BESKÄRNING AV LINDHÄCK VINTERTID - tre fallstudier i kulturhistorisk miljö

Sammanfattning: Lime tree hedges and other architectural compositions of this plant material have historically been a part of the visual aspects in and surrounding cultural heritage environments in Sweden and continue to be a part of them to this day. Traditionally, the pruning of these plant-based monuments has been undertaken during winter and this practise still occurs in modern day gardening. Historical and contemporary sources do not give any extensive information on how this practise has been or can be carried out. To find out more details about how this type of pruning is done, three case studies were undertaken with the aim to gather knowledge through participant observation and interviews. The aim of study was to create a documentation of these practices with the impact of improving maintenance and the safeguarding of theses this living cultural heritage. This documentation may partly serve as guidelines for gardeners when no other instructions are available. Results show that positioning and movement when approaching lime tree hedges are vital when it comes to accessibility, efficiency, making satisfactory cuts and to create a good work environment. The choice of pruning tools and methods are dependent on the purpose and size of the hedge as well as topographical conditions. These methods include pollarding, ordinary hedge trimming and rejuvenation. Additional and complementary research could be done by creating more case studies that could be used in comparison, a broader picture of winter pruning of lime trees could be made.