When should I start to trim the hedge?
I have quite a large and unruley hedge in the front garden, it is my mission for the summer to "tame" the hedge.
I would like to reduce it in size and improve the shape...
...so my question is when would be the best time (of year) to start cutting it?
probably when it feels best out so that way you dont get dehydrated
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Native hedging is a general term that is applied to a mixture of British trees and shrubs that are deciduous, tough and fast growing. It should come as no surprise that the best plants to use in your hedge are ones that have been thriving here since the last ice age.
The key element in native hedge plants is Hawthorn (its name comes from "haga", the old English word for enclosure) which is the best all-round hedge plant in the country. This is used to make up about half of the mix and is mixed in with the other varieties you plant to give the hedge strength (and thorns) all the way along its length. The rest of your native hedge is usually made up of five or so other species from a list of over twenty but the usual suspects include blackthorn, dogwood, field maple, guilder rose, hazel, wayfaring tree and a wild rose of some sort.
Native hedging is an obvious choice for the countryside and there are some great reasons why you might want to use some in the city too.
Native hedge plants are as tough as old boots. All of these plants have thrived in the British Isles for thousands of years and they can take anything that foul weather, poor soil and heavy pruning can throw at them. The only place that your typical native hedge mixture will not grow is in a soggy ditch or other marshy spot (which are pretty rare in the city). Willows, alders and dogwoods are all natives and will do very well such areas.
These hedge plants are excellent for wildlife. Native species of birds, bees and mammal have all evolved in step with our native plants for many thousands of years and they are ideally suited to each other. After the riot of different flowers have provided food for all sorts of butterflies and other insects, your native hedge could then boast crabapples, rose-hips and hazel nuts, as well as guelder rose, sloe and wayfaring trees berries in addition to the large crop of hawthorn fruit. If you want to make sure that your garden attracts all sorts of creatures, even in the heart of the city, then a native hedge is a real option.
Country hedging such as this is invaluable in distracting Squirrels. If you grow fruit in your garden and have trouble with squirrels, the food that your hedge can provide them is a great alternative to your hard earned crops. If you do your best to protect your fruit trees and bushes, you will find that the squirrels generally go for the easiest option.
Native hedge plants are often sold in ready made hedging packs, with names such as Conservation Hedge Mix or Conservation Hedging. These typically contain about five or six species of plant, with Hawthorn making up half of the total. You won't get to choose the mix, which is why you save money - the suppliers will have batches already made up. The quality should still be just as high as if you'd picked them out yourself - these are the same packs that get sent out to their biggest customers who buy miles of hedging every year. In any case, all the plants in your standard country hedging mix are on the cheaper side
A country hedge in town definitely helps you stand out from the crowd. In many towns, it is quite rare to see a true mixed hedge and a few species make up the bulk of the plants in town hedging used - privet is the obvious candidate as one of the most popular hedge plants. Single species hedges can be a bit bland, and over the course of the year, a mixed native hedge is a thing of real beauty, with all sorts of special things going on. In addition to six types of flower and six shades of autumn colour, you might have young field maple shoots with a lovely contrast of bright green leaves and ruddy stems, glistening orange spindle berries peeking out from their exotic cups of brilliant pink, hazel catkins providing a fuzzy treat in spring and rosehips brightening up the scene well into winter. Poor old privet just can't compete.
Cheap, reliable, prickly enough to be secure and as beautiful as any of the hedge plants in town; your native hedge will look great for three out of four seasons and enhance the value of your property, both on the housing market and for the local animals.
Gino Hitshopi is highly experienced in the realm of hedging plants, having worked in the industry for many years. For more information please visit: http://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/
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