Flowering hedges

Just like green hedges, flowering hedges are great for blocking views or creating small spaces in the garden. A flowering hedge is a delight to the eye and also provides nectar and pollen for bumblebees, bees and butterflies. If the hedge offers edible berries, it is often popular with birds too, who also use the hedge as protection against predators. Last but not least, it is a wonderfully delightful feeling to stroll past a flowering hedge and smell its delicious scent. 

Flowering hedges are particularly suitable for entrances, patios and other places where you often pass by. Low varieties work well inside the garden, to delimit and provide shelter without hiding everything on the other side. Taller varieties are better where you want to block views, for example at the property boundary. To extend the flowering period, you can consider combining several varieties of flowering shrubs, with different flowering times.

If you have a large garden, the flowering hedge can be large and grow freely. Such a hedge requires minimal care, but gives maximum return. 

Different types of spirea do very well as a flowering hedge. Some varieties of spirea require pruning, but many can grow freely with advantage. Spirea is available in a wide range of varieties and colors, for example white, pink or bright canary yellow. The flowers also look different depending on the variety, and they can be scattered, in clusters or in a pyramidal shape, as in the rowan spirea. Many types of spirea are also relatively hardy, some varieties can handle up to hardiness zone 7.

It's a good idea to research how tall the shrubs will grow when choosing your flowering hedge. Some types are ground covers, while others can grow up to a couple of meters tall.

• Lilac
• Canada blue heron 
• Magnificent spirea

• Japanese spirea 
• Bridal spirea 
• Shrub walls 

Shrub walls can bloom right up until the frost comes, and today it is not only available in the classic yellow variety, but also in lime and pink.

If you choose a hedge that produces edible berries after flowering, you can attract small birds to your garden. Some of these also produce berries that can be eaten by humans, such as Aronia (black chokeberry) and honeyberry.

• Honeyberry is reminiscent of blueberries in both color and taste.
• Aronia (black chokeberry), with its beautiful dark green foliage, is worth highlighting, as it produces berries that are packed with vitamin C.
• Berries are not a favorite of deer, but birds love the berries. If you live in a cold part of the country, various types of honeyberry are often a good choice. They make hardy hedges that thrive in both sun and shade, and they produce beautiful red berries in the fall.
• Siberian dogwood is another hardy shrub that blooms with small white flowers in June and then produces beautiful berries.

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