Fencing schmencing…
I need this!
why oh why didn’t I think of this earlier. What a numb nut. I was pondering this fencing issue and the cost and the blah blah while sipping gin in my hotel room (stranded in New Orleans due to bad weather….such a shame) when out of the blue ether that is Tanqueray a light bulb went off.
Dumb ass needs a living and breathing fence. A place of sanctuary for small woodland creatures and birds of a feather that wish to flock together. This living fence needs to be sturdy enough to stop wild horses and beasties from charging through it. What fencing is this you ask?
The hedgerow. That it what we need on the farm. A veritable display of English looking hedgerows that are practical and fabulous. English hedgerows consist of hawthorn and blackthorns and you can even weave in some other shit to make it even prettier. I like their smell. They remind me of my old primary school in England. The playing field was surrounded by these hedgerows. Some hedgerows are protected! Farmers are not allowed to remove them.
Pretty Pretty!
Also (and this is very important) they make exceptional witches brooms and fairies live in em. Seriously. I haven’t even covered the medicinal benefits. And if I decide to commemorate May Day then I’ll need a good source of hawthorn on the property to make me a May pole.
But I ask you. Where do I find English hawthorn in the US? Any ideas? I’ve surfed the Internet and have gotten zero results. I’ve reached out to a local garden center ….not even a snifter of response. Am I asking too much? Were the Beatles enough? No more English invaders in the US please! Am I committing treason asking for this?
You can understand the criticality of my dilemma. Its imperative that I find these hawthorns and have them at the farm. Please help an old witch who needs a new broom. Fetch me a shrubbery!
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Thanks for the giggle. Actually, I miss hedgerows. I remember around the time I was leaving England there was an uproar about disappearing hedgerows and how vital they were to a farm’s ecology, and as a hiding place for foxes and badgers. We had them around our primary school lower football field growing up. I’d be shot if I planted English hawthorns here though, as they’re invasive in California. In the interests of broom making though, there are a number of Crataegus species around. Downy Hawthorn, Crataegus mollis, is a native to the East, would that work as a broom substitute? By the way, when you construct that May Pole, will you be hiring Morris Dancers too?
Ha! Not likely and I doubt Shane will dance around for me with bells on.
Thank you for the suggestion of Crataegus. However, is that steeped in folklore and wicca legend? 
I guess witches cannot be too picky these days.
Back when I wanted to work for the Forestry Commission, I did a course in hedge laying. I weave a mean fence, should you need help. All I require is enough beer to kill an elephant and … umm … more beer. And some pork.
oh we got beer. and pork. and lots of it. wisconsin is a very nice place to visit in the spring. You might have to chip the ice off the top of your beer, but you better book your airline tickets. you and mrs IDG can stay at the farmhouse for free. what a bargain!
So these popped up on a couple Google searches on where to buy hawthorn and blackthorn – http://www.musserforests.com; http://www.lincolnoakes.com; http://www.raintreenursery.com – I like this idea a lot! And way cheaper
this is really kind of you to look. I was checking these sites out on my travels home this morning. thank you for looking for me and more importantly….CONGRATULATIONS!!!!