About five years ago we planted a hornbeam hedge on the front boundary that faces the lane and our neighbours opposite. Regular mulching and irrigation in the early years meant it has quickly given us a hedge nine feet high and thick enough to offer ample privacy.
This year has seen exceptional for growth of many of our garden plants, and hedges are no exception. With up to eighteen inches of top growth since we last clipped it, a second and final cut for the year was required. A tripod ladder helped and the cutting was quickly done followed by a raking up of the fallen trimmings.
With the kit out and the sun shining we decided to also tidy up the beech hedge next to the vegetable beds. This is always a little awkward with access for the ladder limited due to fences and a narrow path but we’ve learnt how to deal with these problems and manage to cut the top by accessing it from both sides.
Lawn growth is gradually abating so we left the grass in the orchard and quickly cut the finer lawn in the flower garden. It was while edging the pond that a sudden flash of iridescent green caught our eye. A female Southern Hawker dragonfly landed on the damp margin of the pond and started laying eggs in the moss. The nymphs go on to hatch and make their way to the water where they spend two to three years as voracious predators before crawling out of the water and becoming fully grown adults.