Trimming hedges behind borders

[ginjin]

Is there a knack to this? We have a number of borders with hedges behind rather than fencing, but it seems such a faff to trim the hedges without trampling the plants, and then clearing the fallen trimmings without damaging the plants seems impossible too.

Some hedges like the leylandii only need doing at the beginning and end of the season, so they're fine. But the ones that need regular trimming are beginning to get on my nerves!

Any wise ideas?

pulls up sunlounger

You can lay a tarp down to collect the cuttings then remove both the tarp and cuttings

I have thought of that just but it doesn't solve the problem of trampling on plants to reach the hedge - it would be harder to see where to step if a tarp is down too.

If there are loads of plants I would cut the hedge and remove the big cuttings. Then just leave the smaller cuttings to break down on the soil. There doesn't seem to be any short cuts with hedging :)

Could you put the odd stepping stone in the border?

I have this problem .My plan is to get one of these www.diy.com/departments/mac-allister-free-standing-large-work-platform-h047m/1345852_BQ.prd which I hope will straddle the bed .

sunny that's not a bad idea.

Ginger I did wonder about putting a thin bark path at the back of the border for walking behind (with the added plus of being able to weed easier) but I wasn't sure if it would look weird. Stepping stones might look nicer. Maybe I could have pots or statues on them for the rest of the time, so there aren't obvious gaps in the border.

I can walk at the back of my border but in practice I find that you need to be positioned further back - in the middle of the border - to be able to cut the hedge .
And I did try stepping stones with little success - they soon get hidden with growth and pots of sufficient size not to look silly and to be in proportion are heavy to lift .

Wisley's long border has a slab path between the hedge and the border so they can get behind the border with tarp and ladders etc. But their borders are about as wide as my garden. I've never cracked it personally.

Right, after much faffing trying to order online and then phoning - how have I forgotten the telephone ? so easy ,so helpful ! - I'm now the happy owner of this work platform
www.diy.com/departments/mac-allister-free-standing-large-work-platform-h047m/1345852_BQ.prd
and having rushed down to my garden it seems just the job !

I rarely get things right but this is lovely ,so stable ,great height .I need a kitchen stool to easily hop up on to it but hey ,if only all of my life problems could be solved so easily .

sunny thanks for coming back to let me know how well it works - sounds like you've found just the solution!