Championship

We went to the championship Maasheggenvlechten (hedge laying) in Oeffelt.

We saw a DIY tool holder belt hook for your billhook ....... clever and beautiful!

And lots of inspiring hedge laying on this fine Sunday.

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!

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.