Hedge planting for functional purposes may be as old as agriculture. The purpose was to protect edible crops from grazing animals and predatory humans. At a later date, ornamental hedging came into use as a component of garden design. The oldest records of this type of hedge planting appear to come from Roman gardens. Since the renaissance, hedges have become a prime component of garden design.
See also: history of planting design.
A garden design composed with hedge planting and water