Not gifted with patience

Sister Attracta was known to remark on numerous occasions \”Hazel is not gifted with patience!\” and unfortunately she was correct!

I was itching to get the hazels coppiced so when the promised rain didn\’t arrive the other day I headed out with my new toy – a Reciprocating Saw – to see how much of the hazels I could harvest. The little saw is surprisingly effective so as each long branch was cut it was carried up to the yard for processing! I clocked up 11,267 steps just carrying them up to the yard!

It was raining so hard I couldn\’t go any nearer to get the photo of the harvested hazels

Hazels produce amazingly straight branches and I plan to tidy up the harvest and I hope to get a few branches strong enough to use as fence posts to support plants in various parts of the garden. My head is buzzing with ideas – I have a good crop of bamboo too so I won\’t be short of materials! Anything not suitable for posts will come in handy as kindling for my stove. 

My plan is to leave about half of the hazels to mature into trees but to coppice the rest. I haven\’t been able to get in among them the past two years so the wildlife in the garden have feasted on all the lovely hazelnuts!

Hopefully I will get the rest of the cutting back done when my friend with the chainsaw arrives!