A WALK WITH ME POST WHERE WE CHECK OUT THE HEDGES TO SEE WHAT'S RIPENING UP FOR AUTUMN.

So I haven't done a walk with me post in a bit so today I figured I'd go check the hedges around my house to see what medicines and fruits were ripening up for autumn. The pup above is the indelible monglet known as Sasha. She goes pretty much everywhere with me from pub to fields.

So down this big ol' puddin of a hill we trot.

Past the old cottages. The one on the right used to be a family run cider brewery but sadly brews no longer.

Round another curb we come to ye olde dairy... Just kidding. It's a modern one. I threw a filter on this picture because I thought it looked cool.

Back hiding across from the dairy is a beautiful little mid 19th century farm house that I'd love to own. In the middle of nowhere and away from people.

Around the curb past the dairy we turn on to the fields. I sort of see these hedges as a grocery store as there is a lot of useful stuff hidden in them. So much in fact it would take up several posts to cover all the edibles and non edibles growing. So for the sake of brevity I'm just including some easy to recognize plants.

The fellow above is by no means edible. Though it's a member of the potato family and is cousin to the tomato. This is Belladonna aka Deadly Night Shade. Some people have been known to accidentally pick them when picking Sloes and Elder Berries as they grow in extremely close proximity. But if you gobble one of these guys.. well let's just say you're in for a bad time.

These wonderful delights are called Sloes. You can use them to make amazing flavored Gins or tasty jams. As they are ripening up a bit early this year we soon will see the gin soaked Granny's come out in droves to raid the hedges in search of these little fellows to add to their hooch.

This is one of the more giving fruiting plants in the British countryside. The Elderberry has many uses. When it blooms you can use the blooms to make an alcoholic carbonated brew as the flowers contain a high quantity of yeast. The berries of course can be used for everything from jams to sauces. It is certainly one of my favorite fruiting bushes to work with.

So round the corner we go. This little stretch of hedge is the only one I've found in a mile either direction that has mother natures solution to ibuprofen growing on it.

This beautiful bush is called the Guelder Rose. Aka Cramp Bark. When the berries becomes fully ripe they look like glowing red currants. They taste like absolute sh** by the way but when used in jams or sauces produce a truly unique and amazing flavor. Lotsa sugar is needed basically. One of cup of these tart little guys contains more vitamin C than twelve oranges as well. The bark from the bush it's growing on earned the name Cramp Bark from it's uses in easing menstrual pains. But it was also used to make poultices, to ease pain in child birth, and to relieve cold and flu symptoms. I have used it for the cold before and though the teas tastes horrible it was incredibly fast acting. You can't take it if you're taking aspirin, on blood thinning medications, or have ulcers.

The berries above are wild Honeysuckle berries. Completely edible and utterly delicious. The sugar content in these little red fruits is through the roof. But you have to be cautious when picking them as toxic species like Black Bryony and Bitter Sweet tend to grow in the same habitat and have similar looking berries. Both are ridiculously toxic so as always use caution.

Speak of the devil. I found this little cluster of Bitter Sweet aka Woody Nightshade berries growing in the hedge so I figured I'd snap a pick. It's got that name because it's first bitter when bitten then taste sweet. After eating you can go a bit mad due to the toxic alkaloids it contains. I.e. extremely irritable, mild hallucinations, extreme abominable pain, nausea, vomiting. All the stuff that basically means mother nature wants us to leave it be basically. Still a pretty plant though.

This is a picture of the river and a little island in the middle of it where two centuries ago a mill used to be. The drought we have had has dropped water levels here so lot's of surface growth on the water. Good spot for pike fishing though.

As it was a hot my child said it was a bad day to be a dog and wanted to head home so we wandered our way back.

Today was one of those gray days in the UK where everything appeared kinda monochrome, but I figured I'd have a play with some filters and take a picture of the hay stacks that keep towering watch of the fields. Well folks that's it for now. Thanks for flipping through my little post and joining me for a walk round the hedges of old blighty. Looking forward to all your awesome content and as always keep on Steeming.