If you're like me, you like people, BUT you also enjoy your privacy. When I moved full-time to Bainbridge Island, I searched and searched for the right home. I had referred myself to a real estate company on the island with which I was affiliated back in Michigan. I spent many hours with the local broker, which proved to be an incredibly positive experience. After touring neighborhood after neighborhood, my realtor drove me down a road I will never to this day forget, Wing Point Road. The two-lane road was lined on one side with the most amazing Laurel hedges, and I could not believe how beautiful they were.
From that point on, I remain a fan of hedges over fences. Fences, as “they” say, make good neighbors, BUT from my point of view, hedges are where it’s at! I love the lushness, the texture, the bouncing off light which changes throughout the day, and the subtle sound proofing it gives; there is still sound, but it’s dampened. Hedges are friendly yet not territorial and make for an environmentally friendly separation. The birds love them, and small creatures can hop around on top of them.
When looking for a little bit of lot-line delineation, a hedge can make a statement with a whisper, not a bang. It gives you something to do twice a year: trim and mulch, which I prefer any day over scraping and painting or sanding and varnishing. Next time you are viewing homes to purchase or thinking about your own plot of land, consider a hedge: it will serve you well.
Take care of yourself and each other, xo,
