This week for ABC Wednesday the letter is H My first for the letter H is ………
HEDGEHOG
The hedgehog is common in parks, gardens and farmland throughout mainland Britain and Ireland. This photograph was taken in my Aunt’s garden a couple of years ago.
They eat beetles, worms, caterpillars, slugs and almost anything they can catch, but little plant material. People encourage hedgehogs into their gardens and often feed them.
Hedgehogs travel about 1-2km each night, males more than females. They return to the same daytime nest for a few days then use another, perhaps returning to an old nest at a later date. Hedgehogs live for up to 10 years, but this is exceptional; over half die before their first birthday and average life expectancy is about 2-3 years.
Next is ……..HEDGE
Hedges define boundaries; give privacy in a garden and shelter. In the countryside they keep animals in or out 
In Great Britain there are many fields surrounded by hedges. In the Middle Ages landlords enclosed their land with walls or hedges to create boundaries. Enclosure Acts in the 18th and 19th centuries allowed farmers to put more hedges round their fields and most of Britain’s 300 000 miles or so of hedges date from this time. My next H is …………HERB GARDEN
This Herb Garden is in Glastonbury Abbey, the first two views are the summer garden.
This is the Herb garden in the Autumn 
And this is what the Herb Garden looks like now, it has been cleared
ready for the new growth in the spring.
Lastly H is for ...... Heather
Growing along the top of the wall in this photograph is Heather
Heather is a beautiful plant which grows mainly on moorland and heaths; it is also cultivated for growing in gardens. If you would like to learn more about Heathers visit the Heather Society here.
ABC Wednesday was started by Mrs Nesbitt; visit her site here for more information and to join.
Hedges define boundaries; give privacy in a garden and shelter. In the countryside they keep animals in or out
In 
This is the Herb garden in the Autumn
And this is what the 
WOW all of your pictures are WONDERFUl
ReplyDeleteHerb Garden, Hubby is to build me one this spring...
love the photos so beautiful
THe Hedge hog is neat
Wonderful photos!! Great H:)
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day:)
I really enjoyed reviewing your photos ie I've just caught up with G for Glastonbury & the rest.
ReplyDeleteLovely shots!
Loved the herb garden. The preparation was incredible.
ReplyDeleteE is for envy. OH, but today is a H-post day, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteJust the same I'm envious of two of your H photos:
1. Hedgehog. OH they're so cute...and so great for the garden. I wish they could survive here in Canada.
2. Heather. I've tried to grow it but either my climate is a touch too cold or my soil has too high a pH. Gosh, heather is beautiful.
So cute! We have a hedgehog in our garden too. I don't know if it is the same all over the world, but here in Norway with the cold winters the hedgehog goes to sleep through the coldest mounths. But one year in januray I meet our garden hedgehog out walking!!! Poor little guy! A few days later we got snow... But I meet him later that spring... I guess he just needed some air:D
ReplyDeleteLove all your photos. The gardens are beautiful. I remember the hedghogs. They are so cute.
ReplyDeleteGreat H-post,beautiful photos:o)
ReplyDeleteSomeone else posted a hedgehog....I had never heard of one and now I am seeing two.
ReplyDeleteOh, we had a hedgehog visit us in Wales - in a housing estate! I've only ever seen that one.
ReplyDeleteI love your heather photo.
I love the hedgehog i don't think we have them here roaming around we have Rock Chucks and as soon as they start coming out i will take photo of them, they hibernate in the winter.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of your photos are lovely as well
good "h" words! I especially like the hedgehog!
ReplyDeleteWoW..some very beautifully captured shots...lovely views!
ReplyDeleteThe impression I have of your H post is that it is very very British. I know that sounds rather silly, but nowhere but in England would you find each and every one of these H examples shown in the way they are here.
ReplyDeleteWE have hedges, but not like yours. We have heather. We have herb gardens (here pronounced erb gardens) but not nearly as extensive as what you have shown. And we do sometimes have hedgehogs, but only kept as rather exotic and expensive pets.
I love hedgehogs. I have a couple little stuffed ons -- I mean toys, not real, stuffed ones! Ü I also have some rubber stamp blocks with hedgehogs ont hem for valentine's day cards. You have lots of neat H examples!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photographs. I don't think I've ever seen a hedgehog and it looks like that one posed for you. I love hedges instead of fences, especially ones that aren't pruned into unnatural shapes so I liked the ones you took. I also love herb gardens and heather. This whole post was great for me to see. So many images I enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a hedgehog close enough to take sucha picture. You were so luck to see him! Like the heather too!
ReplyDeleteNice picture of the hedgehog! A pity about them and modern society, as any motorist can see for themselves on the roads in the summer.
ReplyDeleteLots of good "H"S......
ReplyDeleteLovely photos for H. I especially enjoyed the heather.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking at your blog for news and good pictures! You haven't been around lately, hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteOh, I wish we had hedgehogs.....I would love to see one in real life, not just a picture. They are soooo cute.
ReplyDelete