Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
2nd February 2019
Hedge Fun
My love of dry stone walling is legendary now, so when I had the chance to learn to lay a hedge properly as well, I obviously leapt at it. Last Saturday I spent the day with a lovely group of people, two fabulous tutors, an unruly hedge and an impressive array of sharp tools! I so wish I had spent more time paying attention to the people who were around doing these skills when I was younger. Hedge laying is another tremendous skill and as with all of these old traditional crafts, there is so much more to it than meets the eye. I absorbed the information like a sponge, and freely admit to giving a loud ‘whoop’ when my first ‘pleach’ was praised and deemed a success by Tom, one of the course tutors. Both Tom and Paul not only imparted their hedge-laying knowledge effortlessly and cheerfully, but also shared so much about other aspects of the countryside too. People like them just haemorrhage knowledge, and are so interesting.
Paul Kent is a landscape and building conservation expert who also runs numerous conservation projects, as well as wonderful things like Tree Identification Days (email info@tychwarel.co.uk for more details) and has forgotten more than I will ever know.
Tom Board, amongst many other things, works for Keep Wales Tidy and helps out at Tools For Self Reliance, and also gave us a great tutorial on sharpening and looking after the tools at the end of the day. You can also buy the various bill hooks, hackers and other fabulous tools you need for hedge-laying (and just about anything else) from TFSR Cymru, as well as learn to look after them and sharpen them at their workshop in Crickhowell too. More at www.tfsrcymru.org.uk
Within a few hours, two groups of four complete novices had transformed two separate sections of pretty rough, neglected field hedge into two sections of lovely neat, laid hedge. The other people ‘hedging their bets’ on the day included people wanting to be able to transform hedges on their own land, and a lad keen to learn the countryside skills. No one had any previous experience and we all just turned up with wet weather gear, wellies and loads of enthusiasm. We all worked together cheerfully, pulling out brash, cutting and sharpening stakes, pleaching and laying the ‘pleachers’, (cue ‘Son of a Pleacher Man’ jokes). We learned that hazel and willow are the easiest to work with, hawthorn is hard work and very brittle and you can even successfully lay buddleia! We also learned that anything that was taken out of the hedge, and that couldn’t be used as a stake, as infill or be pleached, was put on the ‘Baldrick’ pile – so called as there would be ‘cunning plan’ for it later. It was a magical day and I loved it. Not surprisingly, I highly recommend it – and I guarantee you’ll learn far more than how to lay a hedge! The next course is in the Brecon Beacons on the 23rd February, more details from wwww.gooddayout.co.uk.
The Right Trousers
Despite spending most of my life out doors, I have a shocking track record of having the right outdoor clothing. It’s hard to get wet weather clothes that fit, are actually waterproof all day and that you can move and work in comfortably. As said, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just wrong clothing”. But the moral of this story is not to give up, as I have just found the most amazing waterproof thermal trousers, and I am in love with them. My thermal, waterproof hiking trousers are perfect for working outside in the harsh winter weather and are from www.hikingaction.co.uk priced just £29.99 I have already ordered a second pair, and two pairs for my brother as well as three friends ordering some too. They are absolutely fabulous – and don’t look bad either, as Yogi agrees!
Amazing Hazel
One of my favourite things can be found in the hedgerows now – if you are prepared to look hard enough. The little red hazel flower always fascinates me at this time of year. It is so delicate and unassuming and so many people have never even seen one. The male catkins get all the attention as they wiggle about in the breeze like little lamb’s tails and heralding the promise of spring being just around the corner, and yet it is the tiny little hazel flower that will develop into the hazel nut that we all know and love later in the year.
That great philosopher, Winnie the Pooh said, “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in our hearts.” And that is certainly the case for me and the little red hazel flower.
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