The Hedge Cutting Season Begins

Guide Line For The Yew Columns

For the team the hedge cutting season began yesterday with the trimming of the sixteen yew columns in the Provost's rose garden. All 64 sides were trimmed and today it was the turn of the sixteen tops. Before this could start two sets set of keys, four bags of John Innes compost, three ladders, two hedge hedge trimmers, string and secateurs were needed in the garden. Apart from the last four items, why the need for compost and keys? 

Ballast On The Ladder

 

Two Hedge Trimmers

Keys To Weigh The String Down

For the tops to be level a string guide line was tied tight across the inside edge of the yews at the desired height. For this a ladder was placed beside the first and last yew in the row, two bags of compost placed on each of the ladders as ballast to stop them falling over and the two sets of keys clipped together to weigh the string down to keep it straight as one set wasn't heavy enough! With the guide line in place, the third ladder was used to access the high tops, the two different sized hedge trimmers to cut off the shaggy top growth and the secateurs to clip off any growth missed by the trimmers. By the end of the day all the hedging in the rose garden and the Provost's garden had been trimmed.  

A Straight String Line

16 Yew Columns That Edge The Rose Garden

The Provost's Rose Garden

In The Garden, Box Hedge 1

In The Garden, Box Hedge 2