How do you cut down a massive hedge?

We have lived here 20 years and the hedge in front was tall when we arrived, with a mixture of trees and other plants.  We always felt hidden behind our green wall and that was never really an issue.  However, as trees and plants are wont to do, they grew… and grew.  Every year I cut them back, but probably left it too long to try and stop them going up.  It now really feels a bit much and I’d love to be able to control it a bit more easily and my neighbours would like it a little lower too.

So, how do you approach a huge task like this…?  I discovered there are only two answers really.  Either you get in a tree surgeon (and they seem remarkably difficult to engage) or you do it yourself, one branch at a time.  It might seem a statement of the bl**ding obvious, but what seems overwhelming as a whole, can be reduced to a series of snips, each one of which makes the next one easier to see and do.

This is not so very different from a big change project.  When clients ask where they should start, I usually say that it really doesn’t matter what is important is starting.  That builds momentum and enables you to get a better feel for what is the next step.  The secret is having begun, keep snipping. 

This entry was posted on Monday, June 2nd, 2014 at 14:29 and is filed under Business Change, Hints, Tips & Techniques. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.