In ten years’ time, the hedge would be “laid” by hand, with each stem cut nearly completely through just above ground level so it can be bent over and fastened to the ground, creating a horizontal structure from which a mass of new thick side shoots grows, thickening over time into a natural windbreak, a home for dormice, hedgehogs and insects; a dank haven for mushrooms and fungi and lichen; and a rich source of food for songbirds. Every six yards or so we planted a taller specimen that, unlike the rest of the hedge, would be left to grow over time into a tall, spreading tree.
