Green

Our hornbeam hedge is becoming green again :)

Healing Hedge

Finally we layed our first 7 meters of hedge today!

About 10-15 years ago we got interested in hedge laying.

It's a skill still practised in UK today.

We bought our plants for a mixed hedge row 5 years ago.

We wanted to plant these at the end of our backyard but we needed some extra time.

For the time being we planted them, quite cramped, in a temporarily spot.

Since two years the plants are planted in their final spot, growing higher and higher.

So we were in desperate need of some serious hedge laying ;)

We decided we wanted to do this job by ourselves but we realised we needed some practice first.

Today we started our course at (for sale) Buitenplaats de Bonenburg in Heerde.

According to our instructor in the UK they understand the "healing qualities" of hedge laying.

this photo is "borrowed" from someone

Every team (of two people) had to work his way through 7 meters of pricking Hawthorn hedge.

I assisted the kenderman with laying and weaving while he was doing the tough bit.
We had a great time, enjoyed our good company and loved the result!

Winter Blossom

Robin

Can you locate Robin in this photo? 

Trimming

 Our hedge was in desperate need of a trimming.

I started this job just using my secateurs and some twine a few days ago.

This is how it looks now.

The job isn't finished yet but it looks better already.

Wonderful (Green) World

Our world turned green!

Last week we had a lot of rain and it was good for all plants and trees.

Saturday the temperature was really nice so at last I could go outside without a coat.

Little sunshine but perfect weather for doing some gardening.

This weekend I was too busy for gardening but this morning that's the first thing to do.

Here you can see our Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) hedge we planted.
We started planting in dec 2009 and due to the frost we didn't finish until april 2010.

We choose this species because it's much more tolerant to wet conditions then Beech (Fagus sylvatica).

9th april 2011

29th april 2012

Now we have just one more hedge to plant.
We wil be planting 25 mtrs of Hornbeam again.
 This job is scheduled for october-november and hopefully in another 2 years
we will have, due to the hedges, much more privacy in our backgarden.

Hedgerow

In 2011 we planted a hedgerow next to the brook.

We bougt these native plants a couple of years ealier and planted these in our front garden.

After some serious growth we desided to replant them.

The idea is to start a mixed hedgerow for birds in our back garden.
If these plants are tall enough we'll do some hedge laying.

The compost heap was still a mess in 2011.

We bought some flat pack compost bins made of recycled plastic.

It looks like the hedge is doing fine. Just one plant died. 

A miracle in itself because we've planted on very wet soil.

 The blackthorn is blossoming right now.

Not only a beautiful plant but also a shrub with serious big thorns.

It is said to give you bloodpoisoning after you wounded yourself on this shrub. So be careful!

But on the other hand in march-april its blossom is very important to bees.