Plant Walls and Hedges

Name: Plant Walls and Hedges

Open to the public? Yes

County: Forsyth Co.

Address: Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, 215 S Main St, Kernersville, NC 27284

Link to the public garden map

Website: www.cienerbotanicalgarden.org

USDA Hardiness Zone: 8a (2023)

Extension Demonstration Garden? No

Approximate year the garden/landscape was established: 2008

What to look for: Hedges can play an important role in a garden. They separate spaces, they hide unsightly views and they provide privacy. At the Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden hedges provide these functions and more. A colorful hedge lines the parking lot, so even before getting out of the car a person has the feeling of being immersed in the garden. 

Ginkgo trees are used as a tall but see-through wall. There is a hint through the spaces of the plant treasures that lie behind the tree wall. The ginkgo cultivar used is 'Autumn Gold," which has vivid yellow autumn color.

The solid hedge at the back of the parking lot is planted with a number of different trees and shrubs that give it wonderful color and texture. 

A fence doesn’t need to be dull and boring. At the Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden a fence has been used as a planting opportunity. By adding a second fence about 8” in front of the first a narrow planter area was formed. This area became a planter with the use of landscape fabric and potting soil. Many of the plants are changed according to the season. 

Horticulture: The ginkgo wall is pleached. Pleaching is a technique of weaving branches of trees into a hedge or arbor. Deciduous trees are planted fairly close together in a line. Branches are chosen to be woven together to form the desired shape. Over time the branches from opposing trees will graft themselves together to form a very strong wall.