The Hedge Shrub is a Necessity in any Formal Garden

Everyone has seen the pictures of the wondrous hedge shrub mazes found on the grounds of palaces throughout Europe. Many of these mazes were constructed with considerable time and effort from the will of the king or whatever royalty owned the mansion at the time. They stand as a testament to the grace and beauty of the plant as well as a statement to how impressive the landscaper’s skills were. 

With the price of labor and plant supplies at what it is today though, what was once reserved for royalty can now be built on your own piece of property. If the hedge maze is not your thing, you can always use a hedge shrub for making various designs on your property or for accenting grass or flowerbeds to give your garden that formal touch. The possibilities of a hedge shrub are nearly endless, and with all of the different varieties of shrub on the market, there is a shrub that can certainly fit into your landscape somewhere.

While the most well known hedge shrub masterworks are the mazes in Europe, there are certainly a large numbers of other things you can do with such shrubs. The boxwood for example is an extremely versatile shrub which can be molded into whatever you desire.  It comes in both tree and bush form and, if grown in the presence of a metal mold will eventually take the shape of that mold, giving your property the look as if it was maintained by a master gardener. Furthermore, you can sculpt the boxwood hedge by hand if you have the right equipment and a creative eye.

If the gaudily formal look of regal hedges is not your thing, you can use the shrubs to simply highlight and “fence off” certain parts of your landscape. With a simple hedge wall around your tool shed for example, you can easily disguise an otherwise unsightly addition to your backyard. The possibilities of what you can do with a high quality hedge shrub really are endless.