John T. White
illustrated by Eric Thomas 1980
I forget how this one made it into our collection, but I had fun pulling it out and reading it recently.
"As an historical record and as a nature reserve, there is little dispute that the hedgerow provides the best possible statement of the balance which exists between the work of man and his natural environment. " -John T. White
Full of the history of the hedgerow and all of the natural plants and trees and animals and birds that inhabit it. The pictures and text take us through the centuries and seasons. Medieval peasants used the hedgerow for food, fuel and medicine. The Tudor era saw the landscape changed to titled landowners and the Victorian times had private land divided and developed further. All of this affected how the hedgerow was grown, maintained, and what biodiversity existed. Really fascinating! There is so much good information here about history and plants and animals you almost forget just how beautiful and informative the accompanying pictures are.
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