5 Advantages of Living Fences

Natural fences are a popular idea with Minnesota homeowners looking to add natural beauty to define their property. You can use plants to line your property naturally. Shrubbery, trees, or flowering bushes are attractive and planet-friendly sanctuaries for birds, butterflies, and other fauna. These living fences also provide a visually pleasing privacy screen. Here are the benefits and some ideas for incorporating a natural fence into your own yard.

The Advantages of a Living Fence

Besides being lovely to look at, a living fence has many advantages. Read on to learn more about how living fences can help create beautiful landscapes for your home.

1. Economically Friendly 

Living fences have all the same functions as a constructed fence but usually at a reduced cost. If you choose to build (or plant) a living fence, you can save money you would have spent on a fence and sprout it from the ground instead. 

Aside from providing seclusion and controlling the activity of animals and people along with your property, like a manufactured fence, a living barrier also provides cooling shade and helps cancel out noise. 

You’ll have to keep opening your wallet to paint, repair, and replace broken or rotten sections, but not with natural fencing.

It’s true that growing and pruning a natural fence can take some of your time, but you don’t have to use up any extra money on maintenance once you get the tools (that you may already have in your garage). An initial investment in seeds and saplings is the only considerable expense involved in the creation of a living fence.

2. Supports Biodiversity 

There are two kinds of living fences: live barriers or hedges and live fence posts. Live fence posts use plants (trees in many cases) for fence posts to hold other fencing material.

Live barriers, in contrast, are entirely made up of trees or shrubs that are planted with little spacing between them along the property lines.

Each type of living fence creates a micro-ecosystem where small wild animals and insects can build their homes.

Natural fences promote the preservation of local biodiversity in your area. They also lure in bees to help build a bee-friendly garden, increase pollination, and in turn boost the turnout from your flowers and vegetables. 

At the same time, they can protect you from animal intruders.

3. Sustainability 

Living fences are lifelong investments in the planet and last longer than a manufactured fence. A natural privacy fence lasts as long as the lifespan of the shrub or tree that you have planted. That longevity means it could easily be upwards of a hundred before you even need to plan about replacing yours! 

Regular pruning of your natural privacy fence helps encourage new growth and renew the plants for years to come, and even harvest fruit and vegetables from them.

They are also much less harmful to the environment. Not only do they make beautiful fences, but they can also provide food and wood in the event you ever need to cut it down. 

4. Splash of Color 

A living fence with its vibrant green leaves, seasonal flowers, or fruits will spruce up your landscaping more than a wooden fence.

Some of the common plant types chosen for a living fence beautify your landscapes because of their ornamental qualities. We’ll suggest some of them below. 

5. Natural Windbreak

Another advantage to this type of fence is that they act as natural barriers to reduce and deflect wind. Wind barriers are especially beneficial to people with outdoor animals, like chickens or quails. Too much wind can stress them out.

As the strength of the wind ebbs and flows, it can cause the soil to dry out. Your property will retain more moisture, and you may be able to cut down on the amount of water you use. 

Living Fence Inspiration 

There are many advantages to a natural barrier around your yard. Here are some ideas to get started with your living fence.

  • Luscious Lilac 

Lilac is a favorite in Minnesota. Lilacs come in pink and purple tones, proliferate, and are known to survive in cold climates. The lovely, sweet-smelling blossoms are beloved in gardens and parks and remind everyone of the coming of summer. However, some varieties bloom later in the season, as well. 

  • Sturdy Evergreens

An evergreen tree fence is excellent if you have a long driveway or around the backyard. Depending on the variety you choose, these trees can reach up to 70 feet.

And there are several types of evergreen from which to choose. Think Fir trees, Spruces, and Pines. 

  • Bright Forsythia 

Vibrant yellow forsythia blooms announce the coming of spring, and this quick-growing, easy-to-care-for bush can be sculpted into elegant hedges. Forsythias are deciduous shrubs that usually grow between three and nine feet tall. There are 11 species of Forsythia, only some of which are apt for Minnesota weather. All of them feature rich green leaves and thick flexible branches.

  • Fragrant Honeysuckle

The non-native (or exotic) Bell’s, Morrow’s, Tartarian, and Amur Honeysuckles are restricted weeds in Minnesota. However, the Northern Bush Honeysuckle is native to Minnesota. It is a versatile and hardy shrub. When it’s blooming, you get the added benefit of the delicious-smelling flowers. 

  • Poetic Willows

Willows grow quickly and abundantly. They are appropriate for many climates, and they produce thick, drooping branches that are perfect for a living fence. They tend to prefer moist soil, so they work well in sections of your lawn that do not drain well.  

  • Vibrant Flowering Trees

Just like the Evergreens, flowering trees help naturally delineate your property or line your patio. There are many sturdy trees that stand up to Minnesota winters, such as Crabapples, Amur Maackia, and plum trees.

Plan Your Natural Fence

We believe that there is a unique landscaping solution for your yard, whether you are looking for exotic plants for your Minnesota property, or to start planning your living fence. Since 2003, we’ve been in the business of making Twin Cities homeowners fall in love with their yards. Contact us today to get started.