Hedge Slog

[chrisdolley]

Our Spring hedging offensive has just finished - five days of hard toil and another 50 metres of hedge coppiced and replanted. With the emphasis on replanted. Most of our roadside hedge had been overrun with brambles and fern so we had to dig out the roots and replant with trees from our nursery*. Then we had to untangle the old barbed wire fence,

Comments

Holly? Hard? Ha!

[anonymous]

I cannot imagine deliberately planting holly--then again, in my garden I concentrate more on attempting to eradicate the ones that spring up spontaneously. In Seattle, if a neighbor has a holly tree, you will shortly have many (unless you are vigilant).

Lisa S. in Seattle

Re: Holly? Hard? Ha!

[anonymous]

You've just defined 'weed' - a plant growing in the wrong place. Over here holly's not a problem and it makes an excellent hedge - evergreen, autumn berries and one of the few trees that our animals don't eat, bark or trample. Plus the birds like the berries.

If they came up in our garden though that would be another matter:) Like raspberries for example - we love them but they try to colonise the entire garden instead of their nice neat plot.

[saare_snowqueen]

I love that fact that you are doing all this wonderful gardening work. I love the fact that you write about it so I can read it. I love the fact that my local organic farmer friends will be planting carrots and spinach and.... I forget this weekend. I will be working this weekend too - but guiding visitors around our castle.
Isn't Spring grand?

[holczer13]

spring would be grander if all the bulbs I planted last fall actually tried to come up. Here in Nebraska we have had a longer harder winter than the last few years, but it is totally depressing me. I check each day, and nada, nothing, not even 1 green shoot out of the ground...the worst is that (due to lead) the epa redid our entire yard in grass and so I dug out a bit of it, to try and start on recreating the beautiful plants I used to have...and spent $75 on good soil, plants and cedar bark, and still, nada...I even had a ruler out to plant the bulbs the right depth...and still, nothing...could you all post pictures of your beautiful gardens so I have some garden love to look at?

[saare_snowqueen]

I do know the feeling. a few years ago I put a bunch of hyacinth bulbs in my window boxes - then we had a particularly vicious winter - Nada, double nada!

I will have to have a look for some photos for you.

[holczer13]

Well, in the poor bulbs defense, my magnolia tree(a hardy type, it would need to be up here in zone 3-4) has NOT bloomed yet either, and it normally starts to bloom around when the daffodils do as well, so...I am just keeping my fingers crossed and am glad I went with expensive bulb place that has a $$ back guarantee if nothing pops up out of the ground in the first year...