Gardening DIY – hedge demolition- in response to Telegraph gardening article advising people to be lazy.

How we (I at 76 yrs) removed a 13ft hedge (after being quoted £400 to trim the top and sides!) and roots, dug out an area of soil and rubble filing 90 rubble bags (1/3 full each) to enlarge our seating area, moved fencing back and laid paving (help with the fencing only).

Tools – a long handled pruning saw, spit, log-spitting axe and large hoe.

Starting with the garden when we moved in.  Professionals cut down the tree and removed the huge ivy on a derelict garage end on other side of boundary encroaching on our garage. But even they – using a grubbing out machine – only grubbed out to just below the surface – I had to use a spit, log-splitting axe, saw and hoe to dig out and remove all the roots from the holly tree - massive roots all left in by the professionals!

[NB. Clue – Click once on picture to see whole pic. click again to return to the story!]

 

When we bought in 2021 – wild and semi-derelict garden – and you haven”t see the huge hedge yet!

Stage one – trees removed – initial seating area – huge hedge

Stage two – trellis (professionally) installed - huge hedge 

 

 Initial garden plan

 

Seating area swamped by huge hedge (with Rosie).

 Stage Three – extend trellis fencing to hold back huge hedge – FAIL.

Stage Four – chop down huge hedge (winter) with pruning saw.

 

Looks OK from the outside – but stumps and roots and higher ground block extending the seating area.

 

Stage Five – stumps and roots out (Spit, log-splitting axe) clear for digging higher level soil out.

 

Plan for extending seating area / moving and expanding trellis fencing.

Stage Six – new trellis installed – just soil removal to go before laying new paving.

 

Stage Seven – Amazing how many rubble sacks (1/3 full) it takes to dig out this area to below paving level – it’s dammed thirsty work – even in winter!

 Stage Eight – All paved and worth the sweat in the end – with up-cycled (painted black) old garden seats found in a back alley. But what to do with that extra paving (a pallet easier to buy than a few pavers)

Stage Nine – Why not enlarge northern sunny side seating too?

 The end – views of a small garden – was it worth it? Up-cycled jardinieres (another back-alley find).

 

And the House from the garden *after all windows/doors painted ‘Castle Grey’ F&B. (and Rosie again)