From Chris Smith.

I FEEL the need to add to the discussion over our branchage and the merits of our current mechanical cutting.

As Mr Le Lay points out, experienced operators of the flails do a very good and clean job, much faster than you could with a sickle or scythe. They are careful to not cut too low on banks or cut into old wood and trunks.

Maybe the inexperienced drivers will improve in their skill, but too often I see hedges mangled with split branches and trunks or the bark stripped off. The result is damaged and weaker trees, susceptible to disease and toppling over.

One problem associated with modern farming is the enrichment of verges and banks by the application of fertilisers to the fields. This encourages rank, taller grasses and nettles at the expense of a more diverse flora. This process is increased as the cuttings are not removed, but rot down on the bank.

If you want to create a wildflower ‘meadow’ in your garden, the key thing to do is lower the fertility of the area you want to create. What you don’t do is feed it, otherwise all the flowers and smaller grasses will be overgrown by more vigorous species.

The plants we want to encourage, to create a diverse habitat in our hedges and banks, are indeed what most people might call weeds. Not troublesome weeds like creeping thistle and couch grass, but others like scabious and poppy. These thrive in nutrient-poor soils.

Meadowvale Cottage,
Rue de Grouville,
Grouville.