Why native is nearly always best

If you want a hedge that works for birds, look first at what grows wild in your corner of Britain. Native shrubs have evolved alongside our insects, and insects are what feed most garden chicks through the spring. A hedge of mixed natives will give you flowers for early bees, caterpillars for blue tits and great tits, berries for thrushes and redwings, and tangled cover for roosting and nesting. Exotic evergreens such as cherry laurel may look tidy, but they offer birds almost nothing.

Variety matters more than a single species. Aim for five or six different shrubs, with some evergreen structure, some prickly growth, and a staggered sequence of flowering and fruiting so there is food from February through to January.

The backbone: hawthorn and blackthorn

If I could only plant two shrubs for birds, these would be the pair. Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is the classic hedgerow plant: dense, thorny, wonderfully forgiving, and covered in haws through the autumn and early winter. Fieldfares and redwings strip them eagerly, and the May blossom brings in early insects when little else is open.

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) flowers even earlier, often before the leaves, and its sloes are a reliable late-autumn crop. Its thorns make it an outstanding nesting shrub — small birds such as dunnocks and whitethroats choose it precisely because cats and magpies struggle to push through.

• Plant both as bare-root whips between November and March.
• Allow blackthorn to sucker; it thickens the base where birds nest.
• Cut no more than one side of the hedge each year to keep fruit coming.

Berries for the winter larder

A hedge that fruits into the coldest months is worth its weight in gold. Mix in the following, spacing them so the whole hedge does not ripen at once.

• Holly (Ilex aquifolium) — evergreen cover plus a late, tough berry crop. You need a female plant, plus a male nearby for pollination.
• Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) — quick-growing, generous with orange-red berries in late summer, loved by blackbirds and thrushes.
• Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) — translucent red berries that hang on well after Christmas, plus white lace-cap flowers.
• Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) — startling pink-and-orange autumn berries, superb for robins and tits.
• Dog rose (Rosa canina) — hips for winter, arching stems for nesting, and excellent for insects.
• Elder (Sambucus nigra) — heavy crops of black berries in late summer; grow it hard-pruned to keep it compact.

Cover for nesting and roosting

Birds need somewhere to disappear. Thick bases, arching branches and a little controlled wildness do more for nesting success than any amount of fancy planting.

Ivy (Hedera helix) is the single best addition to an established hedge. It flowers late — often into November — providing nectar for insects when there is nothing else, then produces black berries in late winter. Its dense tangle shelters wrens, sparrows and roosting blue tits. Rather than ripping it out, keep it clipped to the hedge's base and let it climb where it will not swamp smaller shrubs.

Bramble is the other great ally, though it needs managing. A metre-long patch at the back of a hedge gives thorns, nectar, blackberries and undisturbed nesting space. Cut back any runners that head for the lawn, and it will stay a positive rather than a nuisance.

Also consider hazel (Corylus avellana) for catkins and nuts, and field maple (Acer campestre) for winged seed, warm autumn colour and sturdy structure.

Getting the planting right

Plant bare-root stock from late November to early March, while the ground is workable and the plants are dormant. It is far cheaper than container-grown and establishes better.

• Site the hedge where it gets at least half a day of sun; fruit and flowers will be much better.
• Clear a strip about 60 cm wide of grass and weeds, or the young plants will be out-competed.
• For a stock-proof mixed hedge, plant two staggered rows about 40 cm apart, with plants 45 cm apart within the row — roughly five or six plants per metre.
• Firm the soil well after planting and water through the first two summers.
• Fit spiral guards against rabbits and voles, and mulch with well-rotted compost, keeping it clear of the stems.

Managing a hedge with birds in mind

The single most important rule is to avoid cutting between March and August. Our nesting season is long, and a hedge trimmer does terrible damage. Late winter cutting — late January through February — is ideal, and it leaves the maximum berry crop standing.

If you want flowers and fruit every year, never trim the whole hedge at once. Cut one side or one section annually, on a three-year rotation, so some growth is always maturing. Let the top grow a little taller than you might otherwise choose: a hedge of 1.5–2 metres gives far better shelter than a knee-high box.

Skip pesticides entirely, leave a few fallen leaves at the base, and resist tidying the corners. A hedge is at its best for wildlife when it is a living larder and a thicket at once — and once it is established, it will repay you with birdsong from February onwards.