According to gardening writer Anna Pavord, he approaches the subject “with the eye of an artist”, and as a result, his loppers – in particular these limited edition S-Type secateurs – are a work of art in themselves. The only reason the Okatsune pruners pipped them to the post here is because of the price: but really, I’d highly recommend both – it just comes down to aesthetics. Local Government Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1994 c. 19 , retrieved 14 October 2022 Mechanism: bypass (see FAQ at the bottom of this feature for the difference between bypass and anvil secateurs) This is done to preserve the anonymity of the people in that area, as some postcodes cover a very small area, sometimes a single building. However, topiary expert Lerigo says he found the latch used to open them involved too much fumbling around on ladders for his liking, a situation not helped by cold, numb or gloved hands. As much as I wanted to love them, and despite the superior, precise blade, Lerigo was right: the catch mechanism used to open and close them is fiddly compared with its smoother competitors, and nigh impossible with gardening gloves on or one-handed, up a ladder, because the clasp requires a thumb to be operated. I also found that my own hands were slightly too small for them.

Topiary expert Lerigo devoutly describes his chosen make of Japanese secateurs, Okatsune, as a bit of kit that Marie Kondo would approve of: simple, effective, and capable of sparking joy, time and time again. The Hitachi Yasugi high carbon steel of these Okatsune secateurs stands out, producing a clean, precise, efficient cut. Apparently, they’re made with “Izumo” iron sand, which was used in the manufacturing of ancient Japanese swords. How smoothly the contraption can be manoeuvred one-handed will impact the efficiency of your green-fingered endeavours. Just make sure you invest in a quality product – which means good, sharp steel. The sharper the blade, the stronger the cut and the less force is required, which makes it the gentler on the wrists, says topiary expert Darren Lerigo who runs the Modern Mint online tool and gardening shop. If the blades can be sharpened, all the better.Known to Hobson affectionately as his “double yellows”, the bright yellow Niwaki GR Pro secateurs are made with KA70 carbon steel, they’re a 23cm long pair of whoppers, weighing 239g. Do not cut wire, metal, stone, plastic or any other hard material (even bamboo fibres and some very hard woods, especially knots and burrs, can damage steel edges)

Gelligaer ( Welsh: Gelli-gaer Welsh pronunciation: [ˌɡɛɬɪˈɡaːɨr]) is a community in the County Borough of Caerphilly, Wales, in the Rhymney River valley. As well as the village of Gelligaer, the community also includes the small towns of Hengoed and Ystrad Mynach. The population of the community at the 2011 census was 18,408. [1] History [ edit ]Planning application 5/5/83/0058: Use of buildings and land for residential purposes at Council Offices, Park Road, Hengoed, granted 7 March 1983 The information on housing, people, culture, employment and education that is displayed about Hengoed Road, Hengoed, Wales, CF82 7JS is based on the last census performed in the UK in 2021. According to Telegraph gardening expert Helen Yemm, secateurs usually jam because of a build-up of dried sap and general garden grot on the blades. A good clean, followed by a wipe with an oily rag, sorts the problem out. Presumably you have tried that. Gelligaer Urban District was abolished in 1974. The Bedlinog ward became a community in Merthyr Tydfil, whilst the rest of the former urban district became a community called Gelligaer within Rhymney Valley District in the new county of Mid Glamorgan. [10] The community was divided in 1985, when separate communities were created for Bargoed and Darran Valley, the Pontlottyn area was transferred to the Rhymney community, and Ystrad Mynach (which had previously straddled the Gelligaer and Caerphilly communities) was united within Gelligaer. [11] [12] Further local government reorganisation in 1996 saw the abolition of Mid Glamorgan County Council, and Rhymney Valley merged with neighbouring Islwyn borough to become the Caerphilly County Borough. [13] See also [ edit ] Leading pruning specialist Jake Hobson learnt the craft of tree training, pruning and rootballing in rural Osaka, and founded Niwaki (it means “garden tree”) to bring Japanese techniques to Western gardens. “A good pair of secateurs is the single most important bit of kit for any gardener,” he explains. His range of secateurs doesn’t disappoint. The bypass designs have a simple, chunky catch at the bottom, just like the Okatsune.