Green Living Fences: An Alternative to Arbor Vitae Soldiers?

I have a confession to make. I am incredibly tired of seeing the overused line of arbor vitae soldiers in mass perimeters around properties. In addition to the lack of aethetics, the deer feast, winter burn and die back that occurs in many, makes this planting choice a poor investment over the long term, especially when thinking sustainable landscapes. So it is time to get creative!

As the final entry to my New England Grows experience last month, I wanted to share a rather unique new green product. It struck me as an interesting mix of “fast food/drive-thru thinking” meets horticulture. The word instant and gardens are not compatible trains of thought in my mind. But I actually found this new product to be an interesting solution for properties looking for privacy and a bit of security in their outdoor living spaces. In particular, small urban spaces came to mind when I stumbled upon these systems on the exhibition floor.

The green living fence is actually a system of hardy evergreen ivy, grown and woven onto a galvanized steel panel frame. It comes much like standard residential fencing products in 4 foot wide by 4, 6 or 8 foot heights. This is the instant gratification for property owners without the patience to wait for green privacy borders to fully mature. Think instant privet border only without the seasonal leaf drop! I found this a fascinating alternative to standard fencing and of course….the arbor vitae soldiers!. It may be a nice alternative to soften landscapes, offer a degree of sound insulation, as well as wind barrier. I can also see applications for this in my indoor water feature perimeter gardens. It is also available in container planters.

I have no clear data yet regarding its viability in our region, the product is new to the market. The producer claims cold hardy to zone 5. Well, think all that ground ivy you see in local gardens and foundation beds. Seems it would work in our region. I just love to discover creative green solutions infused into our world of gardening. This impressed me as functional, sensible and sustainable….thus worth a shout out. Interested in this as part of your outdoor living design or indoor gardens? Contact me for further information.