Tips on How to Create a Hedge on Stilts (Pleaching Trees)

In this video we discuss three different methods for achieving a beautiful pleached hedge effect. We give tips on how to do it on different budgets and the costs involved. We explain in detail how to make the structural supports required to ensure your new trees thrive and add year round structural interest to your garden.
Costs for the total project include Tax (20%) and delivery (should of said that in the video)
Trees suitable for pleaching include:
Deciduous Trees:
Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam)
Fagus sylvatica (Beech)
Tilia x europaea (Lime)
Acer campestre (Native Field Maple)
Fraxinus excelsior (Common Ash)
Gleditsia tricanthos (Honey Locust)
Malus (Crab Apple)
Parrotica persica (Persian Ironwood)
Plantains x Hispanica (London Plane)
Evergreen Trees:
Magnolia grandiflora
Photinia x fraseri (Red Robin)
Prunus laurocerasus (Cherry Laurel)
Osmanthus x Burkwoodii (Holly Tea Olive)
Viburnum plicatum. tomentosum
Elaeagnus x Ebbingei (Oleaster)
Quercus ilex (Holm Oak)
0:00 Intro
0:46 What is Pleaching?
1:47 What trees can be pleached?
3:01 How to achieved the pleached hedge look
3:36 Do it yourself - 3 options for different budgets
3:38 Method 1 - Planting pre-pleached trees and the cost
5:34 the benefits of pleached hedges
6:42 Method 2 - Planting standard trees and adding structures and the cost
8:09 Method 3 - planting small whips and training onto a structure
9:50 In summary
11:01 The lime trees prior to pleaching
11:37 Making the bamboo structure
15:24 Adding the supports
17:45 How to strap the trees to the supports
19:24 Adding the bamboo structure
27:03 Job done!
See our video ‘Pleaching - your questions answered’ in which I answer your questions that arose after watching this video and also ‘Winter care of pleached trees’ for long term care advice.

[@cornishmermaid9727]

I'm fascinated by pleached trees and have always wondered how its done, you've done such a great job of explaining and showing how you do it! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and showing us your beautiful garden. 👍🌴🍁🌴🌳🌲🌸

[@qhodges_]

I love this 🤍

[@WalterOgle-yr8eh]

This is a marvelous video. It definitely makes me think that I won't attempt it at my age! I go for easy now. But what an extraordinary look!

[@MurphysGarden]

Thank you,

[@dwoodbury]

This was a very helpful video. Thank you for walking us through the whole process.

[@MurphysGarden]

Glad it helped, thanks for watching

[@sheilagavin8281]

@@MurphysGarden Love this! Thank you. New subscriber today :-)

[@madelinerivers4603]

Absolutely fantastic instructional video! Thank You!

[@MurphysGarden]

So glad you found it helpful Thanks for watching Jenny

[@MasiMoreno]

Muy bonito todo y buen trabajo😍

[@evanpagano]

Very helpful, thank you.

[@MurphysGarden]

So pleased you found it helpful, if you have any questions, I did another video called ‘Pleaching - your questions answered’ which runs through some of the questions that were raised after watching the video. Thanks Jenny

[@VancouverIslandgirl]

Just amazing to watch this process,thank you for sharing . Will you show us how you prune all those boxwoods.

[@MurphysGarden]

Glad you liked it. Yes, we are working our way around all our numerous hedges and I will do one on box pruning.

[@s.treacy8242]

Thanks!

[@MurphysGarden]

Thank you so much

[@rosesarered3904]

Your garden is beautiful!! I love these pleached trees. What are the dome little trees in your square lawn behind the row of freshly planted pleached trees?

[@MurphysGarden]

Thank you for your kind comment, they are Portuguese Laurel trees (Prunus lusitanica). They make great evergreen, structural trees which have glossy green leaves and white frothy flowers. Ours were planted about 8 years ago and are now a good shape but easy to keep at the desired size. Happy gardening!

[@TheWholesomeGardener]

What an amazing garden you have created. So sublime!! I have a row of newly planted silver birch that I intend to keep... err... "heavily pruned" shall we say. I grew them from seed, then neglected them in pots for 7 years. They are happy to be in the ground now and grew beautifully last summer. If they don't do well, it hasn't cost me thing. I love to experiment and have fun in the garden. I like your idea of lime trees - I think I will give them a go next! Thanks for this great video! Best wishes from Herefordshire.

[@MurphysGarden]

Thanks for watching, you are not far from us in Shropshire. It’s fun experimenting with new things and it’s amazing that you grew them from seed. They say not to prune silver birch in late winter or early spring as the sap is rising at this time and they bleed heavily. If you are cutting them, do it in late summer or early autumn and this also avoids open wounds when insects are laying eggs. Birch tree borers are tree killers, and you should reduce the risk of attack by cutting after their early summer flying season. Good luck and happy gardening Jenny & 🐾Murphy

[@TheWholesomeGardener]

​@@MurphysGarden Thank you so much for that excellent advice - luckily I pruned them last autumn but I didn't know about the sap or the aphid eggs or bores. No we are not far away at all! I just planted a David Austin Old Wollerton Hall rose and you just mentioned it as inspiration for your divine garden! I really must go and see it! It sounds amazing! National Trust I think?! Thank you again and such wonderful content - better than the BBC! I look forward to your next videos. If it were me I'd put in a large fountain in your new bit [with the hose pipe path] - also white poppy is gorgeous in the wind, I have it next to the silver birch and the twinkling leaves of the birch with fluttering petals of the white poppy is breath taking. I grow clary sage with too - a winning combination in my opinion. I must do a video for you this summer!

[@MurphysGarden]

Oh wow, I just love that rose, I really want to get one, the colour is beautiful. Definitely visit Wollerton if you get the chance. It’s a private garden which opens two or three days a week to the public and is part of the NGS, it’s a fantastic garden as it’s about three acres and so is on the scale of a domestic garden and so good for getting inspiration for your own garden. I must do a video from there in the summer as I’m sure the American audience would love it too, a very quintessentially English garden! Thanks for your plant recommendations, the clary sage looks lovely and I will look out for it. I want some more trees in the new area, we are currently debating which ones but we intend adding a rill between the big herbaceous borders hopefully soon. Thanks for your comments Jenny

[@TheWholesomeGardener]

@@MurphysGarden Thank you so much - I will go for sure!! Oh yes, a video from Wollerton would be great - all of us would love it! I'll look out for it! Thanks a million!! Warmest regards, Aurora

[@MurphysGarden]

Thanks Aurora Regards Jenny

[@AdamRogers3091]

Thanks for the video. Considering red robins for this but do really like the look of the hornbeam. With them loosing their leaves over winter, do you take the view it’s unlikely you’ll be in the garden much then, so it doesn’t really matter and full cover more important for spring/summer? Are you able to mention the nursery name, where you purchased, please?

[@MurphysGarden]

Sorry for not replying, I somehow missed your message. Red Robin would make a lovely pleached avenue. The hornbeam is great as, like you say, privacy is less of an issue in winter but even when the leaves are dead they do linger and provide some screening. We get all our trees/hedges from The Dingle Nursery and Derwen Garden Centre, they are owned by the same family are in Welshpool, North Wales. The prices are very reasonable, ask for Nev!

[@piotrlesniak2093]

hi, great video :D is this regular hornbeam or some special form eg fastigiata ?

[@MurphysGarden]

It’s regular hornbeam, Carpinus betulus, don’t use fastigiata for pleaching as it has an upright habit. However if you don’t want the hassle and work associated with pleaching then the fastigiate ones look fantastic grown naturally in a row as they have a candle flame shape and give screening but will get big so you do need the room. Different horses for different courses!! Thanks for watching, hope that helps. I did another video answering questions that I have been asked, here is the link if you are interested Q&A on Pleaching Trees kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJ_aoXiLhrZmbZI

[@hollymerchant9550]

I'm always on the lookout for ideas that older people can maintain on their own.. does this method qualify as one of those? Great idea 💡. thanks

[@MurphysGarden]

Definitely not, it’s quite a lot of work and requires work on ladders so not good for older people. Thanks for watching Jenny

[@hollymerchant9550]

@@MurphysGarden I'll be watching your videos for sure 😁.. thanks for the response!

[@MrSully110]

Were thinking of 11 red robin pleached trees next to each other .. were concerned its overkill.. any advise which trees to use to break it up a little or do u think a row of red robbin would be fine ?

[@MurphysGarden]

I personally think a row of Red Robin trees would look incredible. I made the mistake when new to gardening of planting lots of different things but I’ve since learnt that simplicity is better and much more impactful. My advice is - go for it!

[@guythompson5161]

How far away from the boundary is a good distance to plant the hornbeam? Looks great. Thank you

[@MurphysGarden]

It depends on what your boundary is, if it’s a fence and therefore there are no foundations then you can go fairly close (ours is 1.5 ft from the fence). If it’s a wall then probably best to allow double that. The roots of hornbeam go quite deep so once established they get all the moisture they need but for the first year keep them well watered as there is a bit of a rain shadow area near a fence or wall line. Regarding the canopy, we have a 6 foot bare stem and so as it fills out it can overhang the fence line without any problems. I guess if you have neighbours the other side of your boundary they may not like it encroaching so perhaps go more than 1.5 ft and ensure you have their permission to go round to trim it once or twice a year. The total width of the canopy of our mature row is 3ft. Hope that helps Jenny

[@guythompson5161]

@@MurphysGarden Thank you. Keep inspiring 🌅

[@guythompson5161]

Preparing the boarder this week & planting out 12 hornbeams. Your video has really helped us to plan. 🌅

[@MurphysGarden]

Oh wow, how exciting. I hope it all goes well. It’s a big job but definitely worth it, we just love the formality and height it creates and the birds love it too. Good luck 🤞

[@basicsurfer08]

wow what are those in the wooden large pot by your side @27:14 - i want them so bad lol

[@MurphysGarden]

They are just spiralled Leyland Cypress but I’m so sad because we’ve had them a long time and then this summer one suddenly died and now it is unsymmetrical (they probably should have been repotted). I will have to move the remaining one and replace them with something else ( I have got some cloud pruned ones elsewhere) or buy a new one which will never be the same size- annoying!!! (that’s gardening, always a challenge!). Thanks for watching. Jenny x

[@basicsurfer08]

@@MurphysGarden so sad, thank you x

[@user-nl6dl9wh1f]

what are the evergreen trees in the background?

[@MurphysGarden]

They are Portuguese Laurel or Prunus Lusitania. I did a video on best evergreen trees and they feature on that if you want to know more about them Thanks for watching Jenny

[@hithere5768]

How long to they need to stay supported?

[@MurphysGarden]

It really depends on the site and the height of your trees. We have only just taken down the supports on our first row which were planted 9 years ago but ours is in a very exposed and windy location. Certainly leave them for at least three years as they do act like a big sail and you need to avoid root rock for them to establish . Good luck Jenny

[@MurphysGarden]

If your interested I’ve done a video called ‘Pleaching - your questions answered’ if you need more info

[@ceef7019]

What about legality of hedge above 6ft?? I know they are trees but its basically a hedge

[@MurphysGarden]

Yes, it is important to discuss any plans with neighbours before planting a pleached hedge to ensure that it doesn’t block out light on their side. For us, this wasn’t an issue because our neighbours are on the other side of a drive and are not affected by our pleached hornbeam hedge, the new row of lime isn’t on a boundary line. Thank you for your comments, It is a good point and always best to gain consent and to avoid nasty neighbour disputes. It is also important to consider access as maintenance is required on both sides at least every year.

[@bethellingworth7814]

Wouldn’t it be better to do it the way recommended in “The Royal Horticultural Society book Pruning and Training “ or Bunny Guinness has a KZbin on Pleaching. Your result is fine.

[@pxpx8489]

You can't buy these anywhere in the us.

[@MurphysGarden]

Oh really, why not have a go at doing it yourself! Good luck Jenny

[@SledDog5678]

PLEASE SPEAK LOUDER ON YOUR VIDEOS. THANK YOU!

[@MurphysGarden]

Thanks for the feedback, I will ensure my audio is a bit louder going forward Jenny

[@SledDog5678]

Love your very, informative videos. Your gardening skills are amazing.

[@MurphysGarden]

thank you