Mature Hornbeam Hedge

When I planted this hedge in Spring of 2008, I had seen a decades old European Hornbeam hedge and was inspired to do the same in my backyard.  My neighbor had erected a privacy fence that ended about 10' short of the back of my garage, so I decided to fill in the gap with American Hornbeam, Carpinus Caroliana.  I had no idea it would grow so fast.

Here is my hedge in September 2013

I've pruned it once earlier this summer to keep it away from the electric and phone wires, but it has swallowed them up again already.  I am going to put in a gate to keep the deer from using it as their own private entrance to my backyard.

Our vegetable garden is enclosed with a 7' high fence that runs parallel to the wooden privacy fence. There is no access to the enclosure from the hedge entrance, but there is a narrow path outside it leading to the back yard.  You can see a previous post about the hedge here.