If ever you see a troupe of roving triffids, you can blame me.
I came back after six months away to find that approximately 2500m2 of my garden has turned into a thicket. I really need to start cutting back the plant life that has invaded but I have no idea how to go about it. I was wondering if we have any savvy gardeners that might be able to provide any tips? Most of the stuff I need to take out are brambles, nettles, oak saplings, buddleias and thistles. So many prickles!
The problem is that I can't use any sort of industrial floracides because a wild bee colony appears to have moved into one of my bashed up old bee hives and I would love to try and keep this colony and strengthen it since I lost my own over the winter. I currently have at my disposal:
+ a blunt scythe.
+ secateurs
+ rusted cutting blades from the 50s-60s
Anyone got any ideas for how to clear this up? Maybe using some sort of organic floracide? I'm at a loss.
Some pictures:
The actual thicket, it extends farther back than you can see and is impenetrable due to the volume of nettles.
A close up of a part of the thicket. You can see what kind of plants I'm up against here.
A badger/ fox run, which I am reluctant to destroy. (Unfortunately it is necessary).
The bees in question.