Managed a minor win this week.

After writing to persuade the council to buy a miserly bundle or two of bare-rooted hedging.

Waiting while the Town Clark wrote to the District Council Environmental Planning Landscape / Trees Officer for advice on suitable species for our area, apparently my request for lots of stuff with thorns is not good advice.

Then being asked to meet the Town Clerk on site to discuss it.

He forgot the appointment, useful things mobile phones, though he forgot he asked for the meeting.

He came scurrying across the park, walked round the site, admired me work in progress on the new fence, paced it all out, looked in the catalogue, said, "Hawthorn is quite cheap, we'll do both ends."

Me quaking in me wellies at the prospect of planting it all, but keeping a straight face, "that's quite alot".

Him, "Oh our chaps won't take long to do it".
I gloat, I gloat.

He's even thrown in three bundles for me to stick in gaps on one long side, dog-ros, blackthorn & guelder rose. They came yesterday, I just hope his chap's don't leave their share in the sack, or hang around too long before planting.

Result! Well done Peter. Incidentally - love the picture of your dog on the other thread.

Nice one. Wish our council pulled their finger put a bit more!!!

Good for you

Quality Peter,

our site is very secure as it has 8ft fences alround and is bordered by a school and houses in the main part. The security is great but the fence is totally soul-less. Hawthorn and other natives are much nicer to look at and better for wildlife.

We have planted a rambling rose along our boundary fence to "pretty it up a bit".

We have high fences around our site but it doesn't stop the little buggars getting in and vandalising/burning things down.

What is really odd is that certain people were not getting their sheds and greenhouses burned or broken into. Very funny that.

I'm all for putting the anti vandal proof paint on the railings. The kids wouldn't want to get the paint on their designer clothes and their parents could see where they'd been.

One of the allotment holders on our site had the best way of securing his shed door. No obvious handle or lock to tamper with. You could stand and look for a way in for hours. You couldn't actually be very sure which was the door. It was held shut by a nail pushed in at the side!Simple but so effective.

I got one of those Thai women, she was a catalogue return so I got her cheap.

She lives in my shed and does the weeding during the day and keeps the kids away.

In the winter she polished my hoe, came up lovely.

hi nog,i hope it was only your hoe you got polished