RSPB approved Ultimate Bird Friendly Hedging Pack description
- Best Features: Wildlife friendly, flowers, autumn colour, berries and sloes
- Ideal For Hedges: 1m-4m high
- Growth Rate: Average | 20-40cm a year
- Position: Most normal or moist (not wet) soils, sunny to full shade, sheltered or exposed inland
The hedging plants in this Ultimate RSPB hedging pack have been chosen for their ability to provide garden birds with dense foliage for nesting; berries to provide a bird feast; and, as these hedge plants are also popular with the insects that birds feed on, this provides an additional food source. As these hedging species hold huge ornamental value in the form of vibrant flowers and blazing autumn colours, you don’t have to worry about compromising attractiveness for functionality; our RSPB approved Ultimate Bird Friendly Bundle provides both. All plants in the RSPB packs are grown peat free.
What's inside?*
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) - one of the best native hedging plants for British wildlife.
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) - prickly stems to protect resting and nesting sites, and abundant sloes in autumn.
Field Maple (Acer campestre) - popular with a variety of insects on which birds feed.
Alder (Alnus glutinosa) - a native species with seeds that are a vital food source for many birds.
Wild Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) - semi-evergreen foliage makes a great nesting site.
Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) - huge wildlife value and wonderful seasonal interest.
Bird Cherry (Prunus padus) – the small black cherries are adored by many bird species, gorgeous flowers attract many insects.
Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) - seasonal colour provided by red autumn leaves and berries as well as large white summer flowers.
Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) - seasonal colour provided by pink capsules & orange fruits, with dark red foliage in autumn.
Juneberry (Amelanchier lamarcki) - gorgeous spring white flowers with dark red berries in summer which turn purple-black in autumn.
*Please note that some species may be substituted for other bird-friendly varieties dependant on seasonal availability.
Planting one of our RSPB Bird Friendly Bundles is a great long-term investment in the campaign to create a home for nature. Gardening for wildlife won't have immediate results, however planting one of our Bird Friendly hedging packs will in time provide you with a bountiful wildlife garden. We’ve worked closely with the RSPB Conservation team to ensure all the hedging plants in our Ultimate Bird Friendly Bundle provide shelter, food and nesting sites, as well as providing you with a garden feature that has all the characteristics of a traditional hedge such as screening value, wind and noise filters and attractive flowers and foliage.
Top uses for RSPB Ultimate Bird Friendly Hedging
Our RSPB hedging packs not only help with the conservation of the bird population but the diversity provided by hedge units supports many other different wildlife species including insects, hedgehogs and various other small garden animals. This Ultimate RSPB hedging bundle is jam-packed with species that will fill your garden with seasonal interest; colourful flowers in summer, vibrant foliage in autumn and bright berries in winter all whilst contributing to the protection of local wildlife species. For best results mix the species up when planting your hedge and avoid planting in single species groups.
Combine RSPB Bird Friendly Hedging Packs with
This Ultimate Bird Friendly Bundle has plenty of features to ensure your garden is bursting with colour, texture and wildlife but you can also add other bird-friendly hedging for further interest or allow some of the hedgerow plants to grow as trees to give good height for those birds preferring a higher resting/nesting site.
Expected growth rate of RSPB Ultimate Bird Friendly Hedge Bundles
Our RSPB hedging packs grow an average of 20/40cm a year once established and are ideal for hedges between 1-4m high.
Care advice for your RSPB approved Bird Friendly Hedging
Prune your Bird-Friendly hedge in winter and, if required, follow with a light prune in summer to keep it neat but make sure you do not prune off any berries. Always check for nesting birds before proceeding with any pruning or maintenance. Take a look at the best4hedging Care and Planting instructions in our Advice section for more information.
Planting density for Hedging Bundles
We generally recommend that mixed hedging packs like this one should be planted in a double staggered row at 5 or 7 plants per metre (to give good density at the base which is important for wildlife habitat), but you can reduce that density to 3 per metre in a single row to economise and the plants will still form a good hedge. The rationale for a double staggered row is it provides greater density so is better for security and wildlife.
Our RSPB Ultimate Bird Friendly hedging packs are available year-round as cell-grown plants and from November as Bare Roots - these can be pre-ordered from mid-summer. All of our RSPB approved hedging has been grown peat-free. You can buy RSPB approved Ultimate Bird Friendly hedging packs online from Best4hedging with total confidence in the quality of the plants you will receive.
