Britain has lost around half its hedgerows since the Second World War. The wildlife that depended on them has followed a similar trajectory. 🌿 The old field boundary — a strip of blackthorn, hawthorn, dog rose, and elder two to five metres wide between cultivated ground — was not wasted agricultural space. It was a functioning ecological system that maintained pollinators, pest predators, and farmland birds across centuries of working land. Each hedgerow is a nesting corridor for grey partridge and skylark, a foraging habitat for brown hares and hedgehogs, a site for solitary bee colonies, and a windbreak for the crops alongside it. The field cultivated to its very edge gives the maximum return this season. It removes the populations of beneficial insects, farmland birds, and small mammals on which stable long-term production depended. The field with a hedgerow yields a few percent less per cultivated hectare — but remains productive across decades without compensatory chemical inputs. The documented declines in grey partridge, lapwing, and skylark across the British agricultural landscape since the 1970s are directly linked to field consolidation and hedgerow removal. Practical equivalents for the garden or smallholding: - A strip of wildflower meadow at least one metre wide at the plot boundary - A clump of nettles in a shaded corner as a habitat base for red admiral, small tortoiseshell, and peacock butterflies - A native mixed hedge of blackthorn and hawthorn in place of post-and-wire fencing - A section of uncut grass between rows of fruit trees #HedgerowHabitat #FarmlandWildlife #NativeHedge #GardenWildlife

Three things any garden can do: Do not cut between March and August. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, intentional destruction of an active bird's nest is a criminal offence. Nesting birds in hawthorn depend on this window. A June trim destroys broods in progress. Cut once per year, in winter, with hand tools or a light trim. Retain the one- and two-year growth that carries next spring's flowers. Plant hawthorn. If a privet, cherry laurel, or Leyland cypress hedge needs replacing, substitute a mixed native hedge of hawthorn, blackthorn, elder, guelder rose, hazel, and field maple. A certified hawthorn plant costs around £3 to £5 and within ten years produces a hedge that flowers in May, fruits in September, shelters twenty or more nesting bird species, and will outlive everyone who plants it. Hawthorn does not invade. It protects, feeds, and endures for five centuries. That is precisely why it has been allowed to disappear. 🌱 #HedgerowHabitat #NativeHedge #WildlifeGardening #GardenWildlife

Britain has lost around half its hedgerows since the Second World War. The wildlife that depended on them has followed a similar trajectory. 🌿 The old field boundary — a strip of blackthorn, hawthorn, dog rose, and elder two to five metres wide between cultivated ground — was not wasted agricultural space. It was a functioning ecological system that maintained pollinators, pest predators, and farmland birds across centuries of working land. Each hedgerow is a nesting corridor for grey partridge and skylark, a foraging habitat for brown hares and hedgehogs, a site for solitary bee colonies, and a windbreak for the crops alongside it. The field cultivated to its very edge gives the maximum return this season. It removes the populations of beneficial insects, farmland birds, and small mammals on which stable long-term production depended. The field with a hedgerow yields a few percent less per cultivated hectare — but remains productive across decades without compensatory chemical inputs. The documented declines in grey partridge, lapwing, and skylark across the British agricultural landscape since the 1970s are directly linked to field consolidation and hedgerow removal. Practical equivalents for the garden or smallholding: - A strip of wildflower meadow at least one metre wide at the plot boundary - A clump of nettles in a shaded corner as a habitat base for red admiral, small tortoiseshell, and peacock butterflies - A native mixed hedge of blackthorn and hawthorn in place of post-and-wire fencing - A section of uncut grass between rows of fruit trees #HedgerowHabitat #FarmlandWildlife #NativeHedge #GardenWildlife

#Biodiversity #Bee #nativehedge #Pollinators #Beefriendly #Gaa #StMaurs #Volunteers #Hazel #Whitethorn #SDGs #Climatechange #Friday #Trump

Having cut the pittisporum back a few weeks ago we decided to replace it with native hedging #hawthorn #hazel #beech #guelderrose #fieldmaple #elder #crabapple #nativehedge #massey35 @28miles

Blackthorn #nativehedge

We've planted hundreds of native hedging & tiny forest trees with Blenheim Road & Coed Eva Primary! 🌳 Alder, Elder, Birch & Rowan will create a diverse habitat for wildlife. Students loved planting & learning about the benefits! 😀🐝🐞🐦 #nativehedge #tinyforest #biodiversity

We planted this #nativehedge in February - it's great to see it 7 months on. It's grown so much! We've removed a lot of brambles and weeds to prepare for this new #lawn #nativeplants #hawthorn #blackthorn #dogrose #birdcherry #fieldmaple #hazel #landscapers #gardenlover

Wild plums harvested and steeping in brandy, sugar and spices in anticipation of winter evenings by the fire. #GardenFruit #WildPlum #NativeHedge #PlumBrandy #Liqueur #DeferredGratification #2023Harvest #WinterPleasures #ALittleSomethingToLookForwardTo

Lovely to see the dog rose doing so well at the back of my garden, I planted native hedge several years ago, but this is the best year yet 😀 #wildgarden #nativehedge #pollinators

If this came from Asia everyone would be desperate to grow it in the garden. A particularly lovely hawthorn in our shelter belt! #hawthorn #crataegus #crataegusmonogyna #nativehedge

Good morning @_JoelAshton .. Please, can you advise on a good hedgerow to plant that is attractive to pollinators, pretty quick growing and dense to achieve a 9 - 10ft height, good soil, full sun, not sheltered. #Pollinators #NativeHedge 🐝 🦋

Cleared lots of old brambles to make way for planting new mixed native hedging on the farm 😍 1000 to plant in total so will keep us busy for a while ! #nativehedge #hawthorn #hazel #holly #blackthorn #guelderrose #islesofscilly

Superhighway of hedgerows set to protect wildlife. We need many more of these! #biodiversity #nativehedge #wildlife #birds #pollinators #mammals @UlsterWildlife @Irishwildlife @BioDataCentre bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-6434… via @BBCNews

A large, overbearing hedge with quite a few dead trees has been recently taken out by Bristol's Gnarly Trees #treesurgeons We have cleared this section and prepared the ground to plant #bareroot #nativehedging in January - looking forward to seeing them go in! #nativehedge

As you all loved the still images of our young, diverse, shelter belt and hedgerow, we thought you’d enjoy this video🍁🍂 Our small woodland is a mix of native trees and shrubs planted in 2014. This includes… 1/3 #habitatcreation #nativehedge #shelterbelt #hedgerow #ukcountry

Hawthorn blossom in my native hedge. Have a great day 😀 #wildlifegarden #nativehedge #wildgarden

If you plant it it will grow 🌳 #hedgerow #tipperary #nativehedge

I guess I’ll start with the crab apple and then work my way through the guelder rose and hazel, and then blackthorn and dog rose, and finish with the hawthorn. Ordering 325 was a good idea at the time 😂🌳 #NativeHedge #FarmlandBiodiversity #AllIrelandPollinatorPlan

Hedge planting event on Saturday afternoon at Malcolm Road, Ipswich for @IpswichGov Hopefully the weather will be kind! @WildIpswich #hedgeplanting #nativehedge #treeplanting #NationalTreeWeek