In the dining room the woodburner crackles and pops on a diet of dry ash, radiating a warm glow from the 1740's inglenook. Outside it's icy in the rain, heavy vibrations fill the air; the chipper is shredding hazel cuttings from the lower boundary hedge, its engine powerful and determined as it chomps through the rather large branches. Note to selves: this hedge requires a gentle prune every year! Being a working garden, we are busy all year round and sometimes manage to overlook the obvious. Happy and growing with abandon, the hedge had grown to a height of to twenty feet or more! It was only the realisation that our view was slowly disappearing that galvanised us into action...
There is a fine balance between a sustainable, managed country garden and overwhelming chaos. Trees and shrubs respond enthusiastically to gentle pruning, throwing soft, fresh shoots and regenerating lower down. It's easy to forget that this magical, textured landscape requires loving husbandry; after all we all flourish bathed in a little love and affection!
