Category Archives: The Hedge Philosopher
Forthcoming events, talks about hedges…
I’ve got a couple of events booked over the next month or so: On 20th June at 6.30 I’ll be at the Idler Academy in West London. Full details on that one should be up soon on their website if … Continue reading
Filed under Literary Hedges, The Hedge Philosopher
Museums at Night, Talk on Hedges, Friday 18th 6.30pm
I’ll be down in Lyme Regis on Friday, at the Museum to talk a bit about the history of British hedges. It starts at 6.30. Then afterwards, it is the Moth Ball, with Dr Phil Starling, a dusk walk to … Continue reading
Filed under The Hedge Philosopher
Britishness and the Hedge (and Burgess Hill)
I’m in Burgess Hill, the town where I grew up. The last of my family moved away over twenty years ago and I have lost touch with most people I knew here. It is a dormitory town, an hour from … Continue reading
Filed under Historical Hedges, Rural Britain, The Hedge Philosopher
Hedge Britannia – finished copy of the book
This is exciting, I got the first finished copy of the book yesterday – the nice people have Bloomsbury have done a great job of production (not to mention the many editorial improvements they made or persuaded me to make … Continue reading
Filed under Literary Hedges, The Hedge Philosopher
Hedge Britannia – nice new cover for the book
Those nice people at Bloomsbury have been working on typsetting and designing the book, and have just sent me this new cover, which I think is looking lovely. (Click on it for a larger view). It’s out in May.
Filed under The Hedge Philosopher
Nietzsche’s thoughts on gardening for future generations
I wouldn’t usually go to Nietzsche expecting gardening advice. But rereading a bit of Human, All Too Human, I came across this quote, which chimes in unexpectedly closely with something I’ve been trying to say in the book: An essential … Continue reading
Filed under Garden History, The Hedge Philosopher
Why Don’t Snails Eat Weeds?
The two main irritants in my garden are snails and weeds. The weeds never seem to get the message that they are not welcome. I’m sure I’m not the first gardener to wonder why snails, who are so keen on … Continue reading
Filed under Gardening Thoughts, The Hedge Philosopher
Witches and fairies in the hedgerow
Following on from the last post, fairies are often found living in or emerging from hedges in British folk tales – which makes sense because hedges symbolise boundaries and often work as magical gateways, and also because they divide the … Continue reading
Filed under Hedge Mythology, The Hedge Philosopher
The Hedge People
I wrote recently about the use of hedge- as a derogatory prefix, as for instance in the adjective “hedge-born” which means “of low birth” or “born under a hedge”. However there is an alternative usage of “hedge-” which I think … Continue reading
Filed under Historical Hedges, Rural Britain, The Hedge Philosopher
Hedge- as a prefix
From the sixteenth century onwards, when prefixed to any word, “hedge” referred to something vile, or of the lowest class – from the contemptuous usage of “plying one’s trade under a hedge”. So there were hedge-doctors, hedge-lawyers, and even hedge-wenches.In … Continue reading
Filed under Hedge Politics, Historical Hedges, The Hedge Philosopher
