Planting a new native hedge

[Adam_W]

Hi all, been a busy week or so getting this garden 'built'.

It'll be a work in progress as I add lower plantings but for now... Murraya hedge about 30m long & about 1m out from the boundary fence and a row of magnolia 'Little Gems'.

Took me quite a while as I was filming as I went so will post a link to the video once I edit it.

A lot of soil prep involved. We had odd sort of soil here. Quite deep top-soil in most spots, at least 400mm. It looks like a fine soil but it actually has a very high silt/clay component so it goes very gluey if you work it at the wrong time. It's also really biologically deficient so I had to turn it all over with a rotary hoe & then rotary hoe through 4cu/m of chook poo. Neighbours loved the smell…
Big, aheeemmm, debate, we’re having now is about the edge along the drive. I want to leave turf about 1.2m wide for anyone that may back off the drive (our drive is about 50m long) as I reckon I’d rather them back onto grass than a garden bed that they may sink into… some have other thoughts however

Anyhews, thought you may like to see the progress. We will eventually be building loads more garden areas here, we’ve only been in this place under 2-years, and as we’ve renos planned building gardens is unwise…

[Jason]

Thanks for sharing @Adam_W. Very satisfying project I'm sure. Looking forward to seeing the video. 

How tall will the hedge be?

Jason

[Adam_W]

No worries @Jason

Beauty of Murraya (Murraya paniculata for the technical minded) as a hedge is that you can trim it to a hedge of virtually any height.
We like our neighbours so still want to be able to say 'Hi!' over the fence so I'm thinking about 1.2m at this stage.
Personally it's one of my fave hedges as it grows well from full-sun through to part-shade, has beautiful perfumed white flowers and can flower 3, 4 or more times a year.
Fun fact too... Murraya is actually an Aussie native. This can be handy if you have a local Council that insists on X-number of natives in a landscape planting.

[aly]

The garden looks fantastic @Adam_W. Magnolia's are great in any garden.

How large is your yard? Sounds like you have plenty of space if the hedge is 30m and the drive is 50m

[Adam_W]

Hi @aly,
Yes, I love magnolias, especially the evergreen ones like Little Gem but I like them planted en masse which I've never had enough room to do until now.
We have loads of space, our block is around 1.3 acres of mostly lawn, so gardens will be a work in progress for years to come.

[aly]

So nice to have that much space, you'll have to keep us all posted on your progress!

[Weithehellnot]

Re: Finished first garden area

Hi my first time here thanks for the informative content.  We are looking at planting a hedge around our horse stable area. Do you know if Murraya is safe around horses?

thanks

[Helen_B]

I am not sure about this plant re horses but the below link might be a useful resource to assist.

https://www.horsecouncil.org.au/plants-poisonous-to-horses-1

[Adam_W]

Hi @Weithehellnot 

Thanks 😁 & it's my pleasure.
Murraya is in the plant Family Rutaceae which is the same group as citrus trees - lemons, oranges, limes etc.
I would assume that citrus are okay for horses? Probably not overly palatable but certainly not toxic so shouldn't be a problem.
I have read that in some cultures it's used as a traditional medicine for its mild analgesic properties.

[Jason]

Hi @Weithehellnot,

Great to see you join in the discussion on Workshop and get such prompt and helpful replies. Feel free to post again anytime you need a hand with anything around the house and garden. We have helpful members sharing advice and inspiration on the site every day.  

Welcome,

Jason