Bunny’s Diary

This month, Bunny Guinness is pruning hedges, mulching and making a difference with paint

Many people say yew hedges are slow, but I disagree. For impatient clients I use Instant Hedges from Elveden ( elvedenhedges.com), which look as though they have been there forever and transplant like a dream. Otherwise, 60-90cm high plants are more economical and do well if they’re grown in ordinary soil, kept weed free, mulched and given drip irrigation. Water weekly when dry, in decent quantities so the roots chase the water down. With any young hedge though, don’t forget to clip the insides: remember, ‘growth follows the knife’. By clipping the insides of adjacent plants you’ll get the desired solid wall of foliage far faster.

I recently coppiced my hazels and shredded them into ramial (woodchips made from branches less than 7.5cm in diameter). Higher in nutrient content than older wood, it’s brilliant for mulching and improving the soil microbiome and structure. Let it compost for three months before applying, since some woods have initially toxic tannin levels. Originally the belief was that applying green or woody matter to your borders depleted them of nitrogen, but now soil scientists say as long as it is not dug in there is no problem. My local tree surgeon always has too much and drops me off free loads when passing. But I only use it from deciduous trees.

I feel like I have moved house! I have had all the external windows, doors, greenhouses, plant containers and water butts repainted in a shade of French greyblue. Choosing the colour was excruciating – too much choice and shades vary with light and situation. We lived with all the doors painted in many possible shades for months. Colour adds personality, helps elements recede or punch out, and affects the mood. I went for a Zinsser paint, which has a repaint interval of 15 years (more than twice that of most ‘historic’ paints) and can be closely matched to many colour charts. ■

Visit Bunny’s YouTube channel for videos such as ‘Using Paint to Colour Your House & Garden’ and a tour of her own garden, ‘A Garden for My Family & Other Animals’ youtube.com/bunnyguinness