mowing her grass, a planning hearing was told.

Mrs. Joan Fowle, of Church Hill House, Somerset, is fighting a Trust attempt to get trees on her property protected as woodland.

The Trust wants Planning to designate the land woodland reserve. But Mrs.

Fowle takes the move as an insult, the Bermuda Plan objections tribunal heard.

Her lawyer, Mr. Kim White, said most of the area was mowed lawn with scattered trees.

Mrs. Fowle had helped young cedars by cutting back spice trees -- which she could not do without permission if they were designated woodland.

"Technically, I believe she could not even mow the lawn in that woodland reserve area,'' Mr. White said, adding the designation was inappropriate in a "manicured'' area.

"Mrs. Fowle considers it to be an insult to her skills as a horticulturalist and a gardener. She is, quite frankly, incensed.'' Her words had been: "Us Tuckers have been up on this hill for so long.'' Trust environmental officer Miss Toby Butterfield said the stands of mature trees were important because of the highly developed area surrounding the estate.

The Trust felt no further development of the area should be allowed.

The Planning Department disagrees with the Trust idea. It told the hearing there were already sufficient safeguards for the trees.