Sunday 25 May 2014

'Boring' hedge turned into dragon in East Rudham

22 May 2014 Last updated at 14:31

A 75-year-old man said he spent 13 years crafting a "boring" hedge into a 150ft-long (45.7m) giant dragon.

John Brooker sculpted the mystical creature out of the 10ft-high (3m) privet alongside his rented farm cottage in East Rudham, Norfolk.

The topiary features bulging eyes, flaring nostrils and a crested back.

Mr Brooker said: "I was standing at my kitchen sink one day and thought the hedge was boring so decided to do something with it."

The design could have been inspired by his time in the Far East, where John Brooker met his wife

He spends up to three days every two to three weeks trimming the fairytale design back into shape and compared the task to painting the Forth Bridge.

Dragon Hedge, Frizzleton Farm
© Copyright Nigel Jones
and licensed for 
reuse
under this 
Creative Commons Licence.
The retired fan maker has got through four electric hedge trimmers and has to climb a pair of 6ft-high (1.8m) stepladders to sculpt the top.

"The farmer here is horrified when he sees me perched on top of the ladders," said Mr Brooker.

'Army days'
The hedge is by a public footpath and has attracted attention from walkers but Mr Brooker is modest about his eye-catching creation.

"My wife is the gardener, I just cut the lawn and do the hedge," he said.

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