Many of our houses have a boundary around them whether it be a conifer or privet hedge, brick or stone walls or the common larch lap fencing. Each of these types of boundary has its advantages and disadvantages so which is the best option when you decide to replace a hedge?
Choose fencing over hedging is usually done because maintaining a hedge means it needs to be pruned at regular intervals which in turn means having to purchase a hedge trimmer or employ a gardener to prune the hedge for you. Getting rid of the hedge trimmings can be a problem if you do not have the means to transport them to a local recycling centre or do not have a kerbside collection service for garden waste. Although fencing does still require some upkeep such as painting this will only need doing every few years.
Despite the increased maintenance required many householders still prefer a hedge to fencing. This may be because they are concerned about the decline in natural habitats and so may be in favour of conserving hedgerows and garden hedges as they provide nesting sites for native birds and food and habitats for many insects and other small creatures. The number of birds visiting a garden increases if there are hedges for them to use to hide from potential predators.