Häckar för Norrland

Abstract: I have observed that hedges are not as prevalent in gardens in the north of Sweden as in the south despite a number of beneficial qualities attached to their use. Consequently, the primary purpose of this essay is to examine the potential for the use of ligneous or woody plants as hedges in a cold climate. The aim of this study is to provide information about the various varieties of ligneous plants that can be used for both pruned and unclipped hedges in the north of Sweden. Because the hardiness of the ligneous plants is a vital factor here, only plants that are hardy enough to survive in the Swedish hardiness zones V to VIII are included in this study. Roses, dwarf shrubs, conifers, bushes with a final height of less than 1 metre and plants that “bleed” have been excluded. In determining the various species of ligneous plants that are hardy and suitable as hedges in cold climates, a wide range of literature has been studied. This has included literature about hedges, gardening in cold climates, ligneous plants and gardening in general. This material has been supplemented by a study of brochures, reports, nursery catalogues and scientific papers. The result is a list of 20 ligneous plants suitable for use as clipped and unclipped hedges—many of them suitable for both purposes—in the north of Sweden.This essay concludes with a discussion of the various types of hedge plants, areas of interest for further investigation and weaknesses in the methods and materials used in this study.