It's reasonable to want to make one's home a serene oasis, a safe haven from hustle and bustle of a busy life. Why, then, is it so hard to make such a space a reality? Between street noise, boisterous neighbors, stray animals, wandering pets, headlights, and streetlamps, it is nearly impossible to feel secluded at home these days. High stockade fences and masonry walls can feel austere and uninviting; no one wants to be resented by their neighbors. And zoning laws and building codes mean you might have to inch your way through a maze of red tape before you even break ground. Living fences are the solution. In addition to blocking unsightly views and providing some well-deserved privacy, versatile and graceful screens of living plants are a natural and aesthetically pleasing alternative to man-made fences. In this illustrated guide, celebrated garden and landscape designer Ogden Tanner provides all the information you need to select, plant, and maintain an array hedges, vines, shrubs, and espaliers to create a verdant and relaxing atmosphere around your house. With detailed information on over 100 species of plants, Living Fences is a one-stop manual for beautiful and functional garden design.

Hedges are living fences, long-lasting and less costly than man-made fences. This book offers a comprehensive guide to choosing the right plant type, growing and maintaining a hedge. Seaside and coastal ares, windy sites, dry and wet conditions, shade and sun, lime-free and chalk soils are all covered. A comprehensive directory lists plants that will be happy in any given situation, recommends varieties that are particularly suitable for traditional, evergreen and rose hedges, and suggests those that are noted for their flowers, fragrance or autumn colour.

Shows how to shape vines and herbs, create topiary, and trim espaliered shrubs and fruit trees.

This title in the Wisley Handbook series shows what hedge or screen suits a particular purpose, how to plan, plant and maintain it. The book includes full advice on shaping and pruning, and plants suitable for hedging are described in detail.