NDR: Constructing a Benjes Hedge for Green Waste and Biodiversity

NDR is sharing instructions on how to construct a Benjes hedge, a sustainable garden solution that utilizes green waste and benefits local wildlife. This method, developed by landscape gardener Hermann Benjes in the late 1980s, involves layering garden debris such as branches and brushwood between support structures.

Originally, Benjes envisioned the hedge acting as a natural seedbed, where wind-blown seeds could germinate and grow into hedging plants. Today, however, the Benjes hedge is primarily used for composting and managing garden waste. The structure offers shelter and food for various garden creatures, including birds and insects, and can also serve as a windbreak or privacy screen.

To build a Benjes hedge, support posts are erected approximately one meter apart. Garden waste is then layered between two rows of posts, with longer branches placed along the sides and smaller material in the center. The hedge's height can range from one meter to chest height, or taller if privacy is a key function. A suitable width for the structure is around 50 to 60 centimeters.

A well-constructed Benjes hedge can last for 15 to 20 years. Its open structure also provides a valuable overwintering habitat for many small garden inhabitants. Annually, new green waste can be added to the top as the material inside gradually decomposes.