News: April 2004

Midland environmentalists have urged gardeners to be circumspect about hedge care after a local MP said that they should be regularly cut.

The local MP for Uttoxeter was, no doubt, well meaning when he asked gardeners to regularly cut their hedges in the interests of good relationships with their neighbours; but as members of the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust pointed out, hedges should not be cut if there is a possibility of birds nesting. Thrushes, blackbirds, robins and others are all likely to be using hedges to nest in at this time of year. Hedge trimming is better done after nesting is complete or earlier in the year before it begins.

This Is Staffordshire. 2004. Wildlife experts warn of danger to birds. Viewed on the web at http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=67699&command=displayContent&sourceNode=67251&contentPK=9668742 on April 26th 2004.