Thinking Creatively: The Art of Gardening

Privet Hedge

Privet Hedge is an evergreen shrub with glossy, dark green leaves and small, fragrant white flowers, commonly used for hedges and landscaping. It is a versatile and attractive shrub that offers a range of benefits when used in landscaping projects. Its adaptable nature, evergreen foliage, and various design applications have become popular among landscapers and gardeners. The private hedge is officially known as the Ligustrum Ovalifolium, but gardeners often call it the California type. It's native to Japan. However, it grows and thrives in many other countries, including the U.S. Homeowners and gardeners, love its white flowers and ability to create privacy while adding to a home's curb appeal. Identifying Features of Privet Hedge It grows between 10 and 15 feet with a similar spread. This bush develops white flowers in June and July, usually between two and four inches long. The leaves are oval and typically grow to between one and two and a half inches long. It's considered a fast-growing shrub; gardeners can expect it to gain one to two feet in height each year without pruning. Best Uses for Privet Hedge It is most commonly used as a living privacy fence or as garden mazes, and in English Gardens or Victorian-style gardens, it can reach heights of up to 15 feet. Gardeners can create thick, solid-looking walls with these bushes by planting them in a zigzagged double layer. Once these bushes are established, they can be pruned to take specific shapes. Gardeners can even get creative with these bushes by leaving significant gaps between the plants and installing arches or gates to create elaborate entrances. Excellent Companion Plants For The Privet Hedge Gardeners looking to add depth and color around it can choose between many types of wildflowers, shrubs, and ornamental grasses. Some favorites include the sunshine ligustrum, peonies, lady's mantle, hostas, sedum, the New Zealand iris, boxwood, and Japanese holly. Gardeners and landscapers will enjoy a private hedge as part of a formal garden or living privacy fence. This versatile shrub can be pruned, shaped, and trained to grow around arches and wooden gates. It softens concrete walkways and adds depth and interest to homes.

Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper plant is a vining favorite known for its striking five-lobed leaves and ability to climb and cover walls and structures, turning vibrant shades of red in the fall. It is a versatile and attractive plant with numerous benefits when incorporated into landscaping projects. It has become famous for enhancing outdoor spaces with its vibrancy.  Virginia Creeper is part of the grape family. It gains its name from one of the native areas where it grows. It is a deciduous climber that can extend and climb a trellis well in the wild. The Leaves Of Virginia Creeper Typically, five leaflets combine to make up each set of leaves. Occasionally, however, it can be found with three or seven leaflets. Either way, they're joined on the leafstalk's central point and grow from one to eight inches. They have a bright green appearance in summer, then turn into brilliant shades of red and purple in autumn. Each leaflet has a toothed margin, and the seedlings come with heart-shaped leaves. Late spring brings with it inconspicuous flower clusters. They brighten this plant with their greenish, small appearance. However, they only become more noticeable once they turn into berries. The Berries Of The Virginia Creeper Berries grow on it in the late summer or early fall. These complex, small berries are purplish-black and typically don't get larger than 1/4 inch in diameter. Although the berries are not meant for humans, they offer an excellent food source to birds. In fact, due to the long lifespan of the berries, they become a vital source of winter food for a wide array of birds. Virginia Creeper Will Climb As Tall As You Want While it's true that Virginia Creeper can grow to astronomical heights in the wild, that's not going to happen when you plant them around your home. Instead, their growth rate is limited by the structure that they're given to grow on. In other words, if you want them to grow up to only three feet, give them something three feet tall to climb. On the other hand, if you want them to soar up to 40 feet, you'll need to provide them with something that tall to climb. This height control method is a fantastic way to end up with them that do precisely what you want them to do. Something that helps set creepers apart is that they will not damage your building. Therefore, these deciduous climbers will work great in your yard.