Will I regret a naked fence?

[TheFenceIsInTheAltogether]

Name changed in case my neighbours are reading.

My garden has hedges all around the grass. They're ok to look at, although don't particularly like them, but do seen to extend quite a way in from the fence (have tried to show in photos but it's tricky).

The grass area isn't that big, so I'm thinking we should just cut everything right back and so we gain valuable garden space. There's actually a bit more grass to the right which isn't pictured but you get the idea. As well as gaining space, we would no longer have to keep trimming the hedges!

But a post about 'naked fences' has made me think. Will we regret just having fences to look at rather than hedges? Will it be impossible to grow grass there? And would it take years to get the hedges back when DC aren't so active in the garden.

Would love to hear from anyone who got rid of hedges and is either pleased or regretful!

Images are under review but hopefully will appear eventually!

To be clear, there is a fence behind every bit of hedge, so the hedge is 100% ours and on our property and it's the actual fence that maintains the boundary.

Also I'm aware that we might not be able to get rid until the end of nesting etc, but just want opinions on whether it's a good or bad idea.

I much prefer the look of hedges to naked fence. You may also find the hedges are holding the fence up, to some extent. Plus they're great for wildlife.

It looks like a reasonable size garden, I don't think removing them would make a huge difference? They can't be more than a metre wide.

Personally I hate a naked fence and have actively planted hedging to cover ours.
They take years to establish, provide wildlife habitat and act as more of a (natural) barrier between you and your neighbours.
If yours has got overgrown and intrusive, it will be worth investigating how much it can be cut back but still retain it's structure (it may be too woody or on the other hand, it may take it quite happily).

I guess it is down to personal preference. Hedges may look more natural, but can look scruffy if you don't maintain them (hint).

I guess if you don't have hedges you could have flowerbeds. Which will either be a joy to look at or a mess full of weeds and cat crap depending on your gardening tendancies/neighbours pet preferences.

If you ever need to maintain/replace the fences how are you going to do that.

I feel like last summer we struggled with wanting to use it for more than one thing, eg if we had the paddling pool for one DC and another wanted to play football etc. It definitely feels tight on space when more than one DC is out (we have 3 DC), or if DC are playing and you want to have some adults be able to sit down etc. The hedge is on 3 sides, so I feel like the combined extra of all those extra metres would add up to something significant, but I could be wrong!

Dont underestimate the amount of sound they absorb as well as all the good they do wildlife.
we need more hedges not less

Yes they're definitely gone woody and scruffy.😂

Realistically we have almost no time for garden stuff at the moment, both work FT, 3 DC, elderly parents etc so loads of demands on our time and neither of us are keen gardeners. So really want something that is simple and usable, as top priorities, but looking nice is a good bonus.

Oh my just seen the pictures. I’d have serious hedge envy with them. Please don’t underestimate the good they are doing your local area. I bet they are full of sparrows singing away and using it as a highway between gardens.
they will definitely be blocking a lot of sound from neighbouring gardens and the amount of sound travelling from yours. It gives your garden real character and charm I think it would be a real loss to it without them

Plain fences are pretty boring. I am growing narrow climbing plants up my fencing where I want to keep the most width to the garden (Jasmine, Honeysuckle, raspberries).

A big downside of fencing with children is the noise of balls banging off it. I have hedging in a different area of the garden and the relative peace of a ball hitting the hedge is bliss! Plus the green is nice, and even evergreen hedging has birds interested in it. You can legally grow a hedge higher (2.5 m) than a fence (2m) for privacy too,

I think hedges are easier to maintain than flower beds. A trim up once or twice a year and it’s done. Flower beds need weeding, planting, mulching.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. You can have narrow borders with small (football-tolerating) shrubs or flowers. A climber on the fence behind. You can have some stand-alone shrubs. You can have some bare fence and some not. You can paint fences. You can hang decorations on them that children make out of weather-proof materials. Or solar fairy lights. Or all of the above. And you can have bare fences.

TBH I wouldn't have just lawn right up to the fence anyway. It could make mowing trickier, and reduce sound privacy from your neighbours. And look very boring. And it's nice to have some space where the children can dig or plant.

I agree with Aparecium. It doesn't have to be 100% one thing or the other.
Also, I'm wondering if the problem is 'hedge' or 'overgrown hedge'. How about hacking back a bit, to reduce the width, and see how that goes for a year. Then review next summer.

It definitely feels tight on space when more than one DC is out (we have 3 DC), or if DC are playing and you want to have some adults be able to sit down etc. The hedge is on 3 sides
Don't forget that not all areas of the garden are created equal - you can do more in the bits that get the sun. Quite often, shady bits are only good for hedges!
(this is a variation on 'there is no one answer' theme)

You may also find the hedges are holding the fence up, to some extent.

Agree. Looking at those photos and some of those gaps, I reckon you'll have a lot of fence to replace if you take those down ...

Thanks everyone, some good points to discover. I hadn't thought about ball against fence noise.

We did get it but back a bit last summer, but I still feel like I hate it. Maybe a compromise is to leave the bits at the back and get rid of the sides, and then see how we feel.

Fences don’t have to be plain or boring. I painted mine blue, pink and purple:

Maybe remove the hedges in one area? Have a patio or pool area and see how it goes. I think it depends who has the nice side to be honest.

I got rid of a massive overgrown hedge from the back of my garden, there is a fence behind it.
Pros: gained so much space which I've planted up with a flower border and a strip of grass to extend the lawn. Plus I don't have the hassle of maintaining a hedge.
Cons: I miss how green the garden used to look, now your eye is really drawn to the fence. I am growing climbers up it but it will take a while. Also part of the fence fell down in strong winds since it didn't have the hedge supporting it any more. The neighbour (whose fence it is) fixed it himself and did a really bad job so now it looks terrible from my side.

I don't regret doing it though!

Oh I really love this!

That's good to hear you've got no regrets even despite it blowing down.

Have you not replaced hedge maintenance with flower bed maintenance??

Personally, I think your hedges look good.

I don't mind the bear fence, I probably wouldn't plant a hedge, but I wouldn't remove yours. If you get a hedge trimmer., a decent one, they really don't take much maintenance.

And as others have said, they're good for the wildlife.

Well, yes, but personally I find weeding, pruning, mulching and what have you much easier than climbing up a ladder wielding a hedge trimmer. It really was a massive hedge!

I have covered our fences in climbers and other shrubs, not keen on bare fences. Some climbers take less depth than your hedging, but won’t provide as much coverage.

I’d definitely leave the hedges. Greenery around your boundaries makes your garden appear bigger as it blends it in with all the surrounding green.