Trimming Hedges
japra | Aug 08, 2008 | Comments 11
Have you ever wondered how they trim those really high hedges in the UK? You know the ones that are 10 feet high? Here’s how our neighbor does it:
He built a scaffold! It still made me nervous to see him up there with the electric hedge trimmers. He’s an older gentleman and that thing was kind of wobbly.
Roxi and I didn’t have a lot of success yesterday with uniform shopping. We did get her sized, though, which means we were able to come back home and order stuff online.
Mr. DJ heads down to his parents house in Texas for a family gathering this weekend. I am wondering if he can plug in his web cam so we be part of the fun too. This is something I’m thinking about for my own extended and far flung family. I wonder if there is something that will allow multiple video feeds for a virtual family reunion. Hmmmm.
Filed Under: Blog
About the Author: JaPRA is an expat Texan living in England with her husband (Mr. DJ), their 17-year old daughter (Roxi), and their dog Trudy.
uh – no thank you!!!! I’d rather hire someone than have to climb on that scaffolding! scary!!!!!
hahah
I would surely have a major accident on that scaffold between all the falling with power tools and stuff.
My dad just turned 76 years old. He’d be up on that thing with hedge trimmers taller than HIM in a heartbeat.
Hedge trimming is very important to English people.
My father was renowned for feats of engineering in the garden -trimmimg,mowing, laying paths and chopping stuff. He also liked gadgets.
Growing things was entirely another matter.
Hope you love England.
I still miss it after 28years……
I have seen several people trimming hedges lately, but none by scaffold! (A ladder seems more typical, but anything involving heights and sharp, pointy tools seems way too hazardous to me.)
We were in Reading on Wednesday, doing the dreaded school uniform shopping. It is sitting in my hallway now, waiting for me to sew nametapes in it. Have you been introduced to these forms of mother-torture?
My parents have this type of hedge all down the back of their property. Once the neighbor thought he would help my father trim them and he built a scaffold such as the one you’ve pictured. He fell through, slowly, all the way to the ground.
We finally succeeded in stopping my father from trimming them when he turned 80!
Those English and their hedges! Their perfect hedges!
It was great that you thought to take a picture when you did. What a funny thing to look back on!
Scary!
JAPRA, In Cambridge, MA (that would be the one in the USA) there was a local ordinance against “aggressive hedging.” Hedges had to be trimmed down to something like 6 feet.
In England my father in law (the former captain) trims his hedge into elaborate boating signals. He uses just a ladder and a trimmer. It is always shipshape.
Bee, I always cheated and used a permanent marker instead on my kids’ uniforms. Go ahead, be American and break the rules.
Joni–I’m with you on that!
Laurie–Men.
Elizabeth–English gardens are incredible. And, yes, we are loving every minute here. Sending you happy thoughts of England…
Bee–I’ve never done the sew-in tags. Back in Texas I had iron-on name tags. I just sharpie everything in here ;-)
Pamela–That is scary! I hope he didn’t get too hurt!!
Alyson–Yes, I was quite fortunate to get a photo of that :-) I’ve never seen scaffolding used for residential gardening!
Susan–You wouldn’t catch me up on that scaffold with powered hedge trimmers…
Sarah–Wow! I’d love to see photos of that!! And interesting to hear about the mandate in Cambridge, MA. I wonder why?
I never photographed my father-in-law’s hedge, sadly. My in laws would rather not have home photos in my blog again. I can’t blame them.
On Cambridge, I think it’s all about legislating fairness or something. A bunch of control freak type-A’s get into gardening and things might get out of hand. There’s a high per capita lawyer rate there I bet.
Nantucket people are a bit hedge crazy too – the professional gardeners are at it every week day that it’s impossible to relax in a hammock without the roar of a hedge clipper. I’ve never gotten the appeal of box hedges. I prefer the wild look.
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only Sharpie junkie.
Sarah–Your father-in-law’s hedge trimming skill makes me think of Disney World and their character hedges!
Too funny about the MA gardens :-)