| Growing a green fence is not a difficult project | | | | locations. Pampas grass makes ornamental barrier |
| for the home landscaper. The first and most | | | | with tall feathery plumes. |
| important consideration is function; typically home | | | | How to select your Tree Species: One good way |
| owners are looking for privacy without building a | | | | to find the best kind of trees to use for your |
| solid fence. The variation is to camouflage an | | | | project is to look for that are doing well in your |
| existing fence. In either case evergreen shrubs or | | | | area, look for immature and mature examples. |
| trees are the only way to go if you're looking for | | | | Visualize the trees in your location. Do you have |
| year round visual break. The most effective | | | | power lines? Will the trees need to be topped for |
| planting are layered with over story trees and | | | | any reason? It's probably best to chose trees |
| understory shrubs. If you have the room for | | | | that will not need future maintenance such as |
| trees and there are no overhead power lines to | | | | topping for any reason other than to try your |
| consider, you can plant a row of trees, in a verity | | | | hand at pollarding. |
| of configurations. | | | | How to turn your green fence into a work of art: |
| How to plant a green fence: Variations in planting | | | | Working with the trunks of living trees is an old |
| trees are limitless, depending on the species of | | | | art form called arborsculpture. You can plant your |
| your choice, you can plant them close together | | | | trees in such a way so you can start bending and |
| so that as they mature, they become a dense | | | | grafting them into shapes of you own choosing. A |
| and strong barrier. Plant your trees one leaning | | | | living chair? How about a ladder grown with 2 |
| right one leaning left and bind the trees where | | | | trees with the rungs grown from grafted |
| they touch each other to create a pattern in your | | | | branches. The grafting is as simple shaving a little |
| living fence; this is often done with fruit trees. | | | | bark off where you want the trees to grow |
| Espalier is another variation on the living fence. | | | | together and tying them with stretch tie. As |
| Fruit trees are trained into a flat plane creating a | | | | these trees grow they cast the new shape and |
| green fence. | | | | grow together where grafted. Imagine |
| Shrubs help create the privacy you want in short | | | | incorporating other items into your growing trees |
| order, fast growing species commonly used are | | | | like stained glass, plumbing for fountains, or |
| phytonia, red colored leaves grow into dense | | | | pottery. An item inserted into growing trees |
| hedges when pruned. Oleander is a hardy | | | | becomes something called an inclusion. |
| flowering species that does well in difficult | | | | |