Living hedges

Recently, I’ve entered the fascinating world of hedgelaying. To weave or ‘lay’ a hedge means to start from a classic hedgerow, ideally consisting of different varieties of rugged, fast-growing shrubs.

By pleaching and weaving, the shrubs are transformed into a dense, living wall that keeps on growing even thicker and stronger. Hedge rows help to keep wind erosion low and to keep certain animals in or out of plots of land. More importantly, those hedgerows form a precious biotope for countless species of insects, birds, mammals and fungi. It’s an interesting design issue to choose the right mix of shrubs for the planting location, the soil quality, and future functionality that you want.

To me, layed hedgerows are the ideal creation of something with a great impact on biodiversity and at the same time adding a durable element with the beauty of landscape art. In collaboration with the Dutch Netwerk van Heggenvlechters

(Hedge by Pieter Jansma, Studio Habitats)