Sunday 12 February 2012

Now That's a Hedge

There are two quotes from modern films which come into my mind fairly frequently: 

The moment in Pretty Woman as Vivian gets her own back on the rude shop assistant:

1. Shop assistant: “Hello, can I help you?”
Vivian: “I was in here yesterday, you wouldn’t wait on me.”
Shop assistant: “Oh.”
Vivian: “You people work on commission, right?”
Shop assistant: “Yeah.”
Vivian: “Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now.”


The second was from Crocodile Dundee when Mick Dundee and Sue are accosted by a knife wielding mugger and Mick says  "That's not a knife.  That's a knife." in this sketch.

Well when I was driving back from Tauranga a few weeks ago I stopped in the Te Puke area and realised I was enclosed by hedges around the Kiwi fruit orchards.  In fact hedges like this are common in the fruit growing areas of New Zealand which includes, of course, Hawkes Bay where I live.  Anyway it occurred to me that when in the UK we talk about our hedges an appropriate reply would be:  They're not hedges.  These are hedges:


11 comments:

  1. Wow! Some hedges.

    SP

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  2. I must admit they give a bit of a claustrophobic feel to the road. Like the maze in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire.

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  3. Look a bit like my garden hedge at the moment. I think we're going to need scaffolding to tackle it...

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  4. Great post. Something I just take for granted Geeb. You could say I couldn't see the wood for the trees ha ha.

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  5. Yes, they are quite impressive, SP, and yes, they are quite claustrophobic, Meike, and yes again, CJ, they remind me of your hedge although they are a bit longer and, if I may say so, better trimmed but then they do have massive machines to do the work. Ha, ha, Katherine, and yes, like so many things, we do just take them for granted until something happens to make us aware.

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  6. Love that Pretty Woman scene....

    I always wondr about those hedges - love watchign the blades at work but they do seem so tall they must affect the area microclimate...
    AStill - they do provide some shade and shelter - really don't understand why so many farmers do not have enough shade for their animals.

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    1. I hadn't thought about the micro-climate affect. I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't thought about shade for cattle and sheep either. Our few cattle have plenty I'm pleased to report.

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    2. Not, I would add, that they need it this 'summer'.

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  7. Yes, they are definitely some hedges. But they always make me really, really want to see what's on the other side!

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    1. As it's almost always fruit trees of one sort or another in this area my curiosity is rarely aroused.

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  8. I hope they haven't built the roads into a maze as well...

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