There's an easy way to remember when to prune conifer hedges - the months beginning with 'A for Action' are the best for this task, and if you don't want to achieve total perfection by doing the job twice a year in April and August, then August is the time to get the shears out and give the trees a trim!

I've just done mine with the Spear and Jackson Razorsharp Lightweight Hand Shears from the on-line shop (well, someone had to test them)! It was a treat to use something so sharp - like a knife through butter, as they say.

PRUNING...

In case you're wondering how to go about pruning the hedge, here are a few points to help you keep in trim.

Prune every year - if you don't, you'll never achieve a neat hedge. Little and often is the key, especially with the side growth.

Always do the sides as well as the top (don't do the top until the tree is 30 cm taller than your required finished hedge height), and don't cut off more than 15 cm of growth from the sides - most conifers don't grow back from the dead or brown wood inside.

Try to make the hedge wider at the bottom than the top - not by much, but this will help prevent the hedge being bare and brown at the bottom, which happens when the lower branches can't get enough light because the higher ones overhang.

Once your hedge is 30 cm higher than the required finished height, cut the central stem, or 'Ôleader', down to 30 cm lower than you need, and allow the little side shoots to grow up and form a flat top which can then be kept trimmed.

AND FINALLY....

Feed your hedge - conifers are hungry plants - and keep grass trimmed neatly back away from the base of the trees.

If establishing a border in front of the hedge, leave a gap behind shrubs and perennials so that you can get to the hedge next year!

Despite the bad publicity of recent years, conifer hedges are evergreen, dense and home to lots of wildlife. They're only a nuisance when not maintained properly, so don't forget : A is for action!

Happy Gardening!