"Nicolas Steenhout" wrote in message
T.COM...
The darn things grows like a weed. Err, it *is* a weed

I believe that many of you on the list have done some good work with
privets
in bonsai. Brian Inglis seems to have some fantastic ones out in
Queensland. I think Jim L. has a few wee ones as well. I'd be interested
to hear feedback on cultivating it for bonsai.

It is considered a pest in most of New Zealand, though the local city
council folks told me that they think it an excellent form of control if I
pull it out of the soil and pot it, as long as I control and limit
flowering
grin

Just check with your local council on it's classification.
Here in NSW Australia a couple of years ago it was moving up the noxious
weeds list possibly to a level of "it must be destroyed if on your
property". I can't recall the exact class of noxious weed that is.
When I worked on the council about 4yr ago the rule was it wasn't to be
propagated by any means, and it must be regularly trimmed of floy wers.
Mostly in the town I lived in, worked at, many houses had old privet hedges.
All privet on public land was destroyed, and any hedge that was seen to go
to seed was removed by us. Most people seemed to abide by the law as the
only hedges/plants we removed were on vacant houses. I think the owners let
them go to seed so we would remove them, saved them the job. However I
collected a few good bonsai from the hedges, all small leafed privet.
Cheers
Andrew