Osmanthus Instant Hedge growing on our nursery ideal hedge for small gardens.
Instant Hedge In Focus: Hedges for Small Gardens

Choosing the Perfect Hedge for Your Small Garden

In the world of gardening, hedges are the unsung heroes of landscape design, offering a blend of functionality and beauty. For those with smaller gardens, selecting the right hedge can be challenging but fortunately, there are several species of our Practical Instant Hedge™ that could be the perfect choice for your small garden.  Whether its the classic charm of Holly, the sweet fragrance of Osmanthus, or the timeless Yew.

Our pre-formed, top-quality Practical Instant Hedge™ range is produced in specially designed hedging bags and supplied in pieces that are 1m long by 40 – 50cm deep. When replanted into your garden, these evergreen instant hedges will give instant maturity, and require minimal maintenance.

Osmanthus Instant Hedge

Holly

Holly, with its glossy, spiky leaves and vibrant red berries, adds a touch of traditional charm to any garden. Their dense growth habit creates a natural privacy screen, and the presence of both male and female plants ensures the iconic bright berries during the winter months. Practical Instant Hedge™ is available as English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) and Blue Holly (Ilex meserveae). Both hedges are relatively low maintenance, requiring only occasional pruning to maintain their shape and density.  It’s also very hardy, resistant to pests and diseases, and can tolerate a variety of soil conditions.

Osmanthus

Osmanthus hedges are our favourite choice for fragrance. Known for their small, white flowers that bloom in late winter or early spring, Osmanthus hedges infuse the garden with a sweet, apricot-like aroma. Practical Instant Hedge™ (Osmanthus burkwoodii) is a compact evergreen, making them well-suited for small spaces. These hedges require moderate pruning to maintain their shape and promote bushier growth with more flowers the following season. Their versatility extends to both sunny and partially shaded locations.

Yew

Yew hedges have adorned gardens for centuries, standing as a symbol of enduring beauty. Known for their dark green, needle-like foliage, Yews provide an evergreen backdrop throughout the seasons. Their slow growth rate makes them ideal for small gardens, allowing for easy maintenance and shaping. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, Yews also have a remarkable tolerance for different soil conditions and are shade-tolerant, making them a versatile choice for various garden settings. Practical Instant Yew Hedging is available in various heights.

In the world of small gardens, the right hedge can transform a confined space into a verdant sanctuary. They are easy to manage and enhance any environment with their natural charm; whether you opt for the enduring elegance of Yew, the traditional charm of Holly, or the fragrant blooms of Osmanthus, each species brings its unique character to your outdoor space.

Osmanthus Instant Hedge

Osmanthus

Blue Holly Instant Hedge

Blue Holly

Holly leaf and berry

English Holly

Yew Instant Hedge

Yew

 


How to order Practical Instant Hedge™

If you like to find out more about our comprehensive range of evergreen and deciduous Practical Instant Hedges, you can:

  • Book a visit to our nursery in Iver, Buckingham to view our hedges and trees
  • Call 01753 652022 to speak to our horticultural team
  • Email hedge@pracbrown.co.uk with your requirements (such as hedge length and size, species, and your location) and we can provide you with a bespoke quote.
Instant Hedge In Focus: New Hedges

New Practical Instant Hedge™ ranges

We are proud to introduce two new evergreens to our Practical Instant Hedge™ range:

  • Ilex meserveae Blue Maid/ Prince or Blue Holly
  • Osmanthus burkwoodii or Burkwood osmanthus

Blue Holly

Ilex meserveae Blue Maid/ Prince has dense, lustrous, blue-green, spiny leaves from purple stems and tiny, white flowers are produced in spring. These cultivars are some of the best blue hollies available. Our Practical Instant Hedge™ has a mix of Blue Maid and Blue Prince to ensure the delightful profusion of bright red berries in autumn and winter. Late summer pruning will reveal dark purplish-green stems, which add to the ornamental effect.

 

 

Burkwood osmanthus

Osmanthus Instant Hedge growing in hedge bags in Iver

Burkwood osmanthus is a dense, slow-growing, evergreen. The glossy, finely toothed, dark green leaves beautifully offset by highly scented, jasmine like, white flowers in mid and late spring. If pruned after flowering, it will increase the blooms for the following year.

 

The addition of these attractive new instant hedges brings our range of evergreens to a dozen species, with 5 deciduous to complete our offering. There really is a Practical Instant Hedge™ for all gardens.

The Practical Instant Hedge™ Difference

  • Densely pre-planted and ready-grown to 30 – 40cm wide and up to 2m high, species dependent
  • British grown by us!
  • Grown in 1m long pieces and supplied specially designed hedge bags
  • Easy to handle and plant
  • Can be planted all year round
  • All stock is carefully maintained, irrigated, and treated with controlled release nutrients to optimise health
  • Available in any lengths, and can be bent to almost any shape
  • Supplied on standard 1m x 1.2m pallets
  • Prices vary according to species, height, quantity, and planting logistics
  • Available direct on a supply only or supply and plant basis throughout the UK by the metre
  • Recommended automatic irrigation systems can be installed at the same time as planting

How to order Practical Instant Hedge™

If you like to find out more about our comprehensive range of evergreen and deciduous Practical Instant Hedges, you can:

  • Book a visit to our nursery in Iver, Buckingham to view our hedges and trees
  • Call 01753 652022 to speak to our horticultural team
  • Email hedge@pracbrown.co.uk with your requirements (such as hedge length and size, species, and your location) and we can provide you with a quote within a few days.
  • Order online here.

Did you Know – We offer our Instant Hedge as both supply only, or supply and plant as well.

Best Hedges for Homes

How to choose the best hedge for your home

If you are thinking about using hedging in your garden, you may want to consider buying a pre-grown instant hedge, whether its evergreen instant hedging for privacy screening or the seasonal interest of a mature deciduous hedge. Why wait for individual plants to grow, when we’ve done the work for you?

Which Hedge?

Practical Instant Hedge™ is available in various species and sizes, up to 2m high, so how will you choose which one is best for your garden? The first choice is whether you would like one that is evergreen or one that is deciduous:

 Evergreen hedges maintain their foliage throughout the year.

This provides screening, privacy and shelter all year round. Despite their name, an evergreen hedge isn’t just one colour. It comes in many different varieties to suit your individual taste. If you like bright colours, then the apple green leaves of Griselinia could be your favourite. If shiny leaves are more your thing, then its Common Laurel. For classic elegance, nothing can really beat the traditional Yew. Or if subtle greys are what your garden needs, then Elaeagnus would be perfect.

 Deciduous hedges tend to shed their leaves in the winter.

They offer year-round seasonal interest from flowers, coloured foliage, or autumn fruits. Hawthorn, for example, has an abundant display of white scented early spring blossom, and red haws in the autumn. Both Beech (Green and Purple) and Hornbeam have wonderful autumn bursts of coloured foliage, and Beech retains most of its leaves through the winter too. Native Mix hedging replicates the traditional country hedgerows found across Britain and local wildlife will be attracted by the food and shelter opportunities.

There are many more varieties of Practical Instant Hedge that will help make your garden your perfect outdoor space, and you can plant it all year round!

Book a visit our nursery in Iver, Bucks or to talk to our Horticultural team on 01753 652022 to find out more.

Or buy online here.

 

RHS Hampton Court 2023

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2023

Every year, top garden designers choose Practicality Brown’s hedges and trees as an integral part of their show garden, forming an important green backdrop or as part of the structure within the design itself.

This year we exhibited at Hampton Court ourselves, with a trade stand and garden installation showcasing Practical Instant Hedge™ and evergreen screening trees. The clever design incorporated both, “Playing with Shapes” used a selection of instant hedges and trees from the nursery in Iver, Buckinghamshire together with the stunning “Diana, The Huntress” sculpture by David William-Ellis.

In addition to exhibiting ourselves, our Practical Instant Hedge™ featured on three different gardens at this prestigious show.

Explore Charleston – Welcome To Charleston

Show Garden designed by Sadie May Stowell – Silver Gilt medal winner

The garden provided visitors with a glimpse of the historic courtyard gardens of Charleston, South Carolina, capturing their spirit, charm and elegance.  The planting colour scheme is blue, pink, and white and showcases a number of hardy exotic plants. Practical Yew Instant Hedging gives the design a classical formal backdrop.

 

RHS Wildlife Garden

Feature Garden designed by Jo Thompson

The garden represented an urban corridor reclaimed by nature, showing how wildlife can thrive in what are often thought of as unexpected or forgotten places. Re-framing the idea of re-wilding, this garden observed nature and took inspiration from it, whilst maintaining the balance of plants for biodiversity through light intervention. Practical Instant Native Mix Hedging was perfect for this design.

 

The Inghams Working with Nature Garden

Get Started Garden designed by Butler and Parker – Silver medal winner

The garden was inspired by summer holidays, using natural stone for tracks and seating.
The planting had a natural feel that aims to handle future UK climates, such as temporary periods of flooding as well as dry periods. The planting palette was inspired by woodland and lower valley glades, with Practical Instant Hornbeam Hedging providing the backdrop.

 

Come and visit our nursery in Iver, Bucks and talk to our Horticultural team about your own garden. Call us on 01753 652022. You can also email us at hedge@pracbrown.co.uk.  Or visit our website:  www.pracbrown.co.uk

 

We Can Move Trees

Relocating Mature Trees

We can move trees! We have the expertise and specialised equipment to transplant large trees.  We undertake tree moving on a regular basis for private and commercial organisations throughout the UK.

Tree Transplanting Service

We specialise in moving medium sized trees 30-50cm girth for parks, private estates and landowners, golf and sports clubs.  This service is also invaluable for Landscape Contractors, as it enable them to extend their own range of capabilities.

Moving Trees

Practicality Brown have over 30 years’ experience in tree transplanting and have purpose-built Tree Spade machines, including an Optimal 1100 mounted on a Kramer 520 Compact Loader and a Big John 1.6m 4×4 Truck-Mounted Tree spade.

Machines can be supplied with ‘flotation tyres’ for work on sensitive ground, are operated by experienced, trained operators and backed up by a skilled planting team, if needed, for securing the trees or assisting with planting.

We specialise in moving medium sized trees 30-50cm girth for parks, private estates and landowners, golf and sports clubs.  This service is also invaluable for Landscape Contractors to extend their own range of capabilities.

Why Use A Specialist To Move Trees?

As a specialist tree moving company, we have the right experience, expertise and machinery. Our purpose-built tree spade machines are designed to efficiently hold the tree rootball together during the transplanting process, which is vital for successful tree relocation.

Why is Tree Transplanting in demand?

We have seen an increased demand for moving trees recently. There may be a number of reasons why trees may need to be moved, including:

  • The increased restrictions on importing particular tree species from Europe, due to stricter pest and disease controls
  • Economic impact of Brexit and Covid-induced lockdown, with increased tree purchase, higher transport and labour costs
  • Limited availability from UK nurseries, due to increased demand for home grown trees
  • Increased desire to plant more trees to capture carbon and to repurpose tree plantations that need thinning out
  • Increased demand for carbon reduction, meaning that it is more ethical to move trees a few hundred metres rather than hundreds of miles

Tree Transplanting Service

Practicality Brown can offer two different tree spades according to tree size, which are available on a price per tree or day work rates. Please contact us for a quote.

 

Photinia red robin screening tree, full blooms, which makes a striking contrast against the dark green foliage
Best Trees for Privacy

Discover the Best Trees for Privacy at Practicality Brown

When it comes to creating privacy in your garden, there are few options as effective as screening trees and pleached trees. These tall, dense, trees provide a natural barrier that blocks out unwanted views and reduce noise, while also adding beauty and interest to your landscape. For those in the market for screening or pleached trees, Practicality Brown’s tree and hedge nursery in Iver, Buckinghamshire is the ideal destination.

We are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of high-quality trees and hedges, and our nursery boasts over 800 carefully tended trees and 15,000m of Instant Hedging.

Screening Trees

We currently have a fine selection of screening trees that are ideal for creating privacy in your garden. There is a wide selection of evergreen screening trees, including Holly, Photinia, Magnolia, Loquat, Viburnum and Privet. Each tree is carefully selected and grown to the highest standards, ensuring that you get the best possible quality.

Pleached Trees

In addition to screening trees, Practicality Brown also offers a selection of pleached trees. These are trees that have been trained and pruned to grow in a narrow, flat shape, with a clear stem and a dense canopy of foliage. Pleached trees are an excellent option for creating privacy in smaller gardens, as they take up less space than traditional screening trees. They’re also great for adding structure and interest to your garden, as they can be used to create avenues, or to define outdoor rooms. Practicality Brown offers a range of pleached trees, including Magnolia, Holly, Photinia and Laurel, all of which are available in a range of sizes.

Book a Visit

Book a visit to our tree and hedge nursery, where our staff will guide you through the selection process and help you choose the perfect screening or pleached trees for your garden. Before visiting the nursery, it’s a good idea to make a list of your requirements; consider the size of your garden, the level of privacy you need, and the amount of light your garden receives. Armed with this information, you’ll be able to make a more informed decision when it comes to choosing your trees.

With our selection of trees, expert advice, and commitment to quality, you’re sure to find the perfect trees to create privacy and beauty in your garden.

Contact Us

Email us for a bespoke quotation – we offer trees on a supply and deliver as well as supply, deliver and plant basis.

 

Best Trees for Blossom

Best Flowering Trees

One of the joys of walking through our tree nursery in spring is the delightful blossom that graces the flowering trees, with their abundance of pink and white blooms.

If you are looking for some spring colour in your gardens, we have the following muti-stem flowering trees in stock.

Magnolia stellata (Star magnolia)

Magnolia stellata in bloom

The Star magnolia is a charming, slow growing tree. A mass of stunning, bright white, star-shaped spreading white flowers in March to April before giving way to lush, mid-green leaves. slow-growing magnolia forming a compact rounded specimen, making it ideal for small gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

Prunus cerasifera Nigra (Purple Plum)

Prunus cerasifera Nigra blossom

This Purple Plum tree has distinctively dark brown bark and pretty single pink flowers that appear early in the spring and remain on the tree whilst the dark foliage begins to emerge, gradually fading to white and contrasting fantastically with the dark leaves.  Prunus cerasifera Nigra will tolerate very severe pruning, making it easy to maintain and therefore a perfect tree for small gardens.

 

 

 

 

Prunus yedoensis – Yoshino Cherry

Prunus yedoensis, originating in Japan, is one of the most beautiful cherries. It is an elegant, medium-sized tree which is covered with small, pink-white flowers from April onwards. They hang in clusters of 5 or 6 and have a subtle almond fragrance. The leaves emerge a coppery colour towards the end of the flowers which create a beautiful contrast to the shiny, black fruits.

 

 

 

Hedging Alternatives

If you are looking for a hedge alternative to a tree, then our Practical Native Mix Instant Hedge has plants that are native to the UK and as such emulate traditional country hedgerows found throughout Britain. A typical composition would include the following species: Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Hornbeam, Hazel and Common Privet – many of which produce blossom and/or fruits.

 

Contact Us

Email about your requirements for trees in your garden; we can supply and plant many types of attractive trees.

 

Eriobotrya japonica standard tree growing on the nursery in a container.
Best Screening Trees

Our Top Evergreen Screening Trees

Screening trees often have a clear stem to reach up to fence panel height of around 1.8-2m with a full-bushy canopy above. This type of screening is particularly useful if you are overlooked by neighbouring properties, would like to draw the eye towards a specific feature, or would like to retain lower level exposure i.e. of an attractive wall or area.

These are the best screening trees, and all are in stock at our nursery in Iver, Bucks:

Eriobotrya japonica
Eriobotrya japonica This evergreen tree has a beautiful scent and produces white flowers that last from winter through to spring. Although its fruit seldom ripens in the UK, its yellow and orange produce is eye-catching.

 

 

 

 

Ilex castaneifolia
A medium to large tree with a distinctively pyramidal shaped crown. Bright red berries appear in small clusters and are produced in abundance in the autumn time following a delicate of flowers in the spring.  A great choice for high level screening as it produces a definite and dense screen above the fence line.

 

 

 

Ilex Nellie R Stevens
Ilex aquifolium Nellie R StevensIdeal for screening due to its symmetrical habit, density and lack of pruning requirements. The glossy green leaves are smooth rather than spikey. The autumn berries provide colour and food for birds. Grows well in well-drained soil, is drought tolerant, needs sun-partial sun.

 

 

 

Ligustrum japonicum
Japanese Privet Screening treeA compact, small sized evergreen tree with camellia-like olive-green leaves that looks attractive in pleached form. It bears large clusters of white flowers in late summer. A tough performing species that will thrive on most soils, but avoid waterlogged areas

 

 

 

 

Magnolia grandiflora
With large dark green leaves, this evergreen produces beautiful, large, white flowers in the summer, which can be up to 25 cm in diameter. As well as decorating this stunning tree, they also create a sweet-citrus smelling aroma, and makes a stunning pleached tree. Magnolia grows well in most soils, but it must be sheltered and not north-facing

 

 

 

Osmanthus aquifolium
A pretty little evergreen is perfect for screening in the gardenThis pretty little evergreen is perfect for screening in the garden. Glossy tooth edged leaves resemble Holly and form an upright but spreading plant. Fragrant white flowers appear in autumn amongst the leaves and branches.

 

 

 

 

Photinia fraseri ‘Red Robin’
This is a versatile evergreen, that has vibrant red new shoots in spring, which contrast with the white blossom – unusual in an evergreen.  The bright new leaves change to a deep, glossy green as they mature.

 

 

 

 

Pinus nigra
Black PineA robust evergreen tree, with deep green glossy needles and a picturesque, rounded, informal growth habit. The perfect selection for wind break planting and protection from salt ladened winds. A good screening tree, it can reach over 20m in height at maturity, so consideration should be given to its planting location.

 

 

 

Prunus laurocerasus ‘Novita’
This is a popular tree, with an upright and bushy habit which is perfect year-round screening in its pleached form.  Its large leaves are elliptical, shiny and bright green and have small, sweet-smelling, white flowers, which grow in vertical racemes, followed by small, cherry-like fruit.

 

 

 

Vibernum lucidum
Viburnum tinus Lucidum (French Laurustinus) The Viburnum Lucidum originates from south of Europe. It grows into a large shrub with dark green, shiny leaves. These can be up to 10 cm in length and 4 cm wide and are ovate with a pointed end. It grows into a dense, busy and rounded habit and produces cymes of small white, fragrant flowers in late winter, which stay in bloom until mid-spring. This tree also produces small, bluish-black berries in autumn.

 

 

 

Contact Us

Email about your requirements for screening or privacy in your garden; we can supply and plant many types of attractive trees .

Best Pleached Trees

Our Top Evergreen Pleached Trees

If your garden needs effective screening or simply to improve privacy without reducing the living space then a pleached tree may well be the answer. We have the following evergreen pleached trees in stock at our nursery in Iver, Bucks:

Contact us for details

Please email trees@pracbrown.co.uk or call 01753 652022 for more information

Stock

Ilex aquifolium ‘Nellie R Stevens’ (Holly)

Ideal for screening due to its symmetrical habit, density and lack of pruning requirements. The glossy green leaves are smooth rather than spikey. The autumn berries provide colour and food for birds. Grows well in well-drained soil, is drought tolerant, needs partial sun.

 

 

 

Magnolia grandiflora ‘Gallisoniensis’

With large dark green leaves, this evergreen produces beautiful, large, white flowers in the summer, which can be up to 25 cm in diameter. As well as decorating this stunning tree, they also create a sweet-citrus smelling aroma, and makes a stunning pleached tree. Magnolia grows well in most soils, but it must be sheltered and not north-facing.

 

 

 

Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’

This is a versatile evergreen, that has vibrant red new shoots in spring, which contrast with the white blossom – unusual in an evergreen.  The bright new leaves change to a deep, glossy green as they mature. This tree is a colourful pleached tree.

 

 

 

Prunus laurocerasus ‘Novita’ (Cherry Laurel)

This is a popular tree, with an upright and bushy habit which is perfect year-round screening in its pleached form.  Its large leaves are elliptical, shiny and bright green and have small, sweet-smelling, white flowers, which grow in vertical racemes, followed by small, cherry-like fruit.

 

 

 

Ligustrum japonicum (Japanese Privet)

A compact, small sized evergreen tree with camellia-like olive-green leaves that looks attractive in pleached form. It bears large clusters of white flowers in late summer. A tough performing species that will thrive on most soils, but avoid waterlogged areas

 

 

 

What is a pleached tree?

Pleached trees can create effective screening or simply to improve privacy in your garden, without taking up very much space due to their slim canopy.  Pleached trees are created by training trees to a square frame, tying in and interlacing flexible young shoots along a supporting framework, creating an attractive slender tree. The frames vary in size and can be wooden, bamboo or metal. The clear stem of the tree is usually 1.8/2m high but can vary. The frame is usually 1.2m wide and 1m high but we do have various sizes in stock.

Contact to us about your requirements for screening or privacy in your garden; we can supply and plant many types of attractive trees .

 

Best Hedges for Horses

Hedging for Horses

Practical Instant Hedge™ is the best choice for a horse friendly boundary. Our hedging range is a mature, ready to plant product, so the animals can feel the immediate benefits, including protection from the elements. These stockproof hedges will give interest all year round and will be beneficial to other wildlife too.

Best Hedges for Horses

We are frequently asked about hedges suitable for horses, and can recommend the following Practical Instant Hedge™, that, if grazed by horses, should cause no harm.

Hawthorn – Crataegus monogyna
One of the most popular deciduous horse-friendly hedges, as it looks perfectly natural in the landscape and is loved by birds and insects. Horses like to nibble on the new shoots too.

Griselinia littoralis
An attractive evergreen hedge, with soft lime green leaves and suited to salt laden winds of coastal locations.

Hornbeam – Carpinus betulus
A deciduous hedge whose leaves turn yellow in the autumn and then emerge bright green in early spring. Similar in look to beech but with finely ribbed leaves.

Oleaster – Elaeagnus ebbingei Compacta
A dense evergreen hedge that is particularly suitable for seaside locations. Horse friendly with a lovely grey / green leaf.

Beech – Fagus sylvatica
This deciduous hedge retains its leaves in to the winter, offering additional screening in the coldest months. Horses quite often nibble leaves, twigs, and bark of the trees. Beech nuts are poisonous but if your hedge is trimmed in summer, nuts are unlikely to be produced.

Benefit of Horse Friendly Hedging

  1. Keeps horses in and/or other animals out.
  2. Offers shelter against winds and rain in winter and the sun and flies in summer.
  3. It can supplement your horses’ diet.
  4. Seasonal interest from hedgerow flowers, catkins, berries and Autumn foliage.

Planting

If you are planning to include trees in your horse friendly hedging, then autumn and winter are the perfect time to plant semi-mature large trees. Our Practical Instant Hedge™ can be planted at any time of the year, meaning you can plan around your needs.

Learn more here or contact our Horticultural team for more details by email Hedge@pracbrown.co.uk or call 01753 652022