Sunday, May 25, 2008

Hedge Clipping

They talk about Curb Appeal on shows about selling your house. They say, Curb Appeal is the first thing a buyer sees. Well, not so true with me as the first thing I spotted was the front porch!

The Curb appeal to me consisted of an old fashion outdated look. Lots of evergreen bushes all in a traditional round shape. Some people like that look but I thought different with this house. Here is the way the hedge looked when we moved into the house. I snapped this picture on Home inspection day so lots of trucks were in my view...

I had a vision for the hedge and that is what we will dwell on today. We will look at the two planters above another time...

I am not sure what type bushes they are but I found a tag that read, Korean Wintergreen. I think they are very similar to Boxwood's. I decided to allow the bushes to grow together forming one long hedge rather then individual bushes. I liked that look when I was visiting English Gardens while in England. Yes, that is one long hedge to clip! The hedge is separated at the front walkway. We have 19 bushes on the left and 16 on the right side for a grand total of 35 bushes! The hedge is so lush and green with new growth.
I wish I did not have to clip it as it turns all yucky brown for a week or so until the new growth appears. But as you can see, we have a brick retaining wall behind the hedge. I must keep the hedge clipped below the wall or it will over take the wall and I don't think that would look good. What do you all think?


Keeping this thing clipped is a pain in the back and arms. My dad gave us Electric Clippers and I do use them. But I prefer to use the old fashioned choppers as they do a cleaner job with less stress on the leaves, thus less browning. I don't really mind the spring clipping as it is not humid yet and I usually do it at my leisure. But the first clipping of this year was painful on me as I had been doing other back breaking projects beforehand.


We really do enjoy the look of the hedge but it is so much trouble keeping it clipped. I usually clip it about 4 or 5 times per year depending on how much rain we have. Spring and Fall are not that bad but in the middle of the summer, it darn near kills me! With the last few clippings, I have done one side one day then the other the next day to ease the pain a bit.

I think the hedge sort of frames in the house and keeps the retaining wall from being exposed. I try to keep the hedge one brick below the wall. I sometime wonder just how high it would get if I stop clipping it...?.. I also wonder about cutting it back to just about a foot high but I don't think I could deal with the bare look for two years before it took off again. But I would not have to clip it for a long time! Ah... The Saint and I have talked about taking it out and starting over with something else but we fear we may destroy the paved driveway and that would be an issue. So in the end, we only talk. The Hedge stays where it is and I moan and groan and keep on top of the Hedge Clipping....

Any Suggestions?

21 comments:

  1. I think the hedge adds so much to your house. I looked at the before and after pictures and you have done alot of work and it is amazing the change. But the hedge, I say keep it. It ties in well with the brick wall out front. For me though, no old fashioned clippers, I'd have the noisy electric thingys and use them for all their worth!

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  2. Okay Tina, come Augusta, I will have you come down to GA and work those electric clippers for me! I will have you lemonade ready as I sit on the porch and supervise...LOL...

    See ya in a few...

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  3. Yes, I agree with Tina. The hegdes are beautiful clipped all together. You have a picturque (sp) home.

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  4. I LOOOOOVE that hedge! I've recently added some small boxwoods to our front garden that I hope will look as nice as yours in a few years.

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  5. That hedge looks great Skeeter! I would just keep doing what you've been doing. You could let it go a little during the summer and get some small yet colorful potted plants to put on the brick wall. That would lessen the effect of an untrimmed hedge in the summer.

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  6. It sure is a lotta work but does look really great all trimmed. I am wondering why you have a retaining wall as it looks like pretty level lawn, so if you took the wall out you could let the hedge grow wild and it would also be pretty.

    I know today is a big day for you and the saint so I know you are having fun.

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  7. Skeeter, I promise I will try to come to Georgia and see your garden, but no matter how much lemonade you ply me with-no hedge trimming for me! I may pull a weed or two though if I see one. Okay?:)

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  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  9. I hope no one clicked on the comment with a link in it. Another spammer I am sure. Beware!

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  10. You have a beautiful home Skeeter. The hedge just adds to the charm. I don't think it would have that old Southern charm appeal if either were not in place. I know it's a lot of back breaking work but I would keep it.

    No clicking here Tina. Power going off & on.

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  11. Lola, Why is the power going on and off? Thunderstorms? It is hot as heck here. Feels a bit like summer all of a sudden. Nice to hear from you. I will be posting bluebirds soon with the mealworm info on it. I was waiting for them to fly away. Looks like it is close. They are over two weeks old today. The wrens are the cutest though! ttyl Hubby is calling-more work. Sigh.

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  12. Yes Skeeter, Great curb appeal and like you I do enjoy a front porch!
    I do like the hedge in the "after" picture better. I am with Tina give me the electric trimmers! Nina

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  13. I have no clue about the electric. It did this last night too. They have been doing conversions but that was days ago. Every time it happens I loose every thing I was doing. Hate that. No thunder storms. It's hot but not that hot.

    Love those porches--front & back.

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  14. Believe it or not....hot here too. My eyelashes were sweating!
    Bugs are bad thou, one more week!

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  15. I like the hedge as well. I would leave it.

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  16. Hi Tina --so excited today --I met Skeeter!!!! She is wonderful --so friendly --I felt like I really and truly have known her forever. Hope she didn't mind me giving her a hug --I typically don't run up and hug you, hahaha --but I felt like a sister was coming for a visit that I hadn't seen in a while:) Glad we caught you --and I hope when you are up this way again you can come in and Saint too. I love the front porch --I don't have a porch so I have to sit out back on the deck --not a really good spot for me when I want to see action, lol. Not much to look at as far as people --but I do get to admire the flowers when they are in bloom. Really great day --thanks Skeeter for making my day:0) I've missed you all with the kiddos out of school it's been busier and I have to wait my turn for the internet with boy 1 and boy 2, hahaha. It feels like summer is upon us --hot and sticky --could use a little rain. See you all later!

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  17. One more week for the black flies, you know Maine insect! May is the month frow hatchlings, then again in August. Gets too hot for them, thank gawd. Felt like a human pin cushion the last couple days.

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  18. Hi All! Another long day. Maybe it is the heat. Nina, front porches are good but a nice chair in the shade is good too. Lola, I hope the electricity gets fixed. Dawn, yuck, black flies. We have skeeters here (yup-pun inteneded skeeter). They are early this year. Jillybean-THANKS for the barbeque sauce! I want to open the jar and eat it with a spoon the way Skeeter talked of it. Skeeter-THANKS for my gifts! You must NOT come bearing gifts each time. Next time I shall send you home with mega plants-so make sure you drive the truck. Anonymous-too funny! Glad you two met. Mom-pics are nice to look back on. G'night all.

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  19. Hello everyone..
    It was a quick weekend but full of fun and surprises! Just the way I like it....

    Jillybean and Anonymous it was great meeting you both in person and wish we could have spent more time chatting. Time was short but hugs were long lasting...

    Tina, the lunch on the porch was wonderful and the brownies ever so yummy! The Saint and I were glad to finally be able to meet Mr Fixit and now we know he does indeed exist. LOL... I wish everyone of you could have been sitting around the table with us as we had the best time eating and chatting, ha, two of my favorite things. LOL and believe it or not, the chat was not all about gardens…The Saint really enjoyed his chatting it up with Mr Fixit as Tina and I did our sprint through the garden. I am so glad we sprinted when we did as the humidity became nasty soon afterwards! If not for other plans, I would have jumped into the pool with Anonymous and kiddos!

    I hope the rain fall cooled things down a bit. The rains did not arrive at the best time as I do not like driving in the rain and especially through Nashville! But we are all back in GA safe.

    Thanks for all the kind words on the hedge. I do think the hedge is beautiful but oh so much pain when clipping. I just may take your advice Dave and put pots on the wall.

    Jean, the wall must remain where it is. The house and ground level are higher then the driveway and the wall holds the dirt in place, thus a retaining wall. I would have chosen dwarf items to plant instead. Each year the clipping becomes more and more difficult for me.

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  20. Hi Skeeter, I love the hedge also. The shrub is a
    Korean boxwood, cultivar name Wintergreen. That is the same plant that surrounds my knot garden. It is a dwarf type of boxwood growing if left untrimmed to about 3 x 3. The English boxwoods get much larger, more that five feet tall. Also, in winter, wintergreen stays green , instead of browning up a little, like most of the Koreans do. It is an excellent plant, very drought tolerant. A plant to be proud of.

    Frances at Faire Garden

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