Hedgerows: Bringing the Countryside to the City - Part 1
By Maria MacRae
Hedgerows have been part of the landscape for hundreds of years. Traditionally used in agricultural areas, hedgerows offer many advantages for smaller, more urban properties as well. Hedgerows also provide an invaluable natural service, offering food and shelter to precious wildlife.
 A hedgerow is a long row of shrubs, often with some trees, that separate one piece of land from another. They were created to serve two purposes—to mark the boundary of a property and to create a barrier to the movement of livestock. However, hedgerows proved useful in many other ways as well. They also protected livestock and buildings from winter winds, added colour and beauty to the landscape, acted as a barrier to soil erosion, created privacy, filtered noise from neighbouring properties and roads, and provided habitat and travel corridors for a great diversity of wildlife. Though an old tradition, they are an increasingly important part of modern landscapes.
One of the most valuable benefits of a hedgerow is its support for wildlife. Hedgerows not only provide wildlife with food and shelter directly, but also create corridors that allow wildlife to travel safely between areas of isolated habitat. Urbanization and development continue to encroach on remaining habitat. Hedgerows offer safe passage between these areas for many wildlife species to access the resources they need to survive.
The addition of a properly constructed hedgerow can enhance the diversity of birds and other wildlife that will visit your property. Besides adding to the beauty and pleasure that your garden provides, this diversity contributes to the health of your garden itself. Studies of hedgerows have found that those with a variety of shrub and tree species support a great abundance and diversity of birds and small mammals. They also found that the presence of these hedgerows decreased the number of insect and rodent pest species by providing habitat for their predators. A healthy and diverse hedgerow is able to support good populations of insect-eating birds, such as warblers, flycatchers and chickadees, along with a variety of insect predators, such as tiger beetles and ladybugs.
Another benefit a hedgerow offers is privacy, something that is often needed in our increasingly crowded urban environments. How wonderful it is to have a backyard that is your own private retreat! A dense row of trees and shrubs can block out neighbours, filter out the sound of nearby traffic, clean the air of pollutants and add interest and life to your garden.
A hedgerow can also help conserve energy. By blocking winter winds, it reduces how much fuel you need to heat your home. A hedgerow is a permeable barrier, that is, it lets some air pass through. Permeable barriers are much more effective at reducing wind speeds than solid barriers such as walls or fences. Air that hits a solid fence passes over it and drops back down quickly, losing only marginal speed. With a permeable barrier, some of the air passes through the hedge and is slowed down considerably. To function as a windbreak, the hedgerow should be planted at right angles to the prevailing wind. In our Canadian winter, winds generally come from the north and northwest. Check with your local weather station for the prevailing wind direction for your area.
 Diversity is the key to creating a truly valuable hedgerow. Planting a row of cedars, while beneficial, is not as worthwhile as creating a hedgerow that is a mix of shrub and tree species. Put a bit of effort into creating a hedge that provides a diversity of food and shelter for wildlife and you will be more than rewarded for your efforts.
Part 2: Tips for Creating a Wildlife-friendly Hedgerow
Part 3: Some Trees, Shrubs and Vines with Wildlife Benefits
Images: Sarah Coulber |
