Regardless of whether you have newly grown shrubbery in your garden or you have an established hedge bordering your property, you might find a hedge trimmer extremely useful in keeping the plants in check. It can be very easy for the shrubs to get out of hand, especially after heavy rains, but if you use the following trimmer tips you can rest assured that your garden will always look its best with very little effort.

• If you have recently planted an evergreen hedge, like box, you should cut it back straight away by as much as a third of its height. For heartier plants, like privet, you should cut it right back to about six inches high after planting.
• A year after planting, you will only need to give the shrubbery a light trim, as you are encouraging it to grow. In the following year, you can really cut it back again (by as much as a third) during the winter when the plant will be dormant.
• Make sure that you viciously trim your hedges every single winter, when they are dormant, as this encourages them to grow from the bottom as well as the top, resulting in a nice thick bush. If you fail to trim, it will continue to grow up.
• For more established shrubs, make yourself a frame by placing a post or cane at each of the corners of the area that you are working on. Tie a string between each of the posts at the height you would like the hedge cut to and use as a guide for your trimmer.
• As you trim the shrubbery, make sure that you regularly take a step back to check your progress. Look carefully along the length of growth to ensure that there are no uneven or bulging areas; these can be fixed with a few well-placed cuts.
• To avoid coming out the following day to see twigs sticking out of the hedge, give the area a good whack with the back of a rake as you cut; this will cause twigs that have curled up inside the shrubbery to spring out so you can cut them.
• When cutting formal edging, try to ensure that the top is slightly narrower than the bottom. This will result in sides that are gently sloping, creating better wind resistance and making the top much easier to trim in the future, as it isn't as wide.
• Make sure that you use a ladder or scaffolding when cutting shrubs that have grown taller than your head; you should never raise the hedge trimmer higher than your shoulder, as this often results in even cuts and even accidents.

If you are a homeowner who has purchased a hedge trimmer to help you keep your gardens looking beautiful, you will find each of the above tips very useful in helping you to achieve this. All you need is an hour or so every weekend to ensure the growth is in check. Just make sure that you keep your trimmer well maintained and the blades sharp, otherwise you may find that your stunning shrubbery slowly loses its appeal.