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Home > Archive > UK gardening > March 2008 > Elderberry hedge
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| Hello
I have been trying to decide what the best hedge to grow in my tiny garden
to give me some privacy. I finally decided to buy a quantity of bare root
elderberry plants that are 2 years old and about 3 feet tall . The question
is, how easy will it be to maintain a nice thick hedge of elderberry? What
do I need to do to get nice lush growth through the summers without too much
wood?
Mr X
| |
| Nick Maclaren 2008-03-21, 1:25 pm |
|
In article <qaREj.93711$nw4.5088@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk>,
"Mr X" <boomshaka@@hotmail.com> writes:
|>
|> I have been trying to decide what the best hedge to grow in my tiny garden
|> to give me some privacy. I finally decided to buy a quantity of bare root
|> elderberry plants that are 2 years old and about 3 feet tall . The question
|> is, how easy will it be to maintain a nice thick hedge of elderberry? What
|> do I need to do to get nice lush growth through the summers without too much
|> wood?
Impossible. Sorry. Elder does not form a thick hedge, nor does it have
leaves that grow directly off old wood or short spurs. You should be
able to get a reasonable visual barrier, but no more than that - anyone
looking through will see through (if not clearly).
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
| Charlie Pridham 2008-03-21, 1:25 pm |
| In article <qaREj.93711$nw4.5088@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, "Mr X"
<boomshaka@@hotmail.com> says...
> Hello
>
> I have been trying to decide what the best hedge to grow in my tiny garden
> to give me some privacy. I finally decided to buy a quantity of bare root
> elderberry plants that are 2 years old and about 3 feet tall . The question
> is, how easy will it be to maintain a nice thick hedge of elderberry? What
> do I need to do to get nice lush growth through the summers without too much
> wood?
>
> Mr X
>
>
>
Strange choice for a hedge, they are rather brittle and make long annual
canes if cut, I think the best you can hope for is something a bit
informal as a screen. Nice for the fruit though!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea
| |
| Robert \(Plymouth\) 2008-03-21, 1:25 pm |
|
"Charlie Pridham" <charlie@roselandhouse.co.uk> wrote in message
news:MPG.224df69923f549739897e6@News.Individual.NET...
> In article <qaREj.93711$nw4.5088@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, "Mr X"
> <boomshaka@@hotmail.com> says...
> Strange choice for a hedge, they are rather brittle and make long annual
> canes if cut, I think the best you can hope for is something a bit
> informal as a screen. Nice for the fruit though!
> --
> Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
> www.roselandhouse.co.uk
> Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
> Lapageria rosea
Ours do quite nicely as a hedge, although not as dense as some, you cannot
see through it in season
--
Rowdens Reservoir Allotments Association
www.rraa.moonfruit.com
| |
|
|
"Robert (Plymouth)" <robert29@btinternetbeachcomber.com> wrote in message
news:erudnc1yIpWWan7anZ2dnUVZ8vmdnZ2d@bt.com...
>
> "Charlie Pridham" <charlie@roselandhouse.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:MPG.224df69923f549739897e6@News.Individual.NET...
>
> Ours do quite nicely as a hedge, although not as dense as some, you
> cannot see through it in season
>
>
> --
> Rowdens Reservoir Allotments Association
> www.rraa.moonfruit.com
>
>
Well I'm not much of a gardener but I thought Id get a quick screen from
elderberry and I love elderberry juice. I would be interested in any better
suggestions. I just need a bit of fast growing privacy in my tiny gardern.
| |
| Nick Maclaren 2008-03-21, 1:25 pm |
|
In article <erudnc1yIpWWan7anZ2dnUVZ8vmdnZ2d@bt.com>,
"Robert \(Plymouth\)" <robert29@btinternetbeachcomber.com> writes:
|>
|> [ Elder ]
|>
|> Ours do quite nicely as a hedge, although not as dense as some, you cannot
|> see through it in season
How thick is the hedge, though? The OP said that he had a tiny garden,
which means he has room for only a very narrow hedge.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
|
|
"Nick Maclaren" <nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:fs0u12$jg3$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
>
> In article <erudnc1yIpWWan7anZ2dnUVZ8vmdnZ2d@bt.com>,
> "Robert \(Plymouth\)" <robert29@btinternetbeachcomber.com> writes:
> |>
> |> [ Elder ]
> |>
> |> Ours do quite nicely as a hedge, although not as dense as some, you
> cannot
> |> see through it in season
>
> How thick is the hedge, though? The OP said that he had a tiny garden,
> which means he has room for only a very narrow hedge.
>
>
> Regards,
> Nick Maclaren.
My garden is 7 metres by 2 metres, its the 7 metre length that I want to
hedge. I dont want my hedge thicker than 60cm if possible. I did think of
planting sunflowers as there is plenty of light but they are annuals and
therefore harder work
| |
| Nick Maclaren 2008-03-21, 5:25 pm |
|
In article <N1TEj.93729$nw4.68627@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk>,
"Mr X" <boomshaka@@hotmail.com> writes:
|>
|> My garden is 7 metres by 2 metres, its the 7 metre length that I want to
|> hedge. I dont want my hedge thicker than 60cm if possible. I did think of
|> planting sunflowers as there is plenty of light but they are annuals and
|> therefore harder work
You could let the elder grow upwards, pruning it to be narrow, which
will give you flowers and fruit. If you prune elder back every year,
you will get no flowers and hence no fruit.
And you could then solve your privacy problem by growing a climber
up and around the elder, once the latter is established. You would
want something not too vigorous, so perhaps the smaller clematis
(e.g. C. alpina, but there are dozens of them).
The best solution to a really narrow hedge is a 'fedge', which is
some wooden posts (tanalised but NOT concreted in), and open wire
netting ('pig netting') stapled to them. You then grow climbers
up that.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
| Bob Hobden 2008-03-21, 5:25 pm |
|
"Mr X"wrote >
> My garden is 7 metres by 2 metres, its the 7 metre length that I want to
> hedge. I dont want my hedge thicker than 60cm if possible. I did think of
> planting sunflowers as there is plenty of light but they are annuals and
> therefore harder work
At 2 metres wide I'd use a fence, or trellis for plants to grow up, to save
space.
Talking of climbing plants...over to you Charlie. :-)
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
| |
|
|
> |> My garden is 7 metres by 2 metres, its the 7 metre length that I want
> to
> |> hedge. I dont want my hedge thicker than 60cm if possible. I did think
> of
> |> planting sunflowers as there is plenty of light but they are annuals
> and
> |> therefore harder work
>
> You could let the elder grow upwards, pruning it to be narrow, which
> will give you flowers and fruit. If you prune elder back every year,
> you will get no flowers and hence no fruit.
Although I would like some flowers and fruit, privacy is what I want the
most
>
> And you could then solve your privacy problem by growing a climber
> up and around the elder, once the latter is established. You would
> want something not too vigorous, so perhaps the smaller clematis
> (e.g. C. alpina, but there are dozens of them).
Now that is a good idea
Thanks people.
| |
| Dave Hill 2008-03-21, 5:25 pm |
| On 21 Mar, 19:22, "Mr X" <boomshaka@@hotmail.com> wrote:
[color=darkred]
k[color=darkred]
>
>
> Although I would like some flowers and fruit, =A0privacy is what I want th=
e
> most
>
>
>
>
> Now that is a good idea
>
> Thanks people.
This reads to me like a wind up, but if not then post and wires and
grow blackberries or logan berries these will give you the juice you
want.
David Hill
| |
| David in Normandy 2008-03-21, 5:25 pm |
| Bob Hobden says...
>
> "Mr X"wrote >
>
> At 2 metres wide I'd use a fence, or trellis for plants to grow up, to save
> space.
> Talking of climbing plants...over to you Charlie. :-)
>
>
I'm surprised that anyone would actually want elderberry as
a hedge. I've always treated it as a "hedge weed" and
chopped them out of existing hawthorn hedges at every
opportunity. Perhaps that attitude comes from my farming
background where elderflower is just too flimsy to make a
barrier against cattle in hedging and is literally a waste
of space. It also tends to self seed everywhere. Awful
stuff. In view of the small garden I'd definitely go for
trellis and climbing plants... lots of choice of clematis
etc.
--
David in Normandy. DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted.
| |
|
| On 21/3/08 17:48, in article MPG.224df69923f549739897e6@News.Individual.NET,
"Charlie Pridham" <charlie@roselandhouse.co.uk> wrote:
> In article <qaREj.93711$nw4.5088@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, "Mr X"
> <boomshaka@@hotmail.com> says...
> Strange choice for a hedge, they are rather brittle and make long annual
> canes if cut, I think the best you can hope for is something a bit
> informal as a screen. Nice for the fruit though!
And elderflower cordial.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'
| |
|
| On 21/3/08 18:15, in article
MWSEj.93726$nw4.27199@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk, "Mr X"
<boomshaka@@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> "Robert (Plymouth)" <robert29@btinternetbeachcomber.com> wrote in message
> news:erudnc1yIpWWan7anZ2dnUVZ8vmdnZ2d@bt.com...
>
> Well I'm not much of a gardener but I thought Id get a quick screen from
> elderberry and I love elderberry juice. I would be interested in any better
> suggestions. I just need a bit of fast growing privacy in my tiny gardern.
>
>
I do think elders are not a great idea for a small garden. We have an
elderberry hedge which is, admittedly, pretty old, but it's about 8' wide at
its narrowest point. You might be better with e.g. Rosa rugosa which might
deter intruders, too, beech, which if kept to around 8' retains even the
dead leaves in winter until it sprouts new ones or, depending on where you
live, Escallonia (not hardy everywhere).
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'
| |
|
| On 21/3/08 18:36, in article fs0v70$mfc$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk, "Nick
Maclaren" <nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote:
>
> In article <N1TEj.93729$nw4.68627@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk>,
> "Mr X" <boomshaka@@hotmail.com> writes:
> |>
> |> My garden is 7 metres by 2 metres, its the 7 metre length that I want to
> |> hedge. I dont want my hedge thicker than 60cm if possible. I did think of
> |> planting sunflowers as there is plenty of light but they are annuals and
> |> therefore harder work
>
> You could let the elder grow upwards, pruning it to be narrow, which
> will give you flowers and fruit. If you prune elder back every year,
> you will get no flowers and hence no fruit.
>
> And you could then solve your privacy problem by growing a climber
> up and around the elder, once the latter is established. You would
> want something not too vigorous, so perhaps the smaller clematis
> (e.g. C. alpina, but there are dozens of them).
>
> The best solution to a really narrow hedge is a 'fedge', which is
> some wooden posts (tanalised but NOT concreted in), and open wire
> netting ('pig netting') stapled to them. You then grow climbers
> up that.
>
He's considering a 2' deep hedge of elders and then suggests sunflowers as
an alternative? Colour me sceptical but.......!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'
| |
| Nick Maclaren 2008-03-22, 3:25 am |
|
In article <MPG.224e4fe03253429b989846@news.wanadoo.fr>,
David in Normandy <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> writes:
|>
|> I'm surprised that anyone would actually want elderberry as
|> a hedge. I've always treated it as a "hedge weed" and
|> chopped them out of existing hawthorn hedges at every
|> opportunity. Perhaps that attitude comes from my farming
|> background where elderflower is just too flimsy to make a
|> barrier against cattle in hedging and is literally a waste
|> of space. It also tends to self seed everywhere. Awful
|> stuff. In view of the small garden I'd definitely go for
|> trellis and climbing plants... lots of choice of clematis
|> etc.
Yes, all of that is true, but I like elder. It is decorative
in flower and fruit, both can be used in cooking (though I don't
like the berries much), and you can make peashooters from it ....
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
| Robert \(Plymouth\) 2008-03-22, 9:25 am |
|
"Nick Maclaren" <nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:fs2dqv$l4j$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk...
>
> In article <MPG.224e4fe03253429b989846@news.wanadoo.fr>,
> David in Normandy <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> writes:
> |>
> |> I'm surprised that anyone would actually want elderberry as
> |> a hedge. I've always treated it as a "hedge weed" and
> |> chopped them out of existing hawthorn hedges at every
> |> opportunity. Perhaps that attitude comes from my farming
> |> background where elderflower is just too flimsy to make a
> |> barrier against cattle in hedging and is literally a waste
> |> of space. It also tends to self seed everywhere. Awful
> |> stuff. In view of the small garden I'd definitely go for
> |> trellis and climbing plants... lots of choice of clematis
> |> etc.
>
> Yes, all of that is true, but I like elder. It is decorative
> in flower and fruit, both can be used in cooking (though I don't
> like the berries much), and you can make peashooters from it ....
>
>
> Regards,
> Nick Maclaren.
.... and the birds love it
| |
| Charlie Pridham 2008-03-22, 9:25 am |
| In article <64idheF2b3ve1U1@mid.individual.net>, bobh@invalid.com says...
>
> "Mr X"wrote >
>
> At 2 metres wide I'd use a fence, or trellis for plants to grow up, to save
> space.
> Talking of climbing plants...over to you Charlie. :-)
>
>
Funnily enough I would suggest something we don't sell! Euonymous the
tall evergreen variegated leaf types they look fantastic woven through
the netting as nick described and you can get an evergreen screen just 6"
wide.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea
| |
| Anne Jackson 2008-03-22, 9:25 am |
| The message from "Mr X" <boomshaka@@hotmail.com> contains these words:
> Well I'm not much of a gardener but I thought Id get a quick screen from
> elderberry and I love elderberry juice. I would be interested in any better
> suggestions. I just need a bit of fast growing privacy in my tiny gardern.
I have a mixture of beech, hawthorn and blackthorn. Not exactly
rapid-growing, but I intend to be around for quite a while yet,
and I love sloe gin! ;-)
I have difficulty getting rid of the elderberry trees in my garden,
and _yes_ they do grow that tall!
--
AnneJ
Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion
now accepted was once eccentric. ~Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
| |
| Anne Jackson 2008-03-22, 9:25 am |
| The message from "Robert \(Plymouth\)"
<robert29@btinternetbeachcomber.com> contains these words:
> "Nick Maclaren" <nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote:
[color=darkred]
> .... and the birds love it
....and leave purple stains on your washing...!
--
AnneJ
Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion
now accepted was once eccentric. ~Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
| |
| David in Normandy 2008-03-22, 9:25 am |
| Anne Jackson says...
> The message from "Mr X" <boomshaka@@hotmail.com> contains these words:
>
>
> I have a mixture of beech, hawthorn and blackthorn. Not exactly
> rapid-growing, but I intend to be around for quite a while yet,
> and I love sloe gin! ;-)
>
> I have difficulty getting rid of the elderberry trees in my garden,
> and _yes_ they do grow that tall!
>
>
They tend to self set in situations where they are
difficult to get rid of e.g. between a shed and a wall.
I've completely chopped down one at my fathers house that
has grown to tree size on two occasions now, between a shed
and his garage in a gap of less than one foot. Virtually
inaccessible hence impossible to dig up. It has finally won
and is now growing through the rotten shed floor and out of
the broken shed windows! The branches have also damaged the
garage roof where they keep rubbing in the wind.
I've seen them growing and wreaking havoc in similar narrow
gaps all over the country.
--
David in Normandy. DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.
| |
| Anne Jackson 2008-03-22, 9:25 am |
| The message from David in Normandy <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> contains
these words:
> They tend to self set in situations where they are
> difficult to get rid of e.g. between a shed and a wall.
> I've completely chopped down one at my fathers house that
> has grown to tree size on two occasions now, between a shed
> and his garage in a gap of less than one foot. Virtually
> inaccessible hence impossible to dig up. It has finally won
> and is now growing through the rotten shed floor and out of
> the broken shed windows! The branches have also damaged the
> garage roof where they keep rubbing in the wind.
> I've seen them growing and wreaking havoc in similar narrow
> gaps all over the country.
The last one I attempted to demolish was growing (as you say)
in a narrow gap between a shed and a fence. I cut it as close
to ground level as I could, leaving a stump of about 8" which
I then attacked with an axe - this week I noticed that there
are young shoots growing from the decimated stump...
--
AnneJ
Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion
now accepted was once eccentric. ~Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
| |
|
| On 22/3/08 13:56, in article MPG.224f2e80b20986bb989847@news.wanadoo.fr,
"David in Normandy" <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> wrote:
> Anne Jackson says...
>
> They tend to self set in situations where they are
> difficult to get rid of e.g. between a shed and a wall.
>
> I've completely chopped down one at my fathers house that
> has grown to tree size on two occasions now
<snip>
Gasp! Now the witches will get you!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'
| |
| David in Normandy 2008-03-22, 9:25 am |
| Sacha says...
> <snip>
>
> Gasp! Now the witches will get you!
>
I was wondering why a woman has just gone hurtling past the
window sitting on a broom :-)
Is there some folk law associated with cutting down
elderberry trees?
--
David in Normandy. DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.
| |
| David in Normandy 2008-03-22, 9:25 am |
| David in Normandy says...
> Sacha says...
>
> I was wondering why a woman has just gone hurtling past the
> window sitting on a broom :-)
>
> Is there some folk law associated with cutting down
> elderberry trees?
>
>
Blimey you may be right - the moment I hit the send button
on my last post there was a massive clap of thunder! I
thought the barn roof had perhaps collapsed but no - it is
still there. Sling it down with snow now. Snow AND thunder?
Strange?
--
David in Normandy. DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.
| |
|
| On 22/3/08 14:20, in article MPG.224f33f929f19cdf989848@news.wanadoo.fr,
"David in Normandy" <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> wrote:
> Sacha says...
>
> I was wondering why a woman has just gone hurtling past the
> window sitting on a broom :-)
>
> Is there some folk law associated with cutting down
> elderberry trees?
Absolutely. They're the witches trees and the witches don't like it if you
cut them down! In other folklore, if you cut one a witch will bleed to
death and yet others believed that planting an elder outside a house
protected it from witches. Some believed that witches could transform
themselves into elder trees.
It's quite peculiar that so much myth - and so much of it different - has
attached itself to that particular plant.
Some believe it's the original Judas tree from which he hanged himself and
still others wouldn't allow it to be used to me furniture or cradles.
--
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'
| |
|
| On 22/3/08 14:23, in article MPG.224f34d692096146989849@news.wanadoo.fr,
"David in Normandy" <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> wrote:
> David in Normandy says...
>
> Blimey you may be right - the moment I hit the send button
> on my last post there was a massive clap of thunder! I
> thought the barn roof had perhaps collapsed but no - it is
> still there. Sling it down with snow now. Snow AND thunder?
> Strange?
See? I'll call 'em off, shall I? ;-))
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'
| |
| David in Normandy 2008-03-22, 1:25 pm |
| Sacha says...
> On 22/3/08 14:23, in article MPG.224f34d692096146989849@news.wanadoo.fr,
> "David in Normandy" <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> wrote:
>
>
> See? I'll call 'em off, shall I? ;-))
>
Wow! I'm impressed! The thunder and the snow have both
stopped now! Er... It's now hailing! What's next frogs?
--
David in Normandy. DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.
| |
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On 22/3/08 14:42, in article MPG.224f3918ff99480398984a@news.wanadoo.fr,
"David in Normandy" <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> wrote:
> Sacha says...
>
> Wow! I'm impressed! The thunder and the snow have both
> stopped now! Er... It's now hailing! What's next frogs?
Ah. Now that might take a while longer. Watch this space. ;-)
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'
| |
| David in Normandy 2008-03-22, 1:25 pm |
| Anne Jackson says...
> The last one I attempted to demolish was growing (as you say)
> in a narrow gap between a shed and a fence. I cut it as close
> to ground level as I could, leaving a stump of about 8" which
> I then attacked with an axe - this week I noticed that there
> are young shoots growing from the decimated stump...
>
>
Within a two or three years it will be tree size again if
left unchecked. The only way I found of permanently getting
rid of one in such a position was by pouring an entire tub
of sodium chlorate weed killer around its base while it was
in full growth. This had to be repeated twice before it
finally gave up and died. I don't know if that stump killer
is any good - what's it called? Something like SBK?
--
David in Normandy. DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.
| |
| Nick Maclaren 2008-03-22, 1:25 pm |
|
In article <MPG.224f41e26f5a0c2e98984e@news.wanadoo.fr>,
David in Normandy <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> writes:
|>
|> Within a two or three years it will be tree size again if
|> left unchecked.
Albeit a very small tree.
|> The only way I found of permanently getting
|> rid of one in such a position was by pouring an entire tub
|> of sodium chlorate weed killer around its base while it was
|> in full growth. This had to be repeated twice before it
|> finally gave up and died. I don't know if that stump killer
|> is any good - what's it called? Something like SBK?
Yes. A.k.a. brushwood killer.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
|
| Sacha <sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk> writes
> still others wouldn't allow it to be used to me furniture or cradles
I would have thought that was more a matter of practicality
--
Kay
| |
|
| On 22/3/08 15:25, in article mK1zJxB0TS5HFwrg@scarboro.demon.co.uk, "K"
<k@scarboro.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> Sacha <sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk> writes
> I would have thought that was more a matter of practicality
According to folklore, it was superstition. If you really believed that
witches could turn themselves into elder trees, you wouldn't put your baby
to sleep in a cradle made of witch!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'
| |
| Nick Maclaren 2008-03-22, 1:25 pm |
|
In article <C40ADA82.6826C%sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk>,
Sacha <sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk> writes:
|> On 22/3/08 15:25, in article mK1zJxB0TS5HFwrg@scarboro.demon.co.uk, "K"
|> <k@scarboro.demon.co.uk> wrote:
|>
|> > Sacha <sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk> writes
|> >> still others wouldn't allow it to be used to me furniture or cradles
|> > I would have thought that was more a matter of practicality
|>
|> According to folklore, it was superstition. If you really believed that
|> witches could turn themselves into elder trees, you wouldn't put your baby
|> to sleep in a cradle made of witch!
Well, I had a great-aunt who went through a ritual to become a witch :-)
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
|
| On 22/3/08 15:57, in article fs3a96$3eg$1@gemini.csx.cam.ac.uk, "Nick
Maclaren" <nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote:
>
> In article <C40ADA82.6826C%sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk>,
> Sacha <sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk> writes:
> |> On 22/3/08 15:25, in article mK1zJxB0TS5HFwrg@scarboro.demon.co.uk, "K"
> |> <k@scarboro.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> |>
> |> > Sacha <sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk> writes
> |> >> still others wouldn't allow it to be used to me furniture or cradles
> |> > I would have thought that was more a matter of practicality
> |>
> |> According to folklore, it was superstition. If you really believed that
> |> witches could turn themselves into elder trees, you wouldn't put your baby
> |> to sleep in a cradle made of witch!
>
> Well, I had a great-aunt who went through a ritual to become a witch :-)
>
>
I bet you didn't use glyphosate on her, Nick!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'
| |
| David in Normandy 2008-03-22, 1:25 pm |
| Nick Maclaren says...
>
> In article <MPG.224f41e26f5a0c2e98984e@news.wanadoo.fr>,
> David in Normandy <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> writes:
> |>
> |> Within a two or three years it will be tree size again if
> |> left unchecked.
>
> Albeit a very small tree.
>
As trees go, yes they are small, but they do grow very
fast. In a race I'd say they'd leave Leylandii standing
(for the first 10 feet anyway :-).
Probably why the timber is useless, it's much too pulpy and
soft.
--
David in Normandy. DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.
| |
| Nick Maclaren 2008-03-22, 1:25 pm |
|
In article <C40ADDBA.682A3%sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk>,
Sacha <sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk> writes:
|>
|> > Well, I had a great-aunt who went through a ritual to become a witch :-)
|> >
|> I bet you didn't use glyphosate on her, Nick!
Indeed, no!
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
| Nick Maclaren 2008-03-22, 1:25 pm |
|
In article <MPG.224f4be3bf9a6ca5989850@news.wanadoo.fr>,
David in Normandy <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> writes:
|>
|> > |> Within a two or three years it will be tree size again if
|> > |> left unchecked.
|> >
|> > Albeit a very small tree.
|>
|> As trees go, yes they are small, but they do grow very
|> fast. In a race I'd say they'd leave Leylandii standing
|> (for the first 10 feet anyway :-).
|>
|> Probably why the timber is useless, it's much too pulpy and
|> soft.
Actually, no, it isn't. The young wood is, but it hardens up
considerably as it ages, and any stems of over 2" in diameter
are really quite hard.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
|
| Sacha <sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk> writes
>On 22/3/08 15:25, in article mK1zJxB0TS5HFwrg@scarboro.demon.co.uk, "K"
><k@scarboro.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
>According to folklore, it was superstition. If you really believed that
>witches could turn themselves into elder trees, you wouldn't put your baby
>to sleep in a cradle made of witch!
See David's post about the quality of the timber. I doubt whether you
could make a baby's cradle out of it, even if there were no
superstition.
--
Kay
| |
| Nick Maclaren 2008-03-22, 1:25 pm |
|
In article <XchfMUDlLU5HFwME@scarboro.demon.co.uk>,
K <k@scarboro.demon.co.uk> writes:
|> Sacha <sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk> writes
|>
|> >>> still others wouldn't allow it to be used to me furniture or cradles
|> >> I would have thought that was more a matter of practicality
|> >
|> >According to folklore, it was superstition. If you really believed that
|> >witches could turn themselves into elder trees, you wouldn't put your baby
|> >to sleep in a cradle made of witch!
|>
|> See David's post about the quality of the timber. I doubt whether you
|> could make a baby's cradle out of it, even if there were no
|> superstition.
See mine, too :-)
You could, but it would be a damn-fool activity - comparable in
perversity to using upland blackthorn for the same purpose. My
limited experience of testing woodworking tools on it is that its
mature wood is comparable in hardness and grain to box. But
without the uniformity and in much smaller sizes.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
| |
|
| On 22/3/08 17:33, in article XchfMUDlLU5HFwME@scarboro.demon.co.uk, "K"
<k@scarboro.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> Sacha <sacha@nowhere.myzen.co.uk> writes
>
> See David's post about the quality of the timber. I doubt whether you
> could make a baby's cradle out of it, even if there were no
> superstition.
Then I don't think they'd even bother to mention it.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'
| |
| Anne Jackson 2008-03-22, 1:25 pm |
| The message from David in Normandy <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> contains
these words:
> I don't know if that stump killer
> is any good - what's it called? Something like SBK?
That's Shrub & Brush Killer. I've never had much success
with the stuff...
--
AnneJ
Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion
now accepted was once eccentric. ~Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
| |
|
| In article <313030303432363047E5492047@zetnet.co.uk>, Anne Jackson
<amygdala@zetnet.co.uk> writes
>The message from David in Normandy <DavidinNormandy@yahoo.fr> contains
>these words:
>
>
>That's Shrub & Brush Killer. I've never had much success
>with the stuff...
>
I've used sbk on elder and it worked well. A mixture of big old and
medium sized trees - all cut down to good sized stumps. I think the key
is to drill lots of holes through the bark and into the timber - then
'inject' the sbk into the holes. Did this nearly 3 years ago and
haven't had a squeak out of them (or any new shoots nearby) since - and
the remains are rotting away nicely.
--
regards andyw
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