Monday 4 May 2015

Hedgerow in spring

I always find hedgerows fascinating.  When you come across a proper English hedgerow, six foot high and three foot wide, it is a thing of real beauty.  We explored such a hedge last weekend in Devon, it was mainly made up of hawthorn, hazel, holly and oak. 

At this time of year, the trees and shrubs are growing very rapidly, the ferns and bracken are starting to unfurl and a huge number of wild flowers are scattered through the hedge.

Red campion

Stitchwort

Bluebells
Everything is sweet and fresh and so very very green.  The birds are chattering in the hedges and trees and all seems new.  I am still trying to improve my knowledge of wild flowers...

Unfurling fern

Primrose

Cow parsley

Wood spurge
In amongst all the flowers are a huge variety of insects.  Even in our own garden, we are constantly amazed at the variation, you can never keep up with it all.  In a hedge, it is its own ecosystem, everything is here.

Some kind of fly
A caterpillar?

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
William Blake