Tall dark green Leylandii hedge beside a paved path with a wheelie bin and tarpaulin — Tall Leylandii hedge before cutting, beside a paved path and a bin

Orange wood chipper by a wooden gateway with a lower hedge behind the fences — Wood chipper by the gateway with the hedge standing lower behind the fence

Close view of the thick green side of a tall Leylandii hedge above a patio — Close view of the dense side of the Leylandii hedge

Leylandii tops rising above a wooden panel fence with an aluminium ladder leaning on the hedge — Conifer tops rising above a panel fence, with a ladder in place

This project involved reducing a large Leylandii hedge in Birmingham. Left to itself, a conifer hedge like this climbs well above head height and spreads sideways until it swallows paths and fences. The aim was to bring it back under control, topped off level and safe to reach, without cutting it into bare brown wood.

What the photos show

The first and third photos show the hedge as a dense, dark green wall, taller than the house beside it, with a stone path running along its foot. In the fourth, tall tops rise above a panel fence, with a ladder leaning into the foliage. The second shows a wood chipper parked by the gateway, and the hedge standing lower behind the fence.

These are shots from across the job, so they show the work in stages rather than one neat before and after. Garden clutter and bins around the path also had to be moved out of the way while the cutting and clearing went on, which is worth sorting before a visit.

Reducing conifers sensibly

Leylandii only regrow from green growth, so a reduction should leave live foliage on every face. We take the height and the width down in stages, working from a ladder, then trim the top level. Clippings go through the chipper or are taken away, and the path is swept. Check for nesting birds first, as autumn and winter are usually kinder to a hedge than spring and summer.