Hedge rows can add lots of character to your curb appeal. Giving your yard the competitive edge with a flowering hedge row can make your property for sale stand out in a crowd. Aside from offering privacy, sophistication, and textured greenery, hedge rows can cover unsightly chain link fences and add color, fragrance and protection that buyers can appreciate.
If you live in a semi tropical to tropical environment and have a yard in need of some landscaping, you might consider planting some tropical flowering hedge rows to add some practacle pizazz to your yard. Here are some of my favorite hedges that are fast growing, easy to maintain and worth their weight in gold from a curb appeal perspective.
Jasminum Sambac: Here in Hawaii, Jasmine or Pikake(Hawaiian word for Peacock) holds an unrivaled reputation, as the Pikake Lei or flower garland is undoubtedly one of the most highly prized lei's known to modern Hawaii. Noted for it's striking resemblance to Ni'ihau shell leis, The unopened Pikake blossom is strung into pearl like strands and given as a greeting gift at special occasions such as weddings or birthdays. The fragrance of these leis can fill a room or yard and as such the Jasmine plant makes a wonderfull hedge row. There are many varieties of Jasmine but here are the creme de la creme.
Bel of India(pictured): The Hawaiian name for this variety of Jasmine is Double Pikake. Highly prized for use in leis and perfumes, this rather rare Jasmine has double pure white blooms with a tinge of pink about 3 cm round and has an intoxicating fragrance. It has abundant shiny dark green leaves and it's creeping vines cover chain link fences wonderfully. It does, however, require yearly pruning to keep the hedge healthy and vegetative.
Grand Duke of Tuscany: Triple Pikake is the name Hawaiians give this very rare and unbelievably fragrant flower. It is most often used in teas and perfumes. Resembling a densely packed miniature white rose, Triple Pikake blooms in Clusters of 4-5 cm blossoms. This creamy white flower packs an unbelievably amazing sent that will stop even the most obstinate home buyer in their tracks.
Mealy bugs are the nemisis of Jasmine so take care to isloate infested plants and spritz them in a soapy solution of Dawn and water.
Bougainvillea Spectabilis: The colorful and bright Bougainvillea is native to Brazil but is found widely cultivated throughout the tropical and semi tropical regions of the world. Bougainvilleas are noted for their vibrant color array ranging from fuchsia to orange to white. This woody vine can be grown in a container in a sun-room, green house, or out of doors. Bright light is a requirement for strong sturdy growth as well as for prodigious flowering, and over watering should be avoided. Bougainvilleas can grow very large, quickly and respond well to pruning and shaping. In addition they produce very long thorns making the drought tolerant Bougainvillea the perfect hedge candidate; offering protection and beauty to the yard. Unfortunately, the Bougainvillea has no fragrance to speak of.
Nerium Oleanders: A near relative to Plumeria(Frangipani) and a member of the dogbain family, this fast growing fragrant flowering hedge, can reach a height of 2 to 5 meters with a width of 1.75m if not pruned regularly. Easily trained into a hedge row, Oleanders come in several varieties with long and narrow, dark to medium green leaves producing clustered flowers measuring 6 cm across. Oleanders do not grow with the density of foliage found in Bougainvillea or Jasmine but make a great hedge row, none the less. These drought tolerant plants need little watering and come in several colors ranging from white to pink to red. On the Continent, Oleanders bloom from May to October, in Hawaii they bloom all year long, however, there are fewer blossoms during the Winter months.
Oleander is concidered a poisonous plant to pets but I have never heard of any cat or dog paying any interest to the plant or ingesting it. However, to be on the safe side keep puppies and kittens away from plantings.
Here's an interesting and fun albeit unrealted web site with a different perspective on hedges http://www.wix.com/HedgeWitchOracle/Oracle1
JDS Consulting- Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design. Providing Real Estate Merchandising services including: Home Staging, Interior Decor, Turn Key, Landscaping, Remodeling, & Open House Hosting. Diamond Head, Kahala, Waikiki, Kapahulu, Kailua, Makiki, Tantalus, Hawaii Kai, Manoa, Nu'uanu, Ala Moana, Waialua, Haleiwa, North Shore, Kapolei, Makaha, Honolulu.
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