We have just taken on a country garden that borders onto fields. The boundaries are hedgerow - mostly a mixture of hawthorn and field maple but very clogged with ivy. As several sections had died and were just being held up by the ivy we have replanted with a mixture of blackthorn, spindle, guelder rose, rowan.
The old hedge that is still standing is very tangled with ivy, and has also been cut back each year to quite a rigid rectangle.
I have three issues I'd like to tackle-
First, what are the alternatives to trimming it back to a rectangle shape? I'd like it to go to berry in the autumn and I prefer the softer look of a more natural shape, but I don't want it to take over too much. Is there a middle ground?
Second, what to do about the ivy? Is it worth just cutting it out as much as possible and trying to untangle it from the hedge when it dies back? Someone has suggested basically cutting the whole hedge down to about 18 inches and then keeping the ivy in check as it grows back. This might also be conducive to the softer look mentioned above?
Third, what are my options for managing the undergrowth along the hedge line? We have a reasonably large area that we are turning into a wildflower meadow, but the rest of it will be vegetable plots or lawn.
At the moment it gets a strim from time to time to control the nettles, cow parsley and goose grass. Are there any lower maintenance options for keeping it reasonably tidy?