To most property owners, hedges play a crucial role in outlining the boundaries of their landscapes. Unlike fences made of brick or wood, hedges create a living boundary using a variety of plants. They look natural and beautiful. Whether you have a formal or a country-style garden, hedges can benefit all the types and enhance their elegance naturally. From creating elegant fences and garden rooms to expanding vistas and providing shelter to birds and small animals, hedges can benefit your landscape and the surrounding environment in many ways. 

But if you have hedges in your yard, consider giving them a little extra care and maintenance. Apart from regular watering and nourishment, prune your hedges from time to time to bestow your landscape the best look it deserves. You can also give your garden a fun and funky look by trimming the hedges a little differently. Here are a few expert tips that can help you trim hedge plantings effectively and add style to your landscape. 

• Trimming Hedge Shapes

While giving a shape to your hedges, remember that complicated shapes require more maintenance than others. To create a shape, initially, you can make use of a rope. Just like giving a shape to the hedges, keeping the line clean too plays an important role. Thus, you must clip them at least three times a year to maintain the shape. Trimming the top of tall hedges can be somewhat difficult. Here, you can make use of scaffold towers to get the right position. Though giving shapes to hedges is fun, it can be tricky as well. You can take the help of a professional landscaper to beautify the hedges and make them more appealing. 

• Do Not Experiment

If you are a beginner and trimming hedges for the very first time, stop experimenting with shapes. For both flowering and non-flowering shrubs, pruning must be done soon after planting the hedges. Trim the hedges to about one-third their original size. Proper trimming is essential for your plant’s growth. Without it, they will always remain thin and weak at the base. Once the shrubs mature, start pruning the side shoots to the width you want to keep. However, for evergreens and deciduous shrubs, trimming right after planting is not advisable. For these plants, prune the side shoots by a third and let the leading shoots grow. Clipping must be done once the shrubs reach the desired height. These techniques will not only fill out the hedges quickly but also make the base of the plants thick and strong. 

• Try Out Metal Frames 

For amateurs, a metal frame can be an excellent way to cut hedges and form attractive shapes. Put the frames over the hedges and let the plants grow through them. Once grown, trim them close to the metal frame. With time, the frames will disappear and your shrub will get an appealing shape. For geometric shapes, you can also make use of bamboo poles and tie them around the plant as a support. 

• Renovate Old Hedges 

When not taken care of properly, old hedges, especially a privet looks bare and out of shape. Trim down such hedges to a feasible height and width. For semi-evergreens like privet, the loss of leaves is very common during the fall and winter months. However, if these plants have lots of patches with only a few leaves, it is best to trim the hedges back to the old branches. This will encourage the plant to bush out. You can also cut down the bare branches to promote new growth within a short span. Nourish the hedges with organic compost to encourage the growth of new shoots. 

Hedges can beautify your landscape in no time. However, if you are not aware of the maintenance techniques, these shrubs can make your garden look cluttered and messy. Thus, to keep your hedges clean and trimmed, professional landscaping services are the best. A landscaper can guide you through all the dos and dont’s to maintain amazing, elegant hedges.