I hadn't done much clipping of hedges to shape until about six months ago. And I kept on walking past a 2.5m tall Box 'blob' with an increasing sense of unease - feeling that I should actually be brave enough to have a go at clipping it. I realized, upon closer inspection, that although it didn't have any horizontal 'air' layers cut through it - that it was probably actually intended to be a tiered 'cake stand.' I cut it with normal shears and both I - and the owners - were pleased with the result.
Box is a fairly shade tolerant, native hardwood tree, which grows back upon clipping (unlike Leyland and Lawson Cypress). The evergreen shrub, Euonymus, is another plant which, because of its fairly small leaves, lends itself to this type of clipping. But, if you want to trim the large leaves of a Cherry Laurel (and have a small enough specimen) it is recommended that you use secateurs - rather than having the leaves look sliced. |
I now use a cordless hedge trimmer (for cutting through foliage and small twigs) to accomplish more artistic work on hedges below shoulder height. Not having a cable to get snarled up on - or to slice through(!) means that you can simply concentrate on making the cuts. The hedge trimmer has a Lithium ion battery (which you can use for up to 50 minutes) and so you can get quite a lot done. It takes about 3 hours to fully charge the battery.
When you are cutting a formal hedge, the width of the top should be less than the width at the bottom (to allow light to reach the foliage at the base and to reduce the likelihood of snow loading splaying the foliage). In practice, of course, many hedges are growing in precisely the opposite manner: widest at the top and narrowest at the bottom! Remember, also, that in accordance with the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) you should not be engaging in major hedge cutting (through thick, woody, stems) until the birds have finished nesting and fledging their young. |