In a mature garden, brambles are a perpetual menace and need regular late-winter campaigns to keep them at bay. Self-sown into a hedge bottom, they assume heroic proportions before the unwelcome evidence presents itself.

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Don suitable gear, get to the base of the brute with spade and trowel, and remove the rootstock. Then, cut up the awkward, reverse-spined wands into handy lengths, haul them out, fold them up and add them to the bonfire. You’ll earn your tea and cake.