Best Hedges for Small Gardens – Privacy Without Losing Space

Choosing hedging for a small garden requires more thought than simply finding a plant that provides privacy.

In a compact garden, every metre matters. A hedge that becomes unnecessarily wide can remove a significant amount of usable space, while a hedge that grows too tall can block light and make an already small garden feel enclosed.

The best hedge for a small garden should therefore provide useful privacy and structure without dominating the space.

For many small gardens, Yew is one of the strongest all-round choices because it is evergreen, extremely tolerant of clipping and can be maintained as a relatively narrow hedge.

Portuguese Laurel provides a softer broad-leaved evergreen alternative. Privet is useful where quicker establishment is wanted. Holly combines evergreen screening with wildlife and security benefits, while Beech and Hornbeam are excellent where seasonal privacy is sufficient and allowing more winter light into the garden is desirable.

Pyracantha can be particularly useful where space is extremely restricted because it can be trained against a wall or fence rather than developing into a broad freestanding hedge.

The right choice depends on how much width you can genuinely give the hedge, how much privacy you need and whether that privacy is required throughout the year.

What Are the Best Hedges for Small Gardens?

For most compact gardens, I would start by considering Yew, Portuguese Laurel, Privet, Holly, Beech, Hornbeam and Pyracantha.

Yew is particularly strong where width control and year-round privacy are priorities.

Portuguese Laurel creates a refined evergreen screen with broader foliage.

Privet provides useful growth and can be maintained relatively tightly.

Holly works well where evergreen screening, wildlife and security are all important.

Beech and Hornbeam create elegant seasonal hedges and can allow more light into the garden during winter.

Pyracantha is particularly useful against walls and fences where there is little space for a conventional hedge.

Photinia ‘Red Robin’ can also work where sufficient width is available and colourful evergreen foliage is wanted.

The choice should begin with available space, rather than simply choosing your favourite plant.

Yew – One of the Best Hedges for Small Gardens

Yew (Taxus baccata) is one of the most useful hedging plants for compact gardens.

Its greatest advantage is control.

Yew tolerates regular clipping exceptionally well and can be maintained as a relatively narrow hedge while remaining dense from low down.

This means you can create meaningful evergreen privacy without allowing the hedge to consume an excessive amount of garden space.

Its dark green foliage also provides an excellent backdrop to perennial planting, ornamental grasses, contemporary paving and garden furniture.

Yew tolerates both sun and shade and works equally well in traditional and contemporary gardens.

Its slower growth is sometimes seen as a disadvantage, but in a small garden it can actually become a benefit.

Once the hedge reaches the required dimensions, there is less excessive growth to remove each year.

If immediate privacy is required, rather than choosing a faster-growing species, consider purchasing larger Yew plants.

Portuguese Laurel for Small Gardens

Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) is an excellent choice where you want evergreen privacy but prefer a softer broad-leaved appearance.

Its leaves are considerably smaller and more refined than Cherry Laurel, while young stems often develop attractive reddish colouring.

Portuguese Laurel responds well to clipping and can be maintained as a relatively formal hedge.

It generally grows faster than Yew, making it useful where you want screening to develop reasonably quickly without choosing an extremely vigorous hedge.

For many compact contemporary gardens, Portuguese Laurel provides an excellent balance between privacy, growth and long-term manageability.

If you are comparing it with Yew or Cherry Laurel, see our Yew vs Laurel Hedging guide.

Privet for Small Gardens

Privet remains one of the classic choices for smaller British gardens.

It grows relatively quickly, responds well to clipping and can be maintained as a narrow, dense hedge.

Its smaller foliage also creates a neat appearance after trimming.

Privet is therefore particularly useful where the hedge needs to establish reasonably quickly but space is restricted.

The trade-off is maintenance.

Faster growth means more pruning.

Privet can also behave as evergreen, semi-evergreen or more deciduous depending on variety, location and winter conditions.

If guaranteed year-round green screening is essential, Yew, Portuguese Laurel or Holly may be preferable.

Holly for Small Gardens

Holly (Ilex aquifolium) can provide several benefits within one relatively compact hedge.

It is evergreen, shade tolerant and valuable to wildlife, while its prickly foliage can provide additional boundary security.

Its slower growth also makes it relatively manageable.

Holly is particularly useful where the hedge forms part of a wildlife-friendly garden or where a boundary needs to provide both privacy and a degree of physical deterrence.

For more defensive options, see Best Hedge for Security.

Beech for Small Gardens

Beech (Fagus sylvatica) is an excellent choice where year-round evergreen foliage is not essential.

It creates a refined formal hedge with fresh green spring foliage, dense summer screening and excellent copper and bronze autumn colour.

When regularly clipped, Beech frequently retains a proportion of its dry copper-brown leaves through winter.

This provides useful structure and some continued screening while still allowing more winter light into the garden than a dense evergreen hedge.

That can be particularly valuable in a small garden.

For more detailed information, see Beech Hedging – Fagus sylvatica.

Hornbeam for Small Gardens

Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) provides many of the visual benefits of Beech but is particularly useful where the ground is heavier or more moisture-retentive.

It responds very well to clipping and can be maintained within relatively controlled dimensions.

Hornbeam produces fresh green spring growth followed by autumn colour and can retain some dry foliage through winter when regularly clipped.

For compact gardens on heavier soils, it can be one of the strongest choices available.

If soil conditions are difficult, compare the options in our Hedging for Clay Soil guide.

Pyracantha for Small Gardens

Pyracantha, or Firethorn, is particularly useful where you need one plant to perform several jobs.

It can provide privacy, flowers, colourful berries, wildlife value and thorny security.

More importantly for small gardens, Pyracantha can be trained against an existing fence or wall.

This allows foliage and screening to be introduced without sacrificing the width required by a conventional freestanding hedge.

For a narrow side garden, courtyard or compact urban boundary, that can be extremely valuable.

Its thorns mean positioning needs to be considered carefully around paths, entrances and children's play areas.

Photinia ‘Red Robin’ for Small Gardens

Photinia can work well where the garden has sufficient width and you want the hedge itself to provide ornamental colour.

Its bright red young foliage creates strong seasonal interest before developing into mature green leaves.

It can provide useful evergreen screening but grows relatively strongly.

Regular pruning will therefore be needed to prevent it becoming unnecessarily broad.

In a very narrow garden, Yew or Privet may be easier to control.

Where there is slightly more space, Photinia can create a colourful alternative to a conventional dark green hedge.

What Is the Best Evergreen Hedge for a Small Garden?

For most small gardens, I would shortlist Yew, Portuguese Laurel and Holly.

Yew is particularly strong where the hedge needs to remain narrow.

Portuguese Laurel provides a softer broad-leaved appearance and somewhat faster establishment.

Holly combines evergreen privacy with wildlife and security benefits.

Pyracantha can also be extremely useful where it can be trained against a structure.

Photinia is another option where sufficient width and light are available.

The best evergreen hedge is the one that provides the required privacy without creating an excessive long-term maintenance burden.

What Is the Narrowest Hedge for a Small Garden?

There is no fixed answer because the eventual width of any hedge depends partly on how it is maintained.

However, Yew is particularly good at tolerating regular tight clipping while remaining dense.

Privet can also be maintained relatively narrowly.

Beech and Hornbeam respond well to clipping and can form controlled formal hedges.

Portuguese Laurel can be maintained within sensible dimensions but naturally has broader foliage.

The key is to choose a species that tolerates clipping and then establish the intended dimensions from an early stage.

Allowing a hedge to become a metre wider than you actually want and trying to reduce it dramatically later is rarely the best approach.

Privacy Without Losing Too Much Garden

This is often the central challenge in a small garden.

Imagine a narrow garden only five metres wide.

A hedge occupying a metre of width represents a significant loss of usable garden space.

The same hedge within a twenty-metre-wide garden would be almost irrelevant.

This is why broad, vigorous plants should be selected very carefully in compact spaces.

The question should not simply be:

“Will this plant make a good hedge?”

It should be:

“Will this plant make a good hedge within the amount of space I can realistically give it?”

That small change in thinking can completely alter the species choice.

Privacy Without Blocking Too Much Light

Evergreen hedging provides excellent year-round privacy, but it also blocks light throughout the year.

In a small garden, this can matter considerably.

If privacy is principally needed while the garden is being used during spring and summer, a seasonal hedge such as Beech or Hornbeam may provide a better balance.

During summer, the foliage creates a dense screen.

During winter, leaf loss or reduced foliage allows more light through.

Deciduous pleached trees can work on the same principle where elevated screening is required.

This can make a small garden feel considerably lighter during winter.

Privacy Without Making a Small Garden Feel Smaller

A common mistake is to surround a compact garden with uniformly tall evergreen walls.

The garden may become private, but it can also feel much smaller.

Often a better solution is to identify exactly where screening is needed.

A lower hedge may be sufficient along one boundary.

A taller hedge may be needed elsewhere.

A specimen tree might interrupt one important sightline.

Pleached trees could provide elevated screening above a fence.

Planting can then soften the remaining boundaries.

This layered approach can preserve more open sky and create a greater sense of space.

Hedge or Fence in a Small Garden?

A fence occupies less ground space than most conventional hedges.

If every centimetre matters, that is an important advantage.

However, a hedge provides a much softer appearance, introduces living foliage and can contribute to wildlife habitat and seasonal interest.

The two do not have to be alternatives.

A practical fence with relatively narrow planting in front can provide immediate privacy while creating a greener garden.

Pyracantha trained against the fence is one example.

Yew or other controlled hedging can also be positioned in front where slightly more width is available.

Hedge or Pleached Trees in a Small Garden?

If the privacy problem comes from an upstairs window, making the boundary hedge increasingly tall can be inefficient.

You may end up sacrificing light and garden width simply to position foliage at the height where it is actually required.

Pleached trees solve the problem differently.

Their clear stems allow the lower part of the garden to remain relatively open while a trained canopy provides screening higher up.

For compact overlooked gardens, this can be one of the most effective privacy solutions available.

See Pleached Trees & Pleached Hedging for more information.

Combining a Narrow Hedge With Pleached Trees

For some small gardens, the best solution is to use both.

A relatively narrow hedge provides privacy and structure at boundary level.

Pleached trees above provide screening from neighbouring upper-storey windows.

This means the lower hedge does not need to become unnecessarily tall.

It is a particularly effective approach for new-build gardens, patios, hot tub areas and compact urban gardens where overlooking occurs from above rather than directly through the boundary.

Best Privacy Hedge for a Small Garden

If you need year-round privacy, Yew and Portuguese Laurel are particularly strong options.

Yew provides exceptional long-term width control.

Portuguese Laurel generally establishes more quickly.

Holly can also create a useful evergreen screen.

If the privacy is only needed during the main garden-use season, Beech or Hornbeam may provide a lighter alternative.

If immediate privacy is required, consider larger plants rather than automatically choosing the fastest-growing species.

Best Fast-Growing Hedge for a Small Garden

Fast growth sounds attractive when a garden is overlooked.

But in a small space, every centimetre of rapid growth eventually needs controlling.

Privet can provide useful growth while remaining relatively manageable.

Portuguese Laurel is another good option.

Photinia can work where sufficient space is available.

Cherry Laurel should be chosen more cautiously because of its naturally broad and vigorous habit.

Leylandii needs even greater consideration.

For a full comparison, read Best Fast-Growing Hedges.

Is Cherry Laurel Good for Small Gardens?

Sometimes.

Cherry Laurel is an excellent privacy plant, but it naturally develops into a substantial shrub.

Where the garden has enough width and strong evergreen screening is required, it can work very well.

In a narrow garden, however, maintaining Cherry Laurel within restricted dimensions can create unnecessary maintenance.

Yew or Portuguese Laurel will often provide a more controlled solution.

The decision should therefore be based on available finished width, not simply the speed at which Cherry Laurel grows.

Is Leylandii Good for Small Gardens?

Usually only where the owner is prepared to maintain it carefully and consistently.

Leylandii can produce extremely vigorous growth.

In a large landscape, that can be useful.

In a small garden, it can quickly become disproportionately large if maintenance is neglected.

There are normally more manageable choices where space is restricted.

If immediate privacy is the reason you are considering Leylandii, mature plants of a slower-growing species may provide a better solution.

Is Yew Good for Small Gardens?

Yes.

Yew is one of the strongest choices for compact gardens because it combines evergreen foliage, shade tolerance, longevity and excellent clipping response.

Most importantly, it can be maintained relatively narrowly.

The principal disadvantage is slower establishment from small plants.

This can be overcome by purchasing larger plants where the budget allows.

Best Hedge for a Narrow Garden

For a narrow garden, start with Yew, Privet, Portuguese Laurel, Beech or Hornbeam depending on whether evergreen foliage is required.

Yew is particularly valuable where every centimetre matters.

The planting position also matters.

Do not position the centre of the hedge directly against the boundary and assume it can simply grow towards your garden.

Allow enough room for the hedge to develop healthily and for future maintenance access.

Best Hedge for a Narrow Side Boundary

Side boundaries can be particularly difficult because they may also contain the main access route between the front and rear gardens.

A broad hedge can quickly make the passage impractical.

Yew can work extremely well because of its clipping tolerance.

Pyracantha trained against a wall or fence is another option where even less width is available.

Before planting, consider bins, wheelbarrows, garden machinery and any other items that need to pass through the space.

The hedge should improve the garden rather than obstruct normal access.

Best Hedge for a Small Front Garden

Front gardens often need definition rather than complete screening.

Yew, Privet, Portuguese Laurel, Beech, Hornbeam and Holly can all work depending on the style of the property.

A lower hedge may be much more appropriate than a two-metre privacy screen.

This retains a visual relationship between the house and street while still defining the boundary.

Driveway and entrance sightlines should also be considered when choosing the finished height.

Best Hedge for a Small Back Garden

Privacy tends to matter more in rear gardens.

For year-round screening, Yew, Portuguese Laurel and Holly are among the strongest choices.

Pyracantha can be particularly useful against a rear fence.

Where winter privacy is less important, Beech or Hornbeam can create excellent seasonal screening without making the garden feel as dark through the colder months.

The choice should also consider whether the overlooking occurs at ground level or from neighbouring windows.

Best Hedge for a Small New-Build Garden

New-build gardens are often relatively compact and overlooked.

That creates a temptation to plant the fastest-growing evergreen hedge available.

But new-build gardens can also have compacted or disturbed soil, restricted access and relatively narrow boundaries.

Yew and Portuguese Laurel can provide manageable evergreen privacy, while Privet can establish relatively quickly.

Where overlooking comes from upper-storey windows, combining a lower hedge with pleached trees can be considerably more space-efficient than allowing one hedge to become extremely tall.

Ground conditions should also be assessed before investing in mature plants.

Best Hedge for a Small Courtyard Garden

Courtyards require careful management of scale and light.

A large evergreen hedge can make a small courtyard feel enclosed very quickly.

Yew can provide a controlled architectural element.

Portuguese Laurel introduces a softer evergreen character.

Pyracantha trained against a wall can provide greenery, flowers, berries and screening without using excessive floor space.

In some courtyards, a lower hedge or clipped planting may be more appropriate than full-height screening.

Best Hedge Around a Small Patio

Privacy around a patio needs to feel comfortable rather than oppressive.

Yew and Portuguese Laurel are particularly useful because they can create attractive, controlled backdrops.

If overlooking occurs from above, combine lower hedging with pleached or specimen trees rather than surrounding the patio with extremely tall evergreen walls.

For alternative elevated screening, see Trees for Screening Neighbours.

Best Hedge for a Small Garden in Full Sun

Small sunny gardens provide a good range of options.

Yew, Portuguese Laurel, Privet, Photinia, Pyracantha and Beech can all work depending on soil and required privacy.

The key consideration is often water.

Small urban gardens may contain large areas of paving, walls and artificial surfaces that increase heat and reduce the amount of rainfall reaching the hedge roots.

For a complete comparison, see Best Hedges for Full Sun.

Best Hedge for a Small Garden in Partial Shade

Yew is particularly strong in partial shade.

Holly, Portuguese Laurel, Privet and Hornbeam can also be considered depending on the precise conditions.

Shade from a building is different from shade beneath mature trees, where root competition and dry soil can become equally important.

For a detailed comparison, see Hedging for Partial Shade.

Best Hedge for a Small Garden on Clay Soil

Hornbeam is one of the strongest options for small gardens with heavier, moisture-retentive soil.

Holly and Privet may also be suitable.

Yew can perform well on clay where drainage is adequate but does not tolerate prolonged waterlogging.

Before selecting the hedge, establish whether you have ordinary clay soil or a genuine drainage problem.

See Hedging for Clay Soil for more detailed guidance.

Best Hedge for a Small Coastal Garden

Small coastal gardens combine limited space with wind and potentially salt exposure.

Elaeagnus can be particularly useful in exposed coastal conditions.

Holly may also be appropriate, while Griselinia can perform well in suitable milder locations.

The exact level of exposure matters considerably.

For a broader comparison, read Hedging for Coastal Areas.

How Wide Should a Hedge Be in a Small Garden?

There is no universal minimum or ideal width.

Different species have different natural habits.

The objective should be to maintain enough foliage and branch structure for the hedge to remain healthy and dense without consuming unnecessary garden space.

Yew can be kept relatively narrow because it tolerates clipping exceptionally well.

Beech, Hornbeam and Privet can also form controlled formal hedges.

Broad-leaved vigorous plants such as Cherry Laurel naturally require more consideration.

When planning the garden, work with the realistic mature maintained width, not the width of the young plants on delivery day.

How Tall Should a Hedge Be in a Small Garden?

Only as tall as necessary.

A hedge that is taller than the privacy problem requires can reduce sunlight, increase maintenance and make a small garden feel more enclosed.

Identify what actually needs screening.

If you simply want privacy from people walking past a boundary, a conventional hedge may be sufficient.

If the problem is a neighbouring upstairs window, a taller hedge may not be the most space-efficient solution.

Use the minimum height required to solve the actual problem.

Keep a Small-Garden Hedge Narrow From the Start

Formative pruning is important.

Do not allow a young hedge to become far broader than the intended finished dimensions simply because you are waiting for it to gain height.

Encouraging appropriate side branching while controlling excessive width helps establish the required form from the beginning.

It is usually much easier to maintain a hedge correctly from the outset than renovate an oversized hedge several years later.

Keep the Base of the Hedge Dense

A narrow hedge still needs foliage and branching at low level.

Allowing all the growth to race upwards can create a hedge that is tall but sparse near the ground.

Appropriate formative pruning encourages branching and helps develop a dense screen from base to top.

This is particularly important where the hedge is intended to provide privacy.

Should a Hedge Be Wider at the Bottom?

A slight taper can be beneficial.

Keeping the base marginally wider than the top allows more light to reach lower foliage.

This can help maintain density over the long term.

The effect does not need to be dramatic.

The objective is simply to avoid creating a top-heavy hedge that shades its own lower growth.

Mature Hedging for Small Gardens

Larger plants can be particularly valuable in compact overlooked gardens.

Instead of choosing an extremely vigorous species and waiting for it to grow, you can start with a larger plant of a more manageable species.

Mature Yew, Portuguese Laurel or Holly can provide useful immediate screening without creating the same long-term growth problem as a very vigorous hedge.

This is an important distinction.

Fast-growing does not necessarily mean fast privacy.

Plant size matters too.

Our Hedging Plant Sizes Explained guide explains this in more detail.

Instant Hedging for Small Gardens

Instant hedging can work particularly well where only a relatively short boundary needs immediate screening.

The initial cost is higher, but a small garden may require considerably fewer metres of hedge than a large property.

This can make mature or instant hedging more financially realistic.

The species and eventual maintained width still need careful consideration.

See Instant Hedges for more information.

Access and Mature Hedging in Small Gardens

Compact gardens frequently have narrow side passages, gates, steps or access through the house.

This can restrict the size of plants that can practically reach the garden.

A substantial two-metre rootballed plant may provide excellent privacy, but that is irrelevant if the rootball cannot physically pass through the available access.

Consider plant height, container or rootball dimensions, weight and machinery access before ordering mature stock.

Sometimes several smaller plants provide a much more practical solution.

Low-Maintenance Hedging for Small Gardens

There is no completely maintenance-free formal hedge.

The key to reducing maintenance is choosing a species whose natural growth suits the available space.

Yew can be particularly useful because its growth is relatively controlled once established.

Holly can also be manageable.

Beech and Hornbeam respond well to regular clipping.

By contrast, planting an extremely vigorous broad hedge into a very narrow space almost guarantees an ongoing maintenance problem.

Wildlife Hedging for Small Gardens

A small garden can still provide meaningful wildlife habitat.

Holly offers evergreen shelter and potential berries.

Pyracantha provides flowers, berries and dense cover.

Hawthorn can provide exceptional wildlife value where there is sufficient space.

A broad mixed native hedge may be difficult to accommodate in the smallest gardens, so selecting one or two multifunctional species can sometimes produce a better balance between habitat and usable space.

Security Hedging for Small Gardens

Pyracantha and Holly are particularly useful where defensive characteristics are required without creating an excessively broad hedge.

Pyracantha can be trained against an existing boundary and carries sharp thorns.

Holly provides prickly evergreen foliage.

Both can combine security with ornamental and wildlife value.

For a broader comparison, see Best Hedge for Security.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hedging for Small Gardens

What is the best hedge for a small garden?

Yew is one of the strongest all-round choices because it is evergreen, shade tolerant, long-lived and can be maintained relatively narrowly. Portuguese Laurel, Privet, Holly, Beech and Hornbeam are also excellent depending on the conditions.

What hedge takes up the least space?

Yew is particularly useful where width is restricted because it tolerates tight regular clipping. Privet, Beech and Hornbeam can also form relatively narrow hedges.

What is the best evergreen hedge for a small garden?

Yew, Portuguese Laurel and Holly are among the strongest choices. Pyracantha can also be useful where it can be trained against a wall or fence.

What is the best privacy hedge for a small garden?

For year-round privacy, consider Yew, Portuguese Laurel or Holly. If summer privacy is sufficient, Beech or Hornbeam can provide excellent screening while allowing more winter light.

What is the best fast-growing hedge for a small garden?

Privet and Portuguese Laurel provide a useful balance between growth and manageability. Very vigorous hedges should be chosen cautiously where space is restricted.

Is Cherry Laurel suitable for a small garden?

It can be where sufficient width is available, but its broad vigorous habit means Yew or Portuguese Laurel will often be easier to control in very compact spaces.

Is Leylandii suitable for a small garden?

It can be maintained successfully, but its very rapid growth makes it less forgiving if regular maintenance is neglected. More manageable alternatives are usually available.

Is Yew suitable for a small garden?

Yes. Yew is one of the best choices where you need an evergreen hedge that can be kept relatively narrow.

Is Beech suitable for a small garden?

Yes. Beech creates an elegant clipped hedge and can provide dense summer privacy while allowing more winter light than a fully evergreen screen.

Is Hornbeam suitable for a small garden?

Yes, particularly where the soil is heavier or more moisture-retentive.

What hedge is best for a small shaded garden?

Yew and Holly are particularly strong choices. Portuguese Laurel and Hornbeam may also be suitable depending on the degree and cause of the shade.

What hedge is best for a small sunny garden?

Yew, Portuguese Laurel, Privet, Photinia, Pyracantha and Beech can all be considered depending on soil, exposure and the required appearance.

How high should a hedge be in a small garden?

Only as high as required to solve the privacy or boundary problem. Excessive height can reduce light and make a compact garden feel smaller.

Can I use instant hedging in a small garden?

Yes. It can be particularly useful where a short boundary needs immediate privacy, although access and eventual hedge width should be considered carefully.

Can Landscaping Emporium supply and plant hedging for small gardens?

Yes. Landscaping Emporium can supply suitable hedging, with professional planting available for appropriate projects across North West England.

Choosing the Best Hedge for a Small Garden

In a small garden, begin with space rather than species.

Decide how much width you can genuinely give the hedge.

Then determine whether privacy is required throughout winter or principally during the garden-use season.

Consider how high the hedge actually needs to be and where the unwanted views originate.

Look at sunlight, soil, exposure and access.

Finally, decide how much maintenance you are prepared to undertake.

For controlled year-round privacy, Yew is difficult to beat.

For refined evergreen screening with somewhat faster growth, consider Portuguese Laurel.

For quicker traditional hedging, consider Privet.

For evergreen privacy, wildlife and security, consider Holly.

For seasonal screening and winter light, consider Beech or Hornbeam.

For screening against a wall or fence with minimal loss of ground space, consider Pyracantha.

And where overlooking comes from above, consider whether pleached trees combined with lower hedging would solve the problem more efficiently.

Hedging for Small Gardens Supplied and Planted

Landscaping Emporium can supply hedging for compact gardens across Lancashire, the Ribble Valley, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Cumbria and surrounding parts of North West England, with professional planting available for suitable projects.

For a complete installation service, see Hedging Supplied & Planted.

If you need immediate privacy, explore Instant Hedges.

If you are unsure whether larger plants are worth the additional cost, read Hedging Plant Sizes Explained.

For sunny gardens, see Best Hedges for Full Sun.

For shadier gardens, compare Hedging for Partial Shade.

And where privacy is needed above an existing boundary, explore Pleached Trees & Pleached Hedging.

Find the Right Hedge for Your Small Garden

If you are unsure which hedge will work, send Landscaping Emporium your postcode, approximate boundary length, available width, required height and photographs of the garden.

Tell us whether the main priority is privacy, saving space, retaining light, fast screening, wildlife, security or low maintenance.

We can then help you compare Yew, Portuguese Laurel, Privet, Holly, Beech, Hornbeam, Pyracantha and other suitable options according to the actual space and growing conditions.

In a small garden, the best hedge is rarely the plant that grows fastest or largest.

It is the hedge that provides the privacy and structure you need while leaving as much of the garden as possible for you to enjoy.