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Amy Hintzman's avatar

Wow! What a great post! I love the idea of a dead hedge, or making 3-dimensional “sculptures” (for lack of a better term) in a garden. In my former home my next door neighbor had 1 acre of property and she always built trellises with fallen branches (we lived in a very wooded area). I love your woodland property, Julie. Well done! 🤗

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Julie Witmer's avatar

Thanks Amy :) Yes, there are many ways to do it, with a lot of public gardens making a long straight hedge or teepees in the border. It is a way of giving a bit of order to chaos, which makes keeping so much more dead wood around possible in the garden!

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Catherine Nunan's avatar

I have seen one and enjoyed wandering around in it, in the Botanic Garden where we used to live. It was at the base of a hollow tree and had fairy mushroom figurines in it , and a troll. It was fun. Quite tall too which was part of the mystery.

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Laura B.'s avatar

I have never heard of a dead hedge! What a lovely concept. You inspire me so much, Julie.

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Julie Witmer's avatar

Thanks Laura <3 I love the idea of making some beautiful and functional out of the "waste" that comes from our gardens every day. There are many ways to use old sticks, but this one seems fun to me.

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Catherine Nunan's avatar

I do also like the use of them along the paths - the larger branches and sticks.

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Claire Andrews's avatar

ohhhh I do love this! It gives me ideas for plans for our grandchildren. As a child, I would play under an old willow that had been taken over by kudzu. The idea of a nest brings that to mind. We currently have a twig pile off in the woods which I am sure is home to a few critters. This is a fun possibility.

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Julie Witmer's avatar

Excited to hear what you come up with! :)

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Sheri Fraser's avatar

Oh, the gifts the post have given me! a good thought—the MO poem—and the garden project—building a nest! Thank you so much, Julie.

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Julie Witmer's avatar

Thanks Sheri <3 This would be a lot of fun in your garden! You can build it out of fresh willow or other bought materials as well, of course. Here, it is nice to use the wood that is raining from our trees everyday.

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