Timely Trim for Healthy Hedge.

Readers may have noticed that our Community Millennium Hedge at Cambridge Lane has had a rather drastic ‘haircut’. The purpose of this is twofold:  the shrubs are growing upward rapidly and were in danger of becoming ‘leggy’ at the bottom. The cut-back will promote vigourous regrowth lower down. It is also important to allow the potentially much taller oak, ash and hornbeam trees to grow away from the competing shrubs.  The aim here is to create a range of habitats for wildlife, and in particular to provide ‘song posts’ at different heights for different species of bird.

It was not an ideal time of year to do the cutting, but our favoured contractor was behind schedule because of ill-health. The rather ‘ragged’ look to the ends of some of the cut shoots may be unsightly for a while, but is unavoidable with mechanical trimming. The plants will soon recover.

The shrubs have matured well. Blossoms of dog rose, blackthorn, guelder-rose and dogwood have been impressive this year.  The full list of species in the hedge. How many can you identify?

I am sure the original ‘planting team’ will be pleased with the result of their efforts, six years on. The parish council’s volunteer ‘maintenance team’ certainly is!

Bob Baxter, Tree Warden.