Guest Author - Hellie T.

Pleaching

Trees and shrubs have been pleached in England since the fourteenth century. They are used to create rooms in the garden and in the summer they provide shady walk-ways.

Pleaching means overhead work as the trees or shrubs are trained effectively into plants on stilts. They look quite remarkable.

Pleached trees make an good wind-filter and give an unusual feel to your garden. They can be used as hedging in a small garden - limes and hornbeams are the two best small trees to use.

This photo was taken at Hidcote Manor Gardens.

It shows pleached hornbeams that look like a delightful clipped hedge yet on stilts.



Box can be used in a variety of sizes and shapes - to find out more go to Box and has been used in English Gardens since the sixteenth century.

Another common tree that can be worked with is a Hawthorn. It grows as a shrub or a tree in England.
Its thorny stems make it an ideal boundary hedge.

Hawthorn gives good luck and prosperity its owner - indeed it is said that if you look after your hawthorn tree well the fairies will grant you extra good fortune!

For more ideas and pictures about English Gardens check out
Inspiring gardens

Enjoy your garden!