Children & Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Firethorn etc
Dr Greenthumb
Posts: 7
Hi all, this is my first post so please be gentle!
I need your advice / perspectives if you can be so kind.....
So after much deliberaion my wife and and I decided to go for half privet and have english native hedge which consists of Hawthorh, Blackthorn, Firethorn, Seabuckthorn, Rosehip, Field Maple, Hazel, Bird Cherry and Crab Apple.
When we were researching our local garden center owner said that we should go for Hebes and initially we were happy with the idea however later decided we wanted more diversity of wildlife.
We returned to our local garden centre and my wife told me that the owner told her to rip the hedge out and start again as Blackthorn, Hawthorn etc are very dangerous for my child due to their thorns - and he painted a horror story about these hedges.
Anyway my wife and I decided to keep the native hedge and I returned to the local shop yesterday and the owner asked "have you ripped it out yet?". When i told him that we are keeping it he actually called me stupid ...which I couldnt quite believe (pretty unprofessional)!
However it was this outburst that led me to join this forum - interested to know what you think?
Posts
oh dear. What a ridiculous attitude that GC owner has. I grew up on a farm. My playground was the fields hedges and ditches which we're fill of the plants in your lovely native hedge. My children did the same. We all got a few scratches but nothing lasting and we learnt about nature. if you wrap children in cotton wool they get smothered.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I think I'd take my custom elsewhere in future - what horrible and unprofessional conduct by the GC manager.
Your hedge sounds like a lovely mix which will grow quite quickly into a wildlife friendly hedge.
Yes, you do have some thorny choices in there but you can teach your child not to go rummaging around in the hedge and they will reap the benefits of watching the hedge develop and watching the local fauna start to take up residence in a few years.
When they're older you can also teach them to make sloe gin with the blackthorn fruit
The only caution I would offer is to try to stop children running about in bare feet near the hedge. It is very difficult to clear up every single thorn after pruning / cutting the hedge. You might think it worth investing in one of the leaf sucker / vacs which are used to clear autumn leaves to hoover up the last of any trimmings. You can also put a large sheet or such like under the hedge when you trim it to catch the trimmings.
Enjoy your hedge - it sounds much more interesting than hebe
What a plonker, not fit to be advising others.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Your children will learn so much about nature from such a hedge.
Take the same sensible precautions as you do in your home.....teach them not touch, eat certain things.
MAYBE, PANSYFACE.
IN THAT CASE FARMERS SHOULD STOP GROWING WHEAT, MY LEGS WERE RIPPED TO SHREDS PLAYING IN STUBBLE FIELDS AS A CHILD
In the sticks near Peterborough
Plants like that are good teachers! Your children will learn to listen to you when you say 'Don't touch, that will hurt!', which helps with 'Don't eat that, it will give you tummy ache' or 'Don't run near the water'. They will learn to live in the real world, which includes thorns and prickles and nettles, and things you can't eat, and animals that kick or bite, and later, dangerous humans. They will come to be aware of and recognise dangers, without being unnecessarily scared, but awareness is the best protection you can give them for their life ahead.
TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE SCARED OF TOO MANY NATURAL THINGS NOW. I BLAME THE PRESS AND ALL THEIR SCARE STORIES.
SPIDERS
ASIAN HORNETS
GIANT HOGWEED
ACONITUM
NEW ZEALAND FLATWORMS
THE LIST IS ENDLESS
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thank you so much Dovefromabove,Topbird, Joyce, Nutcutlet, Buttercupdays, Muddleup - and Pansyface of course
! You guys are great.
I wanted my initial post to not show bias to attract a range of response and to be honest I wasn't expecting such unanimous agreement - your comments absolutely resonate with me.
I actually don't mind my child scratching herself and being spiked ....it's called being a child isn't it ? If she had learning difficulties then maybe i wouldnt have the same view. I think the diversity of the garden is the bigger win here.
I just had this nagging feeling that the GC owner was looking out for himself. He was really trying to flog his hebes which i must admit looked ok (ish) but wasnt convinced at the price @ £14-17 each for something circa 40cm tall. Also researching online it seemed like the hebes were just ok as a hedge but probably not the best option - a round spreading habit rather than upright (we replaced our fence with a hedge so would like a decent height within a few years). The diversity from the native hedge really excites us and so we jumped at it...plus the pricing is very reasonable too.
Absolutely agree that we should take our business elsewhere. My wife is a very gentle type (well, at least she looks like that to others! ) and we have a 1 year old daughter and i think he latched onto that - telling her that these hedges are banned in schools and that the spikes could take our daughters (or daughters friends) eye out and we could get sued etc. Also that they grow at such a rapid rate our garden will be overrun in no time. ...oh and he also called the privet choice boring (which i agree but we are planting it closer to the house and with more exciting plants in front of it - but it kind of sums up this guys negative outlook)
I actually found the scaremongering of my wife even more offensive than him calling me stupid. She initially wanted to rip the hedges out and I was not conviced we should do so. In fact I came very close to telling him about himself but I thought he could have a point ... your comments have given me the confidence to do so should our paths cross again.
Oh and the other amazing bit of advice he gave us was to not research on the internet!
Thank you and yes I absolutely will. The whips are about 1m at the moment so not much to report.
Pleased to say that as of today my daughter hasn't died a horrible spiny death ....will keep you posted on that one too of course !
Absolutely agree with all of this!
Also, I would look for a new garden centre.