Benjes hedge
Benjes hedges provide shelter for various animal groups, including wild bees.
Benjes hedges create many niches and microhabitats thanks to their rich structure of thicker branches and thin, layered twigs. They provide shelter, food and nesting sites for various animal groups such as small mammals, birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles. With a Benjes hedge, you can create a versatile habitat in your garden.
Step 1
Get material
Benjes hedges are ideal for using cuttings from your own garden. You need for the construction:
- Posts made of untreated natural wood, preferably hardwood such as robinia (Robinia), ash (Fraxinus), oak (Quercus), beech (Fagus)
- Rubber mallet
- Stones or logs
- Cuttings (e.g. from fruit trees and hedges)
- Wheelbarrow
Step 2
Build the framework
Drive wooden posts approx. 40 cm deep into the ground at intervals of 1 to 1.5 m. The spacing of the posts depends on the filling material and the shape of the Benjes hedge: Longer spacing is sufficient for long branches, the finer and shorter the filling material, the closer the spacing of the posts. A curved hedge needs more posts to create curves.
Step 3
Layer the filling material
It makes sense to fill in coarse material such as logs or stones at the bottom. This creates cavities and hiding places for hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), amphibians and other animals.
The cuttings are best filled in like roof tiles, i.e. evenly distributed, not bundle next to bundle. This makes the hedge more stable and it also looks better. Bulky material is brought into shape by compacting it.
Tips:
- It is sometimes recommended to add grass cuttings and even soil to the hedge. However, this keeps the hedge moist (bad for the posts) and also enriches it with nutrients (not necessary, this only encourages dominant, less species-rich growth of nitrogenous plants). The appearance can also suffer from the mix of materials.
- Deadwood and branches can also be piled up without the rows of posts. The disadvantage is that this does not create a stable hedge that can be continuously replenished by compaction. However, there is also an advantage to leaving the branches alone: Birds that nest close to the ground (such as the wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)) like to use such undisturbed areas as breeding grounds. If, on the other hand, new material is piled into a Benjes hedge in spring after pruning trees or hedges, this could drive away breeding birds.
Step 4
Design
The aesthetic effect should not be underestimated in terms of acceptance, especially when planting Benjes hedges in residential areas, which are in the constant field of vision of local residents. LandArt artists have long since discovered deadwood as a design medium. Visually effective effects can be achieved by deliberately sorting filler material from different tree species.
Maintenance
The maintenance of a Benjes hedge consists of using it regularly, i.e. constantly adding new cuttings. Over time, the material settles as the branches rot and turn into humus through the decomposition activities of the numerous fungi, microorganisms and insects. You can replenish a Benjes hedge with new cuttings every year.
In general, the Benjes hedge is a living system. The concept is that plants will colonize the deadwood over time. Wind and birds bring in seeds, which have a good chance of developing under the protection of the hedge and the moisture under the deadwood. Plants that emerge on their own are adapted to the site conditions from the outset and thrive without further care. To keep the Benjes hedge compact and dense, the growth is repeatedly cut off and left in the hedge. Otherwise, the Benjes hedge would eventually develop into a row of trees.