Having been very taken with the shaped hedges at Highgrove, we decided when we planted our leiland hedges, we would add some interest by having archways and castellations in them.
Above and below: The shaped hedges at Highgrove.
The archways line up with vistas inside the house, so that from certain French windows you can see through the hedges to focal points, such as a bench under the copse of Oaks in Spencer's corner...
The hedge has made reasonable progress since a year ago...
In time the arch will become higher and acuter, resembling more the sort of arch below...
The arch above looks as if it is fashioned out of a Hornbeam or Beech hedge, whereas the more traditional choice for a clipped hedge would be Yew, like the arch below...
There are many things that you can do with hedges to add interest (other than clip them into waves). Here are some more examples I found on Pinterest, which I rather like...
I really like these topiary obelisks which 'book-end' the hedge nicely and again frame a vista in the garden.
More hedged pillars...
Niches in a hedge with recessed busts are also a dramatic way to add interest to an otherwise green wall, and give people the joy of discovering things as they journey through the grounds...
