Low edging, clipped hedges and tall privacy screens. Every plant here is one Swan Hill gardeners come back for, chosen to take the heat, the frost and the occasional neglect.
Work out what the hedge is for before you pick a plant. It makes the choice much easier.
Euonymus 'Tom Thumb', Nandina 'Nana' and the low westringias. Plant 30 to 40 cm apart.
Euonymus 'Green Rocket', Pittosporum 'Golf Ball', Rhaphiolepis and germander. Plant 50 to 60 cm apart.
Viburnum 'Dense Fence', juniper 'Spartan', port wine magnolia and cypress. Plant 80 cm to 1 m apart.
These are the hedge plants we stock most and keep reordering.
Euonymus1 to 1.5 m
Euonymus japonicus
The hedge plant we stock most. Glossy dark green leaves on a narrow, upright habit, so it makes a tight formal hedge without taking over the path. Takes a hard clip and copes with Swan Hill heat once its roots are down.
Euonymus30 to 60 cm
Euonymus japonicus microphyllus
A tiny-leafed dwarf that does the job of English box in a hot garden. Use it for knee-high edging along paths and garden beds, or clipped balls in pots.
PittosporumAbout 1 m
Pittosporum tenuifolium
Forms a neat lime-green ball on its own with very little clipping. We reorder it more than almost anything else in the nursery. Plant in a row for a soft, rounded low hedge or use singly to mark an entry.
Westringia0.6 to 1 m
Westringia hybrid
A compact native box alternative that holds its shape with an occasional trim. Tough on wind, heat and dry soil.
Westringia0.6 to 1 m
Westringia fruticosa 'WES04'
Fine silver-grey leaves on a dense, low shrub. A good choice for a grey-toned garden or a low hedge in full sun.
Westringia1 to 1.5 m
Westringia fruticosa
Grey-green leaves edged in cream, and small white flowers on and off through the year. Hedges well and handles poor soil.
Westringia1 to 1.5 m
Westringia hybrid 'WES01'
Grey-green leaves and mauve flowers. Use it for an informal native hedge that the bees will visit.
Nandina40 to 60 cm
Nandina domestica
Dwarf sacred bamboo that colours up red and orange in the cold months. Low, tidy and happy in sun or part shade, so it suits borders and mass planting.
Nandina60 to 90 cm
Nandina domestica
Lime-green leaves in summer turning red in winter. A little taller than 'Nana' and just as easy.
Nandina60 to 90 cm
Nandina domestica 'SEIKA'
Bright red new growth through the warmer months on a compact plant. Colour without flowers.
RhaphiolepisAbout 1 m
Rhaphiolepis indica
Dense, leathery leaves and clusters of white flowers in spring. Very tough in heat and dry spells, and a regular on our reorder list.
Rhaphiolepis1 to 1.5 m
Rhaphiolepis indica
White spring flowers on a compact, rounded shrub. A low-care alternative to box for a clipped or natural hedge.
Germander1 to 1.5 m
Teucrium fruticans
Silver leaves and pale blue flowers. Very drought hardy and quick to fill a gap, it suits a clipped grey hedge in the hottest, driest spot.
Michelia2 to 3 m
Michelia figo
Glossy leaves and small cream flowers with a sweet, fruity scent in spring. Plant where you'll walk past it. It does best with regular water and some shelter from the hottest afternoon sun.
Choisya1.5 to 2 m
Choisya ternata
Glossy aromatic leaves and scented white flowers in spring. Give it morning sun and afternoon shade in Swan Hill.
Viburnum2 to 3 m
Viburnum odoratissimum 'VOC1'
Bred for screening: dense from the ground up with large glossy leaves. Good for blocking a neighbour's window or a side fence.
Conifer3 to 5 m
Juniperus chinensis
A narrow, upright conifer for tall, slim screens where there's no room for width. One of the most drought tolerant screening plants we sell.
Conifer3 to 5 m
Cupressus macrocarpa
Bright lime-gold foliage that smells of lemon when brushed. A cheerful tall screen or a feature in a large pot.
Lilly pilly1.5 to 2 m
Syzygium australe 'PC1'
A compact native lilly pilly with red-tinged new growth. Protect young plants from hard frost for their first winter.
Gardenia0.5 to 1.5 m
Gardenia augusta
We bring in several varieties, including 'Florida', 'Professor Pucci' and 'Four Seasons'. Heavily scented white flowers through the warmer months. Gardenias prefer slightly acid soil, so in Swan Hill grow them in pots or well-improved beds.
March to May is the best time. Roots grow through the cooler months and the hedge is ready for its first summer. Spring planting works too, but plan on watering more.
Dig and improve a continuous trench rather than separate holes, so the roots spread evenly and the hedge grows at the same rate along its length.
Start trimming lightly in the first year to make the plants branch from the base. A hedge that is only cut once it reaches full height stays thin at the bottom.
Use a dripper line under 75 mm of mulch. Deep, less frequent watering trains roots downwards, which is what gets a hedge through January.
Bring in your measurements. We'll work out how many plants you need and which ones suit your soil and aspect.