The clip show

Now’s the time to trim ornamental trees and hedges, says Toby, as he reveals the secrets of savvy snipping

- TOBY BUCKLAND

MANY older properties have what are known as restrictive covenants quilled into their title deeds. These are designed to stop new buyers changing a property’s use and lowering the neighbourhood’s tone.

Buckland Castle is no exception, and according to our title doc I’m restricted from running a pub or brothel or making bricks on our drive. I know! It’s the Nanny State gone mad. The deeds were penned during the Industrial Revolution, when brick-built ‘satanic’ mill towns were rapidly expanding and the owners, who back then lived next door, didn’t like the idea of another Manchester springing up on the other side of the fence.

But I can only speculate as to why they also demanded that trees near the house and hedges were to be pruned annually. Perhaps it was to protect the views, or stop frustrated brickmakers turning to shipbuilding? All I know is that September is the time to get out my saw and give the garden its yearly trim.