CORNISH HEDGESIN

GARDENS

© Sarah Carter 2008

Cornish garden hedges / beneficial hedge wildlife / Cornish hedges in garden landscapeand design / plants for the Cornish hedge in a garden / shrubs and trees for the gardenhedge top / roses for Cornish gardens / Cornish hedges and the kitchen garden / how totrim and maintain a Cornish hedge in a garden / hedge laying, layering and coppicing

To have a Cornish hedge around your garden is a privilege. Often the hedge is olderthan the house and is a relic of the countryside before the village or town expanded. It maybe a relic of the Stone age in your own keeping; but whatever its age it is a part of a uniqueheritage. It is worth trying to establish the origins of your hedge by consulting old maps anddeeds.

A Cornish hedge gives important shelter in our windswept peninsula, and providessummer shade. As well as being a visual screen between houses and roads, it makes a goodsound barrier, sieves traffic fumes and dust and provides first-rate protection against floods. Itharbours insects, birds and animals beneficial to the garden, and the all-year-round wildflowers can be enjoyed by neighbours and visitors as well as by the gardener. Properly lookedafter, it keeps in the well-trained child or dog, or the supervised tame rabbit or guinea pig.

It is good to see that many new houses have their gardens enclosed by newly-builtCornish hedges, which will in time acquire their own natural covering of wild flowers, fernsand mosses. It is unfortunate that the standard of building is sometimes unsatisfactory,allowing the hedge to bulge and fall down. Cornish hedges, especially these substandard ones

or old ones subjected to heavy vibrationfrom traffic, need watching to knock thestones back into place before they fallout or the bulges form. It is worth takingthe trouble to keep the hedge fromdeteriorating.

Cottage gardens are wonderfullyenhanced by their stout Cornish hedgesbuilt of the local stone, and historicallygardens have been world-famoussurroundings to some of the big housesin Cornwall. Most of these were laid outduring the nineteenth century, but thereare some of much older vintage, forexample Godolphin dating from the1400s. Many of their hedges can be seen

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This garden hedge planted with herbs makes a charming,picturesque and suitable frontage with low maintenance.Don't use herbs that spread too quickly by runner roots, orone will take over at the expense of the others and be verydifficult to remove without damaging the hedge structure.

today. Some of the older ones were massivelyconstructed with walks along the top where guestscould walk dry-shod with a good view of thegarden and the country around.

Otherwise Cornish hedges do not likepeople clambering over them, and where this is aproblem it may be discouraged by planting nativethorns 18 inches apart in two staggered rows 9inches distant, and running one or two strands ofwire along the hedge between the rows. Afterseveral years the combination of wire and thornbecomes impenetrable, although allowingtrimming. A hedge like this is an excellentdefence against unlawful entry.

The sheltering effect of a good Cornish hedge around an exposed garden is, in effect,to give it a climate of at least 200 miles further south, so some tender plants can be grown.The hedge is home for the birds and insects which help to control garden pests, and alsoprovides the joy of watching wildlife close at hand. Cornish hedges are very rich, with morethan 500 native plant species able to live in a widely diverse range of hedge habitats. From agarden point of view, a Cornish hedge can be the prettiest of wild flower features, while thedrier stone hedge encrusted with its native species makes an exquisite rock garden of mossesand lichens, with small flowering plants such as stonecrop, tormentil, scabious and hawkbit.

BENEFICIAL HEDGE WILDLIFE

Gardeners are nature lovers at heart, and most realise that oak, hawthorn, blackthornand bramble are rich hedgerow hosts for wildlife species. Pretty native hedgetop species suchas dog rose and honeysuckle add charm to the garden, as well as food for wildlife. A Cornishhedge with a good mixture of species including holly and ivy growing on top forms anattractive background to the garden scene all the year round. Ivy forms handsome evergreenflowering and fruiting bushes on top of Cornish hedges, giving food and shelter to manybeneficial insects and birds. The thicker and higher the hedge, the more food and safety itprovides for hedge-nesting birds.

Most people love garden birds, and no one wishes to break the law which protectsthem. In February, sometimes earlier, the birds are setting up their territories and spying outthe best places to nest, and by March they are building. Then they lay their eggs and soon arefeeding their chicks. Some of them then have a second and a third brood so the last time they

are using their nest and feeding fledglingsis in July and August. After that the youngbirds need the fruits, seeds and insectlarvae in the hedge to feed them throughthe winter.

It is an offence, under the Wildlifeand Countryside Act 1981 Part 1(1),intentionally to take, damage or destroyany wild bird or its nest while being builtor in use, or to take or destroy its eggs orchicks. Incidental destruction of any ofthese, if it could reasonably have beenavoided, is also an offence, Part 1(4). Thismeans that gardeners must not trim or cut

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The native honeysuckle (Lonicerapericlymenum) is a beautiful plant for theCornish hedge in a garden.

Flowering ivy bushes among the hawthorn and othernative trees on top of a garden hedge are the bestprovision for 'gardener's friend' insects and birds.

down their Cornish hedges duringthe spring and summer if a bird isnesting there. It would be hard toprove that the damage could notreasonably have been avoided bytrimming at other times of year,outside the breeding season. Shrubsthat make good hedges likehawthorn, blackthorn, ivy, lonicera,privet or escallonia are choicenesting places for blackbirds,thrushes, chaffinches and other smallbirds. Any interference that causesthe parents to desert the nest, or thatleaves it open to predators, is thesame in effect as physical destructionand should be avoided.

A healthy population of insects is essential in a garden. Birds and beetles are in thefront line as gardener's friends, making war on the small number of pest species such asgreenfly, aphids and leather-jackets, while the flying insects are necessary for pollination. Thegentle hum of hoverflies and bumblebees and the bright wings of butterflies and moths visitingthe flowers are a vital part of the pleasure of the summer garden. The best possible way tonurture all these is to have a Cornish hedge in and around your plot. The stone facing, theherbaceous plants on the sides and the bushes on the top in total can provide safe homes andfood for hundreds of species even in a small garden.

CORNISH HEDGES IN GARDEN LANDSCAPE AND DESIGN

Cornish hedging lends itself aptly to garden landscaping; the inwardly-curved battergives stability to retaining walls and island beds alike. The hedges can be used to create orcontain different levels, with integral steps of the same stone, or to divide the garden area withstraight or curved hedge lines. A Cornish hedge makes a good internal screen for differentcompartments of the garden, far better than using fencing or trellis as these soon rot or blowdown, given our wet and windy climate. A hedge is sometimes objected to, as it seems to takeup a lot of ground, but because a Cornish hedge is as high as it is wide it doubles the availableground space when you allow flowers to grow on the sides as well as planting along the top.Shrubs or trees on the top do not rob or shade the soil as much as they would if grown atground level, so you can cultivate or mow almost up to the foot of the hedge if you wish.

Important practical aspects are the hedge's value as a sound barrier, a shelter and ascreen; it should be high enough, and so placed and top-planted, as to give effective service inthese respects. By suitably arranging the subdivision of the garden into compartments, doubleor even triple barriers can be raised against the main source of noise, creating a quiet sitting-out place. Designers of housing estates should include Cornish hedges as strategic baffles andscreens.

Visually, the over-all view of the garden should be harmonious in itself and with thesurrounding landscape of town or country. The close view within each compartment, if thegarden is divided, can be considered separately, with perhaps variations within the theme anda focal point to give interest.

The local stone should be used, sourcing it as near as possible to the garden's locationor at least matching it with the local geological structure. This will usually ensure that itmatches the stone of which the house may be built. Nothing looks worse than a garden built

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Beautiful, harmless sun-loving hoverflies such as thisHelophilus pendulus will live in a Cornish hedge around agarden, enlivening the flowerbeds in summer.

of shale around a granite house, or vice versa.Garden features such as waterfalls or standingstones should also be of the same stone. Thecharacter of the stone will largely dictate the stylein which your design is carried out, but with alltypes of stone simplicity should be the key, lettingthe stone speak for itself.Even in a tiny garden, a scaled-down Cornishhedge dividing steps or path from a flower-bed oredging a small lawn makes a charming feature forrock plants. Raised island beds can be of anyshape from circular or kidney-shaped tovariations on a square, while a partial divider canbe built as a length of hedge with traditionalrounded ends or shaped at the gardener's whim,perhaps curving, serpentine or banjo-shaped(swelling out at the ends of the hedge into circularturrets).

By varying the fill used in building the hedge, specialised growing conditions can becreated. Using the ordinary rab fill (clay-shale subsoil) to two-thirds the height of the hedge,the top half can be filled with a mixture to suit the gardener's purpose, for example thestandard recipe for a moraine garden, five parts of fine chippings to one part of the desiredtype of soil; while the addition of limestone chippings would allow the cultivation of plantsthat are not happy in Cornwall's usually basic or acidic soils. This use of adapted Cornishhedges as raised beds allows a plants enthusiast to grow an unusual variety of species, createsextra pockets for planting in a small garden, and is a boon for the ageing or less able gardeneras it reduces bending. It is important that these hedges should be well built, with the properinwardly-curved batter, well-rammed fill and skilfully interlocked stones, as otherwise collapseis likely to begin just as the plants are maturing, a source of disappointment and annoyance tothe gardener.

It is best not to plant shrubs with their backs right up against the hedge as this heavilyshades the stone sides; keep them a metre away. To remain sound for centuries, the hedgestructure needs to be open to light and air so the healthy roots of herbaceous plants growbetween the stones. For the same reason the sides of Cornish hedges should be kept free ofwoody species. These should only be allowed to grow thickly on top.

PLANTS FOR THE CORNISH HEDGE IN A GARDEN

When cherished as it should be, a Cornish hedge naturally acquires a wealth of wildflowers and greenery. The most relaxed way of looking after it is to allow nature to do as itwill, with a little bit of winter work to keep it from invading the rest of the garden. Thismeans some trimming and, if one is lucky enough to have trees on the hedge, some selectivecoppicing to keep them, in a traditional way, from getting too large.

On the other hand, if the wish is to grow plants which are not native, then care mustbe taken to do this in such a way that the hedge structure does not deteriorate. Our hedgesdo not like being dug up on the sides or top, or too close to the foot. Many garden plants areunsuitable for the sides of Cornish hedges, and a careful choice has to be made. If you arelooking for minimal maintenance a good one is the old Cornish tin-miners' souvenir fromCentral America, the dainty pink-and-white daisy Mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus),locally known as 'Cousin Jack', which naturalises itself on a drier hedge. Another plant whichthrives un-helped on the hedgeside is Campanula porscharskyana, which with its soft lilac-blue

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Low Cornish hedges make dividers and turn thissmall back yard, 15 feet square, into a garden.The roses are 'Alberic Barbier' and 'Danse dufeu', the latter one of the few modern climbersthat can do quite well in Cornwall, if sheltered.

wide-open star-shaped bells looks very pretty when co-existing with Cousin Jack's pink-and-white daisies. It ismore vigorous than C. portenschlagiana, which has darkerpurple bells. Between them they make a neat, weed-suppressing cover for the hedge, and their roots bind thestones well.There are some plants that are very unwelcome in

hedges; the periwinkles and the deadnettles, especially thevariegated yellow archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon sspargentatum), reputed to have been introduced by Treseder,the well-known Truro nurseryman, about sixty years ago,and which was first recorded growing wild in Cornwall in1972. These overly-strong creeping plants should beavoided like the plague that they are. Already there areover 500 records of this deadnettle in the wild in three-quarters of the 10km-squares of Cornwall. It spreads, as allthe rampant introduced weeds do, by overcoming thenatural plant life, as well as being carried around anddumped by gardeners. All the creeping deadnettles are toorampant to allow them into a Cornish hedge, where they

are very difficult to control. Some garden plants, for instance winter heliotrope (Petasitesfragrans), montbretia and the white-belled three-cornered leek (Allium triquetrum), have spreaddisastrously along miles of roadside, having been thoughtlessly thrown out of gardens into thehedge. Unlike these rampant weeds, Cousin Jack does not spread aggressively by itselfbecause it is not strong enough to overcome the normal Cornish flora. That is why it is oftenseen growing out of stone walls where there is little competition. In the ordinary Cornishhedge or turf hedge, it needs a little tending for the reward of its plentiful daisy flowersthroughout the summer.

Avoid those rockery plants that spread out into a big mat, for example aubretia,polygonum and some erigerons, as these are not good for the hedge structure. The lamiums,some herbs and some of the ornamental grasses, while suitable in appearance, might love yourhedge too much, over-running every crevice andbecoming a nuisance. For the natural Cornish hedgelook the plants should all mingle together, with someferns and grasses (bents, fescues and hair grasses arebest) in between, not one being dominant over theothers. The intricate mass of all the various roots inevery crevice holds the structure securely, and thetangled growth becomes a tapestry of co-existingflowers.

In the old days cottagers used to help the wildflowers in their hedges, collecting seed from the moreattractive species to sow among the existing flora, androguing out the rough weeds with a knife. Nowadaysall the less common (and many of the once-common)wild flowers are at best struggling for existence, atworst becoming locally extinct, because of thedisastrous action of the flail, which degrades thehabitat. It is against the law to dig up scheduledplants, or any other wild plant without the landowner'spermission, and the plants would often die after

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'Cousin Jack', the Mexican fleabanebrought home by Cornish minersand now naturalised in many dryhedges in town and village. Thisyoung plant will later produce amass of little pink and white daisiesover a long flowering period.

Campanula porscharskyana is a prettycompanion to Cousin Jack for a weed-freetown garden hedge.

transplantation anyway. Buying wildflower seed can be a doubtful practice assome will be the wrong strain for thelocality. Common yellow toadflax (Linariavulgaris), tufted vetch (Vicia cracca),sheep'-bit scabious (Jasione montana) andfield scabious (Knautia arvensis), sold byspecialist firms, would probably be allright. A little wild seed might be collectedfrom the common, freely-seeding redcampion, bluebell, herb robert andfoxglove nearby, if your hedge lacks these.

An interesting and legitimate projectmight be to imitate the natural flora usingsuitable garden flowers. Native annuals,

biennials and the less aggressive perennials all thrive without attention in Cornish hedges, sochoose your plants to echo the wild species: the dainty old-fashioned annuals such as linaria(echoing wild toadflax), cornflower, nigella, convolvulus (echoing hedge bindweed),mignonette, nemophila, limnanthes. Half-hardy annuals tend to be more attractive to slugs,but a few might be worth trying, for instance night-scented stock, morning glory, cobaea andlobelia. Avoid brilliantly-coloured and exotic-looking flowers such as African marigold,gazania, calceolaria and mesembryanthemum. Cheerful annuals such as Californian poppysuit seaside village hedges, but generally speaking avoid 'patio' plants guaranteed to give 'amass of colour'. They can be unsympathetic to the semi-natural look of a Cornish hedge.

Don't put slug-bait in your hedge for the sake of trying to grow any plant they like toomuch. Only a few kinds of slug and snail attack choice plants. There are many otherharmless and interesting little molluscs that live in hedges and are essential to the balance ofnature, and you don't want to kill these along with the others (or poison the hedgehogs andsong-thrushes at second hand, either) for the sake of any flower that isn't able to naturalisethere. Oddly enough, some tasty plants such as violas are much less likely to be attackedwhen growing in a jungle of grass and other plants than when carefully tended in the bare soilof a flowerbed. They will grow more straggly and with smaller flowers, but this makes themlook more natural in your hedge.

Suitable biennials are forget-me-not,honesty, foxglove, musk mallow andverbascum. Don't use the cultivated foxglove ifyou can avoid it, as it crosses with the wildstrain and corrupts it, as do Spanish squillswith the English bluebell. Buying foxgloves as'wild flower' seed is risky as it may be thishybrid with sparse bells pointing outward allround the stem instead of the genuine, gracefulwild foxglove, and it will get into the local wildfoxgloves and spoil them. Collect a little localseed from these instead.

Any ordinary perennial that is not toovigorous or too showy will suit your gardenversion of a natural Cornish hedge. Choosethose of more modest appearance andparticularly those which echo the wildperennials, such as achillea (yarrow), centaurea

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Tufted vetch (Vicia cracca) is one of the desirable wildflowers to have in a garden hedge.

The brown-lipped snail (Cepea nemoralis) comes ina jewel-like variety of colours and stripes, rose-pink, amber, chestnut and yellow. It will live in thegarden hedge and not attack your lettuces. Allow afew hogweeds to grow in the hedge for thisbeautiful snail, which is the favourite food of thesong thrush.

(knapweed), polemonium (Jacob's ladder),stachys (betony), astrantia, galega (goat's rue),linaria, aquilegia (columbine) catananche, linum(flax), campanula, primrose, lychnis (campion),thalictrum (meadow rue), filipendula (meadow-sweet), veronica (speedwell), cowslip and violets.Don't forget to add ferns, perhaps some of thedecorative forms of our native ferns which lovegrowing in Cornish hedges.

Hardy geraniums are good, preferablythe non-creeping varieties such as Geraniumphaeum and G. pratense; plant them on the side ortop of the hedge where they will benefit from thegood drainage, otherwise the crowns may die ina wet winter. Beware of the more vigorouslyrooting ones such as G. procurrens and G.macrorrhizum which run rampant. The samewarning applies to vigorous perennials such asMichaelmas daisy and the large golden rodwhich spread rapidly by underground runnerroots. The heavy top growth of these will also

smother out other plants, reducing the floral diversity of your hedge and flopping out too farinto the garden. The smaller hybrid golden rods are all right.

For a dry hedge, saxifrages, cinquefoils, ornamental strawberries, armerias (thrift),hawkweeds, globe thistles, sedums, stonecrops and sempervivums may be added to the naturalscree community of mosses and lichens. There are plenty of non-invasive rock plants thatwould be suitable for a hedge of this type. With a stone hedge having little or no soil you mayneed to make small pockets of earth to start the plants off. If you add shell sand or lime youcan grow plants that dislike an acid soil, such as thyme, corydalis, wallflower and maiden pink.

When planting on any Cornish hedge, insinuate the roots carefully without looseningthe soil between the stones. If scattering seed on to the hedge is unsuccessful, grow the plantsas tiny plugs that will cause theminimum of disturbance whenplanted. They will need wateringfor a while; do this with a rose(sprinkler) on the watering can, aimit at the hedge above where youhave planted and avoid washing soildown out of the crevice.

With all the plants youchoose, avoid modern hybrid forms.Find a supplier who specialises inthe old strains granny used to grow.These will do best and look mostsuitable, and are the ones capable ofnaturalising and continuing toappear year after year in your hedgeunaided. Lastly, among thesesuitable old-fashioned plants onyour hedge, tuck in some of thepretty creeping weeds you pull out

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Part of a charming little cottage hedge where garden plantsmingle as they should naturally do: they include meadow rue,pink-flowered strawberry, columbine, hardy geranium, linaria'Canon Went', Madeiran cranesbill, ivy-leaved toadflax andnative ferns, with fuchsia, wild honeysuckle, field rose (Rosaarvensis) and hawthorn on top of the hedge.

Honesty is one of the old-fashioned biennials thatis suitable for naturalising in a garden-flowerversion of a Cornish hedge community.

of your flowerbeds - the speedwellsespecially. These make an under-story layer and help to keep thehedge moist in summer, andgermander speedwell is one of themore beautiful of hedge flowers. Ifyou have a waste corner in thegarden where these small weedsgrow, the best way to transfer them tothe hedge is to dig out plugs the sizeof a golf-ball and push them intosuitable crevices between the stones.Once your plants have begun to

grow in the spring don't touch them,don't do any more weeding ortrimming, or the airy structure they

make by growing mingled together will collapse and look messy. The undisturbed mingling ofthe flowers on a Cornish hedge gives each plant support, light and air. Meshed lightlytogether like this they can withstand winds, while the earlier, low-growing spring flowers suchas primroses and violets are kept damp but are not smothered. So do all your weeding by theend of March, and don't pull out any stragglers after May Day at the very latest.

Always allow the plants to complete their annual cycle. Do not remove dead heads ortrim the plants off in autumn. Let the whole lot seed and die down naturally over the winter,making its own frost protection, then in early spring (February and March) just tidy up byhand if needful, picking off dead plant remains (check there is no wildlife wintering inside thestems), cutting out big weeds and brambles and pulling off any nettle-tops and seedlingcleavers. In time these weeds will diminish and disappear, while some of your introducedflowers will naturalise and produce a charming, trouble-free effect.

SHRUBS AND TREES FOR THE GARDEN HEDGE TOP

For the tops of Cornish hedges around gardens the old-fashioned Fuchsia riccartonii,Tamarix anglica and Escallonia varieties were often planted in the milder, sea-blown parts of

Cornwall, giving the village landscape aspecial distinction. This tradition needsreviving, especially where there is avisitor income. These hedges are alwaysmentioned nostalgically by visitors whoknew Cornwall before the second worldwar; famously Ireland has kept them,while Cornwall has allowed so many ofthem to be grubbed out. Fuchsia andescallonia are much beloved bybumblebees (but escallonia may be lessloved by hay fever sufferers). Like privetthey grow very easily and quickly fromcuttings. Fuchsia magellanica may also beused. The tamarisk hedging on theLizard was reported by Lake in 1847 tohave been 'originally brought thitherfrom St. Michael's Mount by a carter,

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The wild germander speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) shouldbe in every garden hedge.

Fuchsia riccartonii hedges humming with bumblebees werean integral part of Cornish summer holidays before somany of these traditional hedgetop shrubs were destroyedin favour of concrete blocks or African marigolds. Luckilya fashion for cottage garden scenery has now returned, soit is time for fuchsia hedges to be replanted.

who having lost his whip, gathered a rodat that place, and when arrived at the endof his journey stuck it into the ground,where it took root, and became theparent stock of the locality.' Since then ithas grown happily in the windiest placeson the Lizard.

Some of the larger houses of villatype had the tops of their Cornish hedgesplanted with an evergreen shrub such asNew Zealand holly or Portugal laurel.These hedges may still be seen on villageoutskirts, neatly-trimmed, high andmassive. A cottage equivalent was to usethe fast-growing and easily-shapedLonicera nitida, often chosen by blackbirdsfor their nest. These hedges require regular trimming and their appearance is suburban sonot suitable outside the village.

Shrubs have a less aggressive root system than most trees, so do not need a massiveCornish hedge to support them. Seriously suckering shrubs such as sumach are best avoided.Buddleia davidii, which flowers on the current year's wood, should be cut down to 20 inches(0.5m) every winter to keep it in check, after which it flowers magnificently the followingsummer. Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) is a strong grower and may need selective coppicing,otherwise the pull of its top-heavy shape may loosen the hedge structure. On a very exposedsite privet is one of the few shrubs that will grow at all, and as the salt wind perpetually nipsthe growth it makes a bushy and almost maintenance-free hedge. When allowed to grownaturally and to flower, privet is a good-looking shrub and is excellent for many kinds ofwildlife; butterflies and bumblebees find it more attractive even than buddleia.

Generally, native shrubs are the best choice, especially where the garden hedge is verymuch a part of the local rural landscape. Hawthorn, blackthorn (despite suckering) and gorseare Cornish hedge staples and, if trimmed along the sides in winter to keep them dense andtwiggy where they join the hedgetop at the roots, will even keep out cats. So as not to shadethe garden too much, a bushy hedgerow on top of a Cornish hedge (unless the garden is large)should not be much higher (measuring from the hedgetop) than 4 - 6ft (1.2 - 1.8m). To beanimal-proof, 2 - 3ft (0.8 - 1m) may be better as this keeps the bushes thick at the bottom.

There are two kinds of gorse, the European (Ulex europaeus) and the Western (Ulex gallii).The first has its main bloom in spring andthe second in late summer, so a mixture ofthe two gives bloom more or less all the yearround (hence the saying, “When the gorse isout of blossom, then kissing is out offashion”). The cultivated varieties of broomare spectacular in bloom but are not long-lived and every few years leave a temporarygap in the hedge-top. The evergreen shrubBerberis julianae has vicious thorns againsttrespassers, and has attractive foliage andtiny yellow flowers invaluable to early bees,but needs some shelter; it grows fromcuttings. Berberis darwinii is quite traditionalon Cornish garden hedges, often mixed

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When allowed to grow naturally and to flower, thecommon privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) is a handsomeshrub and is excellent for wildlife including the superbprivet hawk-moth.

Gorse makes a formidable barrier against intruders, iseasily maintained and is a glorious sight in full bloom,beloved by bees.

with flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum).The Cornish hedge allows trees to be a part of the garden scene without taking up too

much space or robbing the soil too badly, but they do need to be managed when growing on ahedge, and this may be beyond the scope of the average gardener. For the smaller garden,small trees are a wise choice. Most are very good for wildlife and attractive in their blossom,catkins or berries, for instance elder, hazel and hawthorn. Field maple and mountain ash arenot suited to most parts of Cornwall. Planting holly with hawthorn suits well in forminggarden hedges, being attractive, good for wildlife and a formidable barrier against intruders.

Our climate encourages so swift a growth that a large tree, on a sheltered gardenhedge, can soon become a menace if it cannot be coppiced. Conifers are too top-heavy toplant on Cornish hedges, and the notorious Leylandii, which grows very fast and reaches over ahundred feet high should never be planted on or by a Cornish hedge, or in a small garden atall. Most conifers fail to regrow if coppiced, and topping them creates an ugly shape. Theyare alien to Cornwall and in winter keep the garden damper than necessary.

If new trees are to be planted on ahedge, oak and hawthorn are among thebest. The most satisfying way is to gatheracorns and haws from nearby native trees,sprout them in a box of sand out of doorsover winter (protect from mice), then pot upthe seedlings in the spring and plant out theyoung saplings over the following winter.They will need watering in dry weather for acouple of years until they get their tap rootsdown into the centre of the hedge. Be sure tokeep their heads above the surroundinggrowth, especially in July. Broad-leaved treeslike sycamore, ash, oak and elm should bechosen, because these take kindly to beingselectively coppiced. For evergreens, go for holly and holm oak.

Coppiced trees on hedge-tops are a good place to put nest-boxes for blue-tits andother birds. Allowing a good lacing of roses, brambles or prickly shrubs on top of the hedgearound the tree makes it difficult for cats and interfering people. Avoid a long clear fly-way infor the birds as this makes them vulnerable to the sparrowhawk. So does a bird-table, unlessyou site it in the bushes where you can't see it and neither can the hawk. With a properCornish hedge around the garden, full of seeds, berries and invertebrate life, birds need littlefeeding except when the weather freezes.

ROSES FOR CORNISH GARDENS

It is often said that “You can't grow roses in Cornwall,” but this is because people aretrying to grow the wrong kind, usually hybrid tea roses. There are many less-known old-fashioned roses that will cope with or even enjoy the Cornish climate and soil, and thrive onneglect. These are especially among the wichuraiana hybrids, which like to have rain after thefirst flush of bloom as this encourages further growth and blooming in the same year.Sempervirens hybrids and some species roses will also ramble over a Cornish hedge to beautifuleffect, sometimes remaining in the hedge long after the cottage has been demolished. Someof the hybrid musk roses do quite well for the small garden, and so does the Rosa alba class.

Roses make an excellent thorny barrier on top of a hedge, as long as they are theramblers and scramblers, not the climbing roses which tend to make a long leg and then have

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Native hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is the mostuseful small tree for the top of a garden hedge,making a good barrier and shelter, attractive inblossom and fruit, and very good for garden wildlife.

all their blooms pointing up to the sky.Climbers are usually modern hybridswhich do not do well in Cornwall,especially in the more exposed gardensand with acidic soil. Modern roses areprone to disease and die-back, needing anunacceptable regime of spraying andfertilising for a relatively short life.

If the hedge is very dry the roses mayhave to be planted at the foot of the hedgeand then trained along the top. Thesmall-flowered ramblers of the 'DorothyPerkins' and 'Excelsa' type can beencouraged to root themselves along thetop of the hedge, to good effect. ('LadyGay' and 'Crimson Shower' are look-alikesfor these two popular roses and much less

prone to disease, while 'Crimson Shower' blooms perpetually into the bargain.) Care has tobe taken not to let the roses grow into the street, otherwise you can get unpopular; rather thanbeing cut off, each long shoot can be woven back into the main bush. The trouble-free rosesrecommended here dislike pruning and do not need spraying or fertilising. If they do have anattack of disease they outgrow it by themselves.

Chief among these very reliable andlovely roses is 'Alberic Barbier' which hasdouble creamy-white scented flowers fromApril to December. It is to be seen in manycottage gardens and strikes readily fromcuttings. 'Paul Transon' and 'René André', bythe same breeder as 'Alberic Barbier', are verybeautiful shades of pink. 'Aviateur Bleriot' isanother early rose, opening yellow and fadingto creamy white, which is very fragrant. Thebluish-purple 'Veilchenblau' also does well, andso does the larger-flowered 'Madame AlfredCarrière', opening blush-pink to white. 'Alexander Girault', another super-healthy Barbierrose, is a rich magenta-cerise with golden centre and pale reverse to the petals and is vigorous

enough to grow through trees on a hedge.'Ghislaine de Féligonde' is suitable for asmall garden hedge; her name is a bit of amouthful but she is well worth the effort, acharming mixture of shades as the orangebuds open to reveal massed clusters ofblooms of mingled pink, peach and gold,fading to magnolia and cream. 'AliceGarnier' is similarly-coloured and likewisehighly scented. In the red and yellowranges 'Dortmund' and 'Leverkusen' dounusually well for relatively modern rosesand will scramble along the hedge to makea good thorny barrier. Like 'AlbericBarbier', 'Dortmund' will bloom until

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'Paul Transon', a pink relation of 'Alberic Barbier',scrambles through the evergreen Lonicera nitida on aCornish garden hedge.

'Alberic Barbier', the rose 'par excellence' forCornish gardens, thriving in the moist climate.

The rambler rose 'Crimson Shower' continues bloominglong past the main rose season. It has been encouragedto root itself along this garden hedge with charmingeffect, especially as the natural turf, mosses and ferns areallowed to grow between.

Christmas in most years, without dead-heading,and the cheerful scarlet single flowers are followedby green and red hips. Other old favourites inCornwall include 'Albertine', 'Félicité Perpétue'and 'American Pillar'. The latter, a first crosswith the prairie rose (Rosa setigera), was doubtlessbrought home from America by Cornish miners,hence its ubiquitous popularity around themining areas of Cornwall and its place in thecounty's history.

Beware of the well-known Rosa filipes'Kiftsgate' and the popular 'Rambling Rector';'Kiftsgate' especially is so vigorous it can destroythe hedge. Rosa helenae is a better choice ofspecies, with huge mid-summer clusters of ivory-petalled flowers shaped like buttercups, veryattractive to bees and having masses of small red hips in autumn, and quite vigorous enoughto train along a hedge or up into a hedgetop tree.

'Adelaide d'Orleans' is a lovely member of the sempervirens group, almost evergreen withcoppery young foliage in spring followed by pink buds and pale blush blooms like largeornamental cherry blossom hanging gracefully from slender stems that lace themselvesthrough the bushes. Other beautiful roses for rambling over Cornish hedges are 'Flora'

(sempervirens), 'Francois Juranville','Gardenia' and 'Auguste Gervais'(wichuraiana x tea roses), while some ofthe small-flowered wichuraiana ramblerssuch as 'Lady Godiva' and 'Sanders'White' prolong the season by bloomingslightly later in July. So does 'BobbyJames', another scrambler that willclimb up into high hedgetop bushes,having masses of very fragrant milky-white semi-double blooms with a goldenstar-burst of stamens, and yellowautumn foliage. Like 'Dortmund's', theblooms of 'Bobby James' are remarkablyresistant to rain, so both these can behighly recommended for Cornwall.

CORNISH HEDGES AND THE KITCHEN GARDEN

There is a move back to growing our own fruit and vegetables, and the best plot forthe purpose is one surrounded by a good five-foot Cornish or turf hedge. Cottages in the olddays used to have just such a plot nearby, often not attached to the house, sometimes oddly-shaped to fit a corner between fields and road and perhaps no more than twenty or thirty feetacross, but securely hedged around. A small wicket gate, preferably on the south side, gaveaccess. Many of these old Cornish kitchen gardens must have disappeared under'improvements' such as road-widening and field enlargement, but a good number still survive,though often unrecognised, neglected and overgrown.

A Cornish hedge protects the garden against wind, frost and flood, the ground insidebeing warmer than outside, so crops can be started earlier in the year and many will stand in

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'Ghislaine de Feligonde' is a good-tempered,fragrant rose that will grace a Cornish hedge.

'Dortmund' will scramble all over a Cornish hedge, makingan impassable thorny barrier against unlawful entry bypeople or cats, and producing its clusters of cheery scarletsingle blooms continually until Christmas.

the ground all winter. The shelter of a good Cornish hedge is greatly appreciated by thegardener, for instance when working in a cold March wind. The hedge also keeps out animalswhich might otherwise cause havoc in the seedbeds and among the crops, and can be equallyeffective against human marauders. It harbours necessary wildlife, the birds, shrews, groundbeetles, ladybirds and the rest that hoover up grubs, aphids and other pests.

Slugs and snails love the crevices in the hedge but strangely enough are less of aproblem with a Cornish hedge around the garden than without it. The hedge itself, when inproper condition, provides them with plenty of food, and also acts as a trap, as blackbirds,thrushes, hedgehogs, foxes and rats are well aware of their presence and work along the faceof the hedge night and day, raking them out from between the stones. Their prime target isthe ubiquitous garden snail, Helix asper. Only three or four of the varieties of slugs and snailsthat inhabit the hedge are a nuisance to the gardener, the rest do not touch the crops. In agarden surrounded by a Cornish hedge where nature has been allowed to establish andmaintain a balance there is seldom much of a problem with pests. This happens when use ofslug pellets and pesticides has poisonedtoo many of the natural predators thatlive in the hedge. Using old-fashionedmeans of pest control will give these'gardener's friends' a chance to re-establish themselves.

Around the orchard or fruit-and-vegetable garden, a Cornish hedge isvaluable as it provides nesting places andsources of nectar to give a permanenthome to bumblebees and otherpollinating insects. The Cornish hedgewith its earth core and stone claddingmakes supreme bumblebee habitat, betterthan the turf hedge as it provides a greatervariety of wild flowers and theopportunity for more species of bee, assome burrow in the soil and others seek the crevices between the stones. The hedge alsoprovides a base for the wrens that ceaselessly pick mites and aphids from the fruit trees.

With bushes and small trees on top of the hedge it is high enough to shelter most appletrees from the frequent salty gales and occasional frosty east winds that are so damaging tobuds and blossom, and to break the force of the autumnal equinoctials that in an openunsheltered garden can bring the whole apple crop to the ground prematurely.

The hedge itself can be used to augment the available space. The wild fruits itproduces can be harvested, and they give a hint to planting others. Where sloes will grow, so(unless the site is too exposed) will Kea plums and damsons, and where hawthorn will grow sowill crab apples. Blackberries and loganberries adore a Cornish hedge, and strawberries, wildor tame, grow happily between the stones. The quality of your blackberries can be improvedby cutting out and discarding any plants that have deformed fruits and keeping the best.Those growing in garden hedges have quite often hybridised with a garden variety at sometime and produce plants with superior berries. Autumn-fruiting raspberries often escape birddamage if blackberries are fruiting nearby. Gooseberries grown on the hedge are easy to pick.

Fruits that may not like the wet Cornish winter soil do better growing on a hedge, as itis well-drained. In one garden in West Penwith the best-fruiting blackcurrant bush every yearwas the one that originated when a bush below rooted one of its branch-tips into the turf ontop of the hedge and grew a new bush there. Thirty years on it still thrives, while the originalbush and its fellows down in the garden have long gone, victims of the curse of die-back.

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A traditional small hedged kitchen garden belonging to anearby cottage. Sadly many of these have fallen intodisuse, their rich soil and sheltering Cornish hedges nowfull of nettles and ivy - or, worse, bulldozed to make aparking space for cars.

HOW TO TRIM AND MAINTAIN A CORNISH HEDGE IN A GARDEN

Trimming and maintenance work shouldbe done only in winter, otherwise it disturbsnesting insects and birds, and eliminates theprettier wild flowers. The wish to display thestone facing of Cornish hedges withoutallowing any green growth at all has to befirmly resisted as this has a disastrous effect onthe hedge structure, wild flowers and birds.

The stability of a Cornish hedge relies onthe stone facing and although the stones areput in tightly when the hedge is built, if the soilis removed or eroded from around them theywill eventually fall out. You might think thatjust weeding the face of the hedge does nodamage, but removing roots and soil allows thepacking soil behind and around the stones to

loosen and get washed out. The trouble is then that, with perhaps half a dozen stones loose,the gardener does not have the hedging skill to put them back securely. Soon more stonescome loose, the side of the hedge is collapsing and it is too late for a minor repair. A large gapis no problem for a good hedger, but the decision may be made to get the hedge taken awayand “a nice tidy concrete block wall” put up. This tragedy is avoided if the hedge is lookedafter properly. And why not employ a hedger? You'd call in a builder or a plumber for otherskilled repairs that enhance the value of your property.

So never use any digging tool such as trowel or fork to weed a Cornish hedge, anddon't pull plants out by the roots from between the stones. Neither should herbicides be used,because the resulting loss of healthy rootage can cause later structural collapse. Never usestrimmers, flails, brush-cutters or other rotary trimmers and mowers on Cornish hedges oralong wildlife margins, as they devastate wildlife, reduce wild flowers and cause an ugly matof coarse vegetation to smother the hedge.

If you have a long run of garden hedge, traditional winter trimming with hook andcrook is enjoyable work. The crook is cut from a suitable branch and twig, in the shape of atick. It is used to hold down the growth with one hand while cutting with the hook in theother, then to pull the cut growth away from the hedge. For the less able, an electricreciprocating hedge-trimmer may be easier, but tends to produce a uniform, urbanappearance.

Take off the general growth onthe hedge side to about nine incheslong. Woody shoots then needremoving back to the stones withsecateurs or by skilful use of a bill-hook. Hedge-top bushes andbrambles can be pruned in winter tokeep them from arching too far. For anatural look, the too-long branch ofbush or tree should be cut back to afork or to the main stem or trunk, notcut off half way along. Winter weatherwill take care of all the past season'sherbaceous growth on the sides of the

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Don't prune old-fashioned rambling roses such asthis wichuraiana hybrid 'Alexander Girault' or thesempervirens or species roses. Let them scrambleup into the hedgetop trees and bushes, and keepthem under control by weaving any long growthsback into the hedge.

By hook and by crook the hedge will be trimmed - but don'tforget frequent use of the sharpening stone to make it easy.

hedge, meanwhile it harbours many usefulinvertebrates and hibernating insects, protectsthe stone and earth structure from wind, rainand frost, and self-seeds for permanentsuccession.

The best way to look after a Cornishhedge is to use secateurs. On fine days fromNovember to February this is pleasant,satisfying work, and minimises damage to thehedge and its wildlife. If carefully done thismethod will greatly enhance them. Bramblesand tree seedlings or suckers growing out ofthe side of the hedgebank should be removed,cutting them off sharply right back to thestones. Working by hand you can reprieve anystem with a chrysalis or cocoon attached, andremove it next time after the moth or butterflyhas emerged.

Use the secateurs to sever the plant just below the place (often an actual knob) wherethe leaves or shoots emerge. The root is left in the undisturbed soil, and continues to providethe vital binding which holds the stones in place. If the plants regrow, cut them out again, andagain. They'll eventually die, and their roots gradually rot and be replaced by others, often bymore desired species. Because the cut tops are individually removed, the hedge will look tidywith no ragged ends. The dormant or leafy winter growths, crowns and clumps of flowers,ferns and grasses are left untouched. Doing it this careful way, desirable dormant wildlife onthe twigs and in the stems and tussocks is left undisturbed, and the next season's floral displayis undamaged.

In early spring pull cleavers (goose-grass) and nettles off their roots. In time they willdie out. Cut off bracken 'crooks' individually when they first appear. Heavy nettle rootsrunning over the face of a neglected garden hedge can be largely removed in winter with theaid of secateurs, peeling away the network of active rhizomatous roots while leaving theharmless thinner roots cut off between the stones. Look out for loosened stones, clip the rootsaway carefully (don't pull them) and then tap any loose stones in gently. So as not to riskbreaking the stone with the heavy hammer use a piece of wood for shock absorber, or use thebutt end of a long piece of wood such as a fencing stake to knock the stone and its immediateneighbours back in until they are tight.

If there are a lot of big weeds likehogweed, docks, ragwort and thistles,they can be removed by cutting them outat the stone face in early spring. Use thesecateurs or an old kitchen knifesharpened square across the end of theblade, and cut through the root as farback as you can without disturbing thesoil between the stones. Never pull themout.

Unless the hedge is very shadyand you like the neat evergreenappearance, ivy should be discouragedfrom spreading over the side of the hedge.In Cornwall we have the Irish ivy (Hedera

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The old pink cabbage rose (Rosa centifolia)growing untended in a wild garden along withgoutweed (best kept out of the hedge as it runnersbadly) and herb robert. Many old-fashioned rosesprefer not to be pruned and don't have to besprayed or fertilised, so are ideal for growingnaturally in a Cornish hedge with wild flowerswhich cannot stand an enriched soil.

Removing a bramble plant from the face of a Cornishhedge with secateurs. Clip through the root beneath theknob from which the shoots emerge.

hibernica) which is particularly fond ofrunning all over the surface, and in timeit prevents nearly all other plants fromgrowing.

After the winter trimming andearly spring weeding, no other workshould be done until November. Thissystem makes a beautiful wild flowerhedge with very low maintenance,because progressively less work is neededas in time the rank weeds disappear.

Keep sprays and fertilizer awayfrom the hedge as they only encouragethe nasties. A metre-wide wildlifemargin along the foot of the hedge helpsaccess for the gardener as well as makinga tussocky wild flower habitat. Remove

rank aggressive weeds in this verge in the same way as for the hedge itself. Leave one or twohogweeds, cow parsley and spear thistles each year if you can, as they are very good forwildlife and are handsome plants in their own right. Trim the growth down to about 9 incheswith a hook or scythe in January and February.

If stones and soil from the hedge find their way down on to the wildlife margin, thestones must be put back, and the soil returned to the top of the hedge for recycling. Put anyfallen stone back immediately into its place while the socket is fresh and damp. Be sure to putit back in exactly the same way it was before, fitting into its own mould, and then tap it backinto place as described.

HEDGE LAYING, LAYERING, AND COPPICING

On farms the purpose of hedge-laying is to make a stock-proof barrier. In the garden,a stock-proof barrier may be needed if a field is the other side; a neighbour's bullocks are notthe most welcome guests among the flowerbeds. A laid hedge also helps to keep out intrudersand gives shelter. In exposed gardens where laying is not practicable, long-term shelter and agood barrier can be got by planting tough shrubs such as gorse, ivy, privet, blackthorn, hollyor hawthorn on the hedge-top, and allowing species roses such as Rosa helenae or the nativeRosa canina to grow through them.

Hedge-laying is where the straightstem of a sapling is part-cut near its base, bentover almost horizontally and tied in. Thefollowing year it sprouts new vertical growthsalong its length, making the hedge look as if ithas been planted with young trees. Not everystem is laid; the hedger will select the bestones, and cut the rest down to ground level.Hedge-laying is a skilled craft, and amateurattempts can look awful. In most parts ofCornwall, laying the growth on top ofCornish hedges is neither traditional nor evenpossible. The young saplings do not growstraight or tall enough, and the cuts are liableto introduce disease.

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Wildlife margin along the Cornish hedge in a garden givesa riot of wild flowers and roses. Here a young plant of therambler 'Chevy Chase', its crimson blooms extremelyresistant to rain, is co-existing happily with red campion,foxgloves and other wild flowers and grasses.

Rosa helenae makes a good barrier, has thousandsof little creamy flowers that attract bumblebees andheavily scent the air, and produces such masses ofhips to brighten the garden hedge in autumn thatbirds can freely take their share.

The much more common alternative is layering, not laying. The branch of a bush orsapling already growing on the hedgetop is bent over (arched not broken), the end embeddedin the earth with the growing tip exposed, and held down by a stone to grow roots. The twigcan take a year to root, and during this time it should not be allowed to be smothered bygrass. The advantage of layering, for a garden hedge, is that it fills any gaps that mightotherwise admit both two-legs and four. It also allows a varied selection of hedgetop shrubsand trees to enhance the interest of the scene.

Trees on top of the hedge need looking after, in agreement with neighbours. Broad-leaved trees can be selectively coppiced, that is, sawn off at about 20 inches (0.5m) abovehedge-top, in rotation, each trunk being individually removed when it is “as thick as a man'sthigh at breast-height". Coppiced trees are less likely to blow down than un-coppiced trees,and give good shelter to the garden without shading it too much. Because only one or twotrunks are taken out of the hedge at a time, it does not mar the appearance or reduce theshelter too much when the work is done, and new growth soon fills in the gap.

Coppice only during the monthsSeptember to January and leavebehind, on top of the hedge, some ofthe cut wood to be decayed by fungiand insects. Do not cut all the treesat once. Coppice one tree, or part ofa tree, at a time, and leave severalyears between each coppicing. Paintthe stumps, and let them regrownaturally.

If the hedge is within some legallyspecified areas, or trees have to befelled, prior consent or license forwork may be needed. Consult yourDistrict Council and the ForestryCommission. For maintenance workon hedges next to roads, the needs of

traffic must be met; that is, growth must not be allowed to affect the driver's vision of the roadahead or to obscure road signs or street lighting. Trees and bushes must be lopped ifnecessary to give sufficient height over the pavement or highway. Otherwise only roadjunctions, blind corners or entrances and passing places should be trimmed during summer ifnecessary for safe traffic use and visibility. A leaflet giving details is available free fromCornwall County Council.

For further reading on maintaining Cornish hedges see the papers (below) entitled'Caring for Hedges in Cornwall', 'Wildlife and the Cornish Hedge' 'Roadside Hedges andVerges in Cornwall', 'Repairing Cornish, Stone and Turf Hedges' and 'Trees in Hedges inCornwall' . For investigating the age and origin of your hedge see 'How Old is That CornishHedge?'

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You are welcome to download these papers and photographs for your private use and study. If you use any ofthis material in any other way, the copyright holder and the Cornish Hedges Library source must beacknowledged.

Titles of Occasional Papers available (or forthcoming) on www.cornishhedges.com

Building Hedges in CornwallBuilding and Repairing Cornish Stone Stiles

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Oak and hawthorn growing together on a garden hedge canbe kept under control by coppicing. Hawthorn also takeskindly to layering.

Butterflies, Moths and Other Insects in Cornish HedgesCaring for Hedges in CornwallCheck-list for Inspecting New or Restored Hedges in CornwallCheck-list of Types of Cornish Hedge FloraCode of Good Practice for Cornish HedgesCode of Good Practice for Stone HedgesCode of Good Practice for Turf HedgesComments on the © Defra Hedgerow Survey Handbook (1st Edition)Comments on the © Defra Hedgerow Survey Handbook (2nd Edition)Cornish Hedges in GardensFencing Cornish HedgesField Hedges and MarginsGates and Gateways in Cornish hedgesGeology and Hedges in CornwallGlossary of some Cornish Words used in the CountrysideHedges in the Cornish LandscapeHow Old is That Cornish Hedge?Literature SourcesMediæval Hedges in Cornwall (450AD - 1550)Modern Hedges in Cornwall (1840 - present day)Mosses, Lichens, Fungi and Ferns in Cornish HedgesPost-Mediæval Hedges in Cornwall (1550 - 1840)Prehistoric Hedges in Cornwall (5,000BC - 450AD)Repairing Cornish, Stone and Turf HedgesRisk Assessment Guidance - Building and Repairing Cornish HedgesRoadside Hedges and Verges in CornwallTechnical Note for Pipeline and Other Cross-country OperatorsTechnical Note on Hedges for Site Developers in CornwallTechnical Note for Working on Roadside HedgesThe Curse of Rabbits in Cornish HedgesThe Life and Death of a Flailed Cornish HedgeThe Menace of Rampant Weeds in Cornish HedgesTrees on Hedges in CornwallUnusual Old Features in Cornish HedgesWho Owns that Cornish Hedge?Wildlife and the Cornish Hedge

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