Whatever happened to privet hedges ?

[Primrose]

I'm trying to remember when I last saw a garden sporting a privet hedge. I haven't seen one for years and wonder what caused them to go out of fashion? I remember as a kid how regularly I plundered next door's privet hedge for food to feed my army of stick insects. Perhaps it was the arrival of open plan front gardens.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Primrose, my Privet hedge succumbed to honey fungus, so has now been replaced with Yew.

[Sarah]

We've stil got one. It's a nightmare to cut! Feel free to bring your stick insects!

[Primrose]

Maybe it was the stinking smell of the white flowers when they came into bloom which put people off. Not exactly fragrant, are they?

[Chantal]

They must be out there somewhere. Every time I sneeze (when I don't have a cold) I can quite clearly smell privet hedges straight afterwards.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Chantal, just out of curiosity, you didn't use to put things up your nose when you were a younster did you.

Maybe thats where all the Privets have gone.

[Chantal]

No OH, I have NEVER had the urge to put things up my nose, up to and including privet hedges.

I don't know why I can smell it when I sneeze, but it's been happening for some years now.

[mandylew]

we had stick insects a while ago and i searched the neigbourhood for privet hedges in places i could discreetly pick from, the graveyard had the best. Eventually i took all the stick insects down there and let them loose, I've never ventured back to see if there is a thriving colony or not now, but they are rather prolific breeders!
mandy