This is the second in a series of blogs about planting hedges

Yes, yew (taxus baccata) is a fantastic evergreen hedge with historic character that clips nicely for year-round quality. And beech (Fagus sylvatica) holds its leaves until April after they have transitioned gloriously from summer green to autumn yellow with tantalising flecks of orange and on to winter brown (which, admittedly, some people hate as much as they hate Marmite … though I love both.)

“My favourite lies elsewhere”

But my favourites lie elsewhere. Myrtle (Myrtus communis) can be clipped into really exciting cloud shapes for clients who like a rounded look or fashioned into formal lines if preferred. It has rich evergreen foliage and lovely white midsummer flowers. When fully in bloom it is a delight to behold then as autumn arrives the flowers can be clipped off to reveal a beautiful architectural form.

An excellent option for softening and screening is bamboo. It's true that bamboo is evergreen but it is excluded from the legislation because it is not as dense as the dreaded leylandii. For one client we installed 6-metre-tall bamboo plants (Phyllostachys vivax, from specialist Italian supplier) with massive established canes to shield their courtyard from an overlooking apartment building. And our secret twist was to remove some of the lower branches to expose mature cane that made for an incredibly beautiful architectural feature.

We have planted hornbeam (Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata'), which has a naturally upright habit, for a client who wanted a hedge 6 metres tall and 10 metres long; we planted six trees next to each other, each clipped into a vertical form and the biggest hedge I've ever planted.

We achieved this hedge without needing planning permission and in spite of the “right-to-light” legislation that is notoriously strict in London, because hornbeam is deciduous.

Right-to-light applies only to evergreen species, which keep their light-blocking leaves 12 months of the year

I love hedges because if they are well conceived, with an expert choice of plants and with quality clipping from a skilled maintenance service, they are things of beauty. The equivalent of any garden sculpture, unique to each client and setting a home apart from other properties to the delight of friends and family.

It’s why our specialist clipping service is the envy of London.

Call us on 0207 305 7183 or email at enquire@alasteranderson.com