26-12-2004, 07:37 AM
|
|
|
In article , (Bill
Oliver) wrote:
Just for giggles I planted a couple of Elliot highbush blueberry bushes
to see how they did here in the NW Georgia mountains. While I planted
them too late to see if they bear good fruit here, I was amazed by the
brilliant fall color. Do these make good hedges? I Googled on it and
found some mention, but no pictures.
billo
They don't hedge well if you mean hedges cut square, but deciduous shrubs
of this sort can be pleasing "natural" hedges. Blueberries are not the
best year-round hedges because of looking merely twiggy in winter & for
needing periodic cutting back, so I'd prefer them in a mixed hedge which
includes things with better winter appearance. Highbush cranberries would
look more exciting in winter as they have an interesting woody structure
even after leaf-fall. But a blueberry hedge could be very pleasing three
seasons out of four, beautiful in flower, then large fruits, then those
amazing fall colors. To get the best fruit, by the way, takes at least
two cultivars; even the allegedly self-fertile blueberries fruit better
with a second cultivar nearby. I think the minimum ideal is five to seven
bushes encompassing three varieties.
-paghat the ratgirl
--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com
|