"NogbadtheCool" wrote in message
...
Hi all
Part of my fence around the garden is a row of ancient hawthorn, very
tall now and lovely with berries, but at the base they're old and
gappy. Anyone can stroll through.
Does anyone know if I chop them back to about head height will they re-
grow from the ground and make a nice impenetrable tangle, or will they
grow from head height again?
If the latter, any suggestions about filling in the gaps?
Many thanks
Jon

You have a golden opportunity to create a laid hedge. Don't prune it to
head height but cut half-way through the stem near ground level and heel the
whole trunk over. Look for examples on Google and Google Images. The
result will be a close-stemmed hedge that will keep people and larger
animals out while letting hedgehogs through and providing a great habitat
for birds etc. Mind you it's hard work and quite skilled.
R.