August : Hedges

G has been cutting all the hedges in this brief sunny spell. He is trying to thin the old privet hedge which has grown so wide he can’t reach the middle at the top from either side, even with the long hedge cutter. The caravan side looks drastically shorn, but will recover before the winter and then be easier to manage.

The Leylandii hedges – not ideal, but a fast growing choice, are a struggle to contain this year. They have certainly provided a good screen, which is essential to protect parts of the garden from strong winds roaring eleven miles from the horizon, with previously nothing to stop them. The downside is that they only look half decent if regularly trimmed and quickly get beyond a manageable size. They do their job very well and were a necessary inexpensive choice.