Walls, Fences, and Hedges – More Than Just Boundaries

On your own property, you want to be as protected as possible, and of course, you also need a boundary. That's where walls and fences come in. But these don't just block the view from outside; they can also make the garden owner feel a bit enclosed. Here, the botanical emphasis of an entrance quickly provides a solution. It doesn't even matter if it's a real passageway. Even if it just looks like one, the effect is potent. A simple wooden gate or an artistically forged door—both lend a touch of mystery to a stone wall.

Especially a rounded archway over a real or simulated gate creates a harmonious effect. It's particularly well-suited for being entwined by a climbing plant. If the rest of the passageway is still partially covered by foliage, the whole thing looks like an airy, light green curtain adorned with magnificent splashes of color during bloom.

Effective plants for this include:

- Akebia, with its appealing autumn foliage
- Honeysuckle, with its fragrant blossoms
- All types of climbing roses, which are equally distinguished by beauty and fragrance
- The lush Wisteria

Classics like ivy and grapevine are always good choices, and you can create a wonderful contrast by pairing them with lilies.

Real gates and doors become architectural highlights when they have wings. For a country house style, a romantic climbing plant like clematis is recommended to add accents. For a modern style with straight contours and lots of glass, however, you'd opt for some potted plants like boxwood, preferably in a geometric cut.

Even a simple picket fence can be brought to life by underplanting it with things like sunflowers, wild roses, or chaste trees. Add a few metal or ceramic fence sitters on top, and suddenly you're looking at a charming, inviting garden structure instead of just a plain fence.

If you have horizontal wooden beams, forget-me-nots paired with tulips work wonders. Don't shy away from incorporating white into such arrangements. White anemones and daffodils create a clear, friendly atmosphere and can complement many other colors.

A brick wall in warm tones leaves nothing to be desired. Whether you work with subtle, tone-on-tone colors or create vibrant contrasts in strong blues or rich yellows is entirely up to the style and taste of the creative garden owner.

Delicate but striking astilbes look fantastic in front of any type of fence. Feel free to plant them in masses and various colors!

Unlike walls and solid fences, hedges always possess a character of natural permeability. You create a stylish entrance by allowing the plants there to grow taller, significantly overtopping the rest of the hedge, making them look like green gateposts. For those who love details, adding a container with a striking beauty, like an orange tree, can further enhance the look.

The right evergreen plants for these living boundaries, besides conventional solutions like arborvitae (Thuja) and yew, are primarily red cedar, white fir, false cypress, and Chinese juniper. If you prefer deciduous varieties, opt for beech, rowan, hornbeam, and laurel cherry.

In the shaded areas in front of the hedges, hostas can liven up the scene. And to break up a dense yew hedge, simply plant ornamental alliums here and there.

For those still pondering the right planting in front of walls, fences, and hedges, turn to the garden's secret beauty queen, one that doesn't shy away from lush forms and lavish curves: the hydrangea. It awaits its moment, offering a vast diversity of species.