I suppose every culture has some cherished gardening notions. Discovering them is one of the things that makes observing gardens in other countries so fascinating--and mind-expanding. One of my preferred French gardening ideas is that of the
haie champêtre, or country hedge. At least that's the closest translation I can come up with, as
"champêtre" means something more like "bucolic."
Now, no one loves a formal hedge, crisply and geometrically clipped, more than the French. Perhaps the idea of the country hedge is a revolt against all that boxwood. The country hedge is as informal as can be, comprising a mixed tapestry of large, unpruned, flowering and fruiting shrubs arranged in more or less random sequence, and including a number of natives.
The idea of the country hedge is first that of all hedges: to form a barrier and/or visual screen. But rather than serving as a delineation or backdrop for other showier plants, the country hedge
is the show. It is a rich tapestry of flowers, foliage textures and colors, and colorful fruits. And it is
alive with birds, wildlife, insects, and not least of all, humans--all of whom congregate around it to enjoy its aromas, shelter, and nourishment.
The concept of supplying birds and other creatures with food and habitat is absolutely central to the idea of the country hedge. Because all French people--even the most hard-core Parisians--harbor an enormous nostalgia for their rural roots, the
haie champêtre needs to
conjure the countryside. The best way to do that is to plant a diversity of plants that nourish and shelter birds, insects, and other creatures.
The second important component of "country" for a French person is being able to walk out the front or back door and eat something. I'm sure no country has more per capita vegetable gardens, or is more impassioned with the growing of fine fruit. In short, mention anything remotely related to
la bonne bouffe (good grub), and a Frenchy's mind short-circuits to full attention. What this means for the country hedge is that you, the gardener, need to be able to wander along it and stuff some berries or nuts in your mouth. Or better yet, have enough to gather in a basket and confect into preserves or liqueurs.
To relate the country hedge to an American perspective, if well chosen it will probably be the lowest-maintenance planting on your property. That's part of the idea: it's natural, so leave it alone! No spraying, no pruning necessary. Just make sure you choose species that will grow to a size appropriate to your space and purposes.
Now on to the most interesting part: the plant choices. To make an equilibrated country hedge that really looks natural, you need at least five different species. You can include a lot more than that if you want, assuming of course that you have room.
Make sure to include at least some species native to your area. This is a sure-fire way to host butterflies and birds. Of course, you also need to choose species that will tolerate the light, moisture, and soil type on your site. If the area could receive salt spray in winter, choose salt-tolerant plants like the rugosa rose (showing its beautiful hips above left). On the other hand, if you have wet soil, select from moisture-tolerant species like beautyberry
(Callicarpa bodinieri), so called for the beauty of its purple berries (photo right).
After you've applied all those filters to your choices, look for shrubs that will provide visual interest at different times of the year. Choose some for their spring flowers, others that are later-blooming, some for fall foliage color, and lots with interesting fruits, especially through the late fall and winter. For instance, consider the redleaf rose
(Rosa rubrifolia var. glauca). It has fabulous blue-green, red-tinged leaves, delicate pink flowers in early summer, and luscious, cherry red hips in autumn and winter (see photos below). Definitely a plant that earns its place in the country hedge!
Species roses are a rich source of material for the country hedge. Their hardiness, disease-resistance, flowers, and winter-persistent hips that provide food for birds makes them pleasing to both humans and animals. In addition, their thorny branches both provide an excellent barrier (to deer, neighbors' dogs, etc.) and protective shelter for nesting birds. For instance, check out the luminous flowers of
Rosa carolina (right), a rose native to the eastern U.S. that tolerates quite a lot of shade and has excellent fall foliage color complemented by winter-persistent hips.
Rosa moyesii is another species rose not to be missed. It has single, blood-red blossoms in early summer, and these eye-catching, urn-shaped hips in fall and winter...until they're gobbled by birds. It's vigorously thorny, and has yellow to orange fall foliage color.
Here's a medley of shrubs you might consider for your country hedge. This list is only suggestive of the possibilities and is far from all-inclusive.
Viburnum spp.
Medlar (Mespilus sp.)
Flowering crabapples
Red currant
Elder (Sambucus spp.)
Filberts (Corylus spp.)
Spindletree (Euonymus europaeus)
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Cornelian cherry dogwood (Cornus mas)
Silky dogwood (Cornus amomum)
Hawthorns (Crataegus spp.)
Fringetree (Chionanthus spp.)
Bayberry (Myrica pennsylvanica)
Winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima)
Now here's an idea for the lazy gardener. Want a country hedge but don't want to plant it? Just remove existing vegetation (Including grass) from about a three-foot-wide strip for the length of your future hedge. Go prune your other shrubs. Stick the prunings into the cleared strip. Birds will perch on them and "plant" your hedge for you with their droppings. You'll get a selection of plants that will include some natives and probably whatever your neighbors are growing, coming up from seed. Sound too chancy? A more sophisticated approach is to use prunings of
berried branches from shrubs that you like. That way, the seed-containing berries will drop to the ground and grow. You want natural? This is natural.
Like all good gardening efforts, planting a country hedge yields multiple rewards: a barrier, a visual screen, a haven for birds and butterflies, year-round color, and a wealth of material for beautiful arrangements, like the one in the main photo at the head of the article. What better way to express autumn's bounty?
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Products of Interest:
Artisan watering can--Perigord copper
Artisan watering can--Zinc and brass
Lorraine extended-reach pruners
'Lorraine' ergonomic bypass pruners
