in Welshpool. She went on to work in a range of private and public gardens, later running a garden design and maintenance business. She is passionate about sustainable gardening and has developed her own wildlife-friendly garden which she has opened as part of Macmillan Coastal Garden Trail.

Chalky soil can be tricky to work with
Image: Shutterstock

Chalky soils can be challenging. But, with the correct soil preparation and care, there are a host of suitable hedging plants which will happily cope with these conditions. Here is an introduction to some of the best, plus an A-Z list of other species to choose from.

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Annelise Brilli

Annelise Brilli is the Horticultural Copywriter for Thompson and Morgan. Annelise caught the gardening bug from her mother, whose tiny backyard was crammed with a huge collection of plants. As an adult, she had a career change into horticulture, gaining a training apprenticeship with the National Trust at Powis Castle Garden in Welshpool. She went on to work in a range of private and public gardens, later running a garden design and maintenance business. She is passionate about sustainable gardening and has developed her own wildlife-friendly garden which she has opened as part of Macmillan Coastal Garden Trail.