A Hedge for the Children: A Neighborhood Story

A Hedge for the Children: A Neighborhood Story

"I will not have corn in my front yard," my husband declared. So I planted roses in the sunny back patch instead. The next year I proposed the side yard—he relented. "And I'll plant a hedge out front so people can't see the corn." "Even better."

We had many neighborhood children. Why not a hedge they could enjoy?

The Hedge Composition

• Corner: Serviceberry (Amelanchier) — 8 ft, feathery white spring blooms, brilliant orange fall leaves, tiny black berries (taste like huckleberries). Birds and kids stripped them—I got two berries one year, none after.
• Driveway end: Black raspberries — Untied, they sent 10-ft canes everywhere. Looked awful. Tasted fantastic. Neighborhood kids and adults gorged on sun-warm berries, laughing with sheer happiness. A failed hedge, a fabulous treat.
• Street front: Nanking cherries — 8 ft, pearl-like spring buds, white blooms, summer red cherries (cross between pie and sweet). Delicious.

The Little Cherry Thief

One summer a boy backed up to the bushes, casually picking cherries behind him. I ran to the door to invite him to stay—but he vanished around the corner. You can come back any time, little boy.

A hedge can be more than a screen—it can be a shared joy.