We've been hedge cutting ...

[Odsox]

... her and me, for the last couple of weekends.
The hedge or actually hedges in question are the ones I planted about 15 years ago as windbreaks.
Now they are a little too big and needed taking in hand, which is what we have done, or decimated depending on your point of view. The plants are Griselinia and they are very useful coppiced, and will all spring back and we will have to do it all over again in 10 years time.
Nowhere near finished as the tops have got to be taken out, at about the six foot mark and OH is 5' 10".

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Of course the real benefit of the trim is all the logs we will get, the pile below is probably a good deal less than half of what we will have when it's finished, there are a LOT more out of shot to be done.
One things for sure, we should be nice and snug during the winter of 2013/14 and probably the winter after too.

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[Thomzo]

Wow, that's a lot of hard work. My hedges are lonicera and I can't think of a single useful thing about them. Apart from keeping the neighbours out.

Zoe

[oldjerry]

Some friends of mine grow that stuff very profitably as greenery for flower arranging,but thenthey live in West Cornwall same sort of climate as yours, North of say B'ham,winter wipeout.

[bill1953]

Wow, that's a lot of hard work. My hedges are lonicera and I can't think of a single useful thing about them. Apart from keeping the neighbours out.

Zoe

Thought that was the primary function of hedges!

[Green Aura]

I'm just so jealous you can can grow anything that tall.

[Millymollymandy]

Me too, I'm jealous that you can grow anything that grows that quickly! I've never heard of that tree/hedging plant so had to google it. Some of my shrubs have taken 7 years to get to 4 foot high and my poor little Silver Birch which I grew from seed hasn't grown one bit in the last 4 years since I planted it in the ground. The brambles grow well though.

Enjoy your firewood, that's quite a haul!

[cideristhefuture]

Wow, lot's of hard work but fantastic log pile.

[Odsox]

Me too, I'm jealous that you can grow anything that grows that quickly! I've never heard of that tree/hedging plant so had to google it. Some of my shrubs have taken 7 years to get to 4 foot high and my poor little Silver Birch which I grew from seed hasn't grown one bit in the last 4 years since I planted it in the ground. The brambles grow well though. :

The first week after we moved here I picked up a large Monterey pine cone and put it on the windowsill. On a sunny day in February it exploded and sprayed small winged seeds everywhere, a couple of which I sowed.
I gave one away and planted the other seedling and now 17 years later it is about 40 feet tall and the trunk is about 18" in diameter.
That one is probably here to stay.

[Millymollymandy]

That's lovely. I knew my silver birch was going into only 6" of soil above rock but I put it next to two others which have matured so figured it ought to be able to grow there but it doesn't seem very happy! On the other hand my wiggly hazel which I inadvertently planted on top of the soakaway has grown enormously in the time we've been here. Also I have a Liquidambar which has grown a lot - I think so much depends on soil depth here over the bedrock and moisture or lack of!

Still all the mature trees in my garden managed it somehow, maybe it took them longer than others but there's nothing nicer than looking at a tree that you planted, especially if it was from seed.

[Odsox]

there's nothing nicer than looking at a tree that you planted, especially if it was from seed.

While I had the camera out today I took a picture of it.

The sapling on the left is rather amusing, it's the end one of a row of alders I planted as a windbreak to protect a couple of rows of biomass type willows, all three years old about now.
The alders are turning into fine trees, more than three times the amount of timber than the willows.
Methinks I might grow more alders as they can be coppiced too and sod the willows.

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[Millymollymandy]

I love alders and they do grow quickly in a damp spot.

[Green Aura]

I've just walked up the field to the library van - it's the only place around that has any trees, mainly Douglas Firs. They're all about 30 years old and are barely taller than me! I've just looked at your Monterey Pine (which is lovely) and realised why - ours are growing sideways

[MKG]

Tony, I'm not being funny or anything, but if you look very carefully ...

In your first photo - I had to use all my technical powers of enhancement and, even then, it's not all that clear - but I believe you've managed to capture a light blue leprechaun. Look very carefully right in the bottom centre of the picture. I'm sure it's not just my eyes ...

Mike

[Odsox]

I'm not surprised Mike, they are all over the place.
How do you think one OAP does all that work on his own ?

[Green Aura]

You mean it's just a normal size hedge after all?