Hedge Britannia

Celebrating the history and the glory of the British hedgerow.

An absorbing celebration of the ecology, biology and cultural history of the rich hedgerow heritage in the British Isles. Much of the UK is intensively farmed, and in such landscapes hedges are often the only refuge for wildlife. In addition to providing shelter, protection and food for animals, they also connect and bind together the patches of habitat that do remain, as well as playing vital roles in soil conservation and flood prevention – in short, they are vital for nature's recovery. In Hedges, Robert Wolton brings together decades of research, while also incorporating personal experiences from his farm in Devon, to explore the ecology, nature conservation and wider environmental values of our hedges. From improving water quality and producing wood fuel as a renewable energy source to the use of hedges in boosting crop pollination, this engaging and authoritative book will help to inspire people to value and look after the remarkably rich hedgerow heritage we have in the British Isles. Containing more than 300 photographs and figures, this latest addition to the British Wildlife Collection is a comprehensive commentary on hedges and our relationship with them.

A practical, ordinary person's guide to choosing, planting, and caring for the world's most popular plants, Shrubs & Hedges delivers all the know-how you'll need to grow beautiful, healthy shrubs. Whether they're flowering shrubs or evergreen hedges, these long-lived plants fill a lot of space in our landscapes; yet they don't capture as much attention as perennials, annuals, and even trees. The front doors and picture windows of millions of houses world-wide are adorned by shrubs. Despite their ubiquity, selecting and maintaining shrubs remains a mystery to many. Shrubs are all-too-often inappropriately pruned into "meatball" shapes, or alternatively, left to become an overgrown tangle of branches. But as you'll discover in the pages of Shrubs & Hedges, when cared for properly, these workhorse plants have much to offer. They mask foundations, delineate property lines, increase privacy, stabilize soils, provide food for wildlife, and add beauty and interest to the landscape. It’s time for shrubs to take center stage. Shrubs & Hedges eliminates the ambiguities of shrub selection and care by offering: Advice on how to pick the best shrubs for your growing conditions Plant profiles of both dependable classic shrubs and new rising stars Step-by-step propagation instructions for making more shrubs—for free! Shrub identification tips A lesson on the value of hedges and hedgerows The best shrubs for pollinators and other wildlife Pruning illustrations and tips to maximize shrub performance and health Tips for designing with shrubs Drawing on her decades of experience in the plant-care and landscape industries, author and horticulture educator Eva Monheim proves you don’t have to be a “gardener” to see the value in this extensive group of plants.