The majority of properties with a garden in the UK have a fence or hedge separating them from neighbouring properties around them. This may be the standard larch lap fencing, or it may be a hedge of privet but choosing the best option for you in terms of maintenance and appearance may make you decide to change it.
Often people choose fencing over hedging because of the need to prune the hedge at regular intervals which means having to purchase a hedge trimmer or employ a gardener to prune the hedge for you. Disposing of the hedge trimmings can be a problem if you do not have the means to transport them to a local recycling centre or do not have a kerbside collection service for garden waste. Although fencing does still require some maintenance such as painting this will only need doing every few years not twice or three times a year.
For those who are concerned about the decline in natural habitats for birds and other wildlife a hedge boundary may be preferred as a hedge provides food and nesting sites for native birds and habitats for many insects and other small creatures. Choosing a hedge variety that is slow growing will mean that pruning will need to be tackled less frequently.