We’re into the first full growing season since the intermittent row of mature hawthorns (the historic boundary hedge for the site) was crown lifted, to allow light to reach the under storey of mainly brambles. The hope was that these would then proliferate and flourish, to produce a thicket impenetrable to intruders, and also to enhance habitat for a range of animals, notably hedgehogs, and low-nesting birds such as robins, wrens, black caps, and so on. Previously, owning to shade, this undergrowth was very sparse – as was the PPA hedge – or completely absent in quite a few places, making access for intruders very easy. The work was also coupled with the removal of fast-growing, unsuitable subjects from the hedge beside the PPA track, such as sycamore.
The position now is:-
- There is a dense, tall, broad, bramble thicket running nearly continuously for the length of the site, and this continues to grow and to spread, closing up the few remaining gaps.
- The rough laid hedging and brashings from tree work – which formed a temporary security barrier – have now been almost completely shot through by brambles, nettles, and so on, giving a pleasantly green, vibrant appearance to the feature, and concealing the dead wood.
- The maintenance burden of clipping low-hanging hawthorn branches over the main track has been greatly reduced.
- The lighting for the hedge on the PPA side of the wire netting has been much improved, and the berberis, hawthorn, newly-planted pyracantha, and other subjects are responding well to this.
- Holes were made in the wire netting at ground level, to allow animals such as hedgehogs easy entry and exit to and from the site. These are now being seen once more on PPA.
So we hope that the few who were concerned – alarmed even – by the temporary reduction in biomass that the initial work involved are now reassured to see that this is being greatly more than offset by the recent profusion of new growth.
PPA Website Team
