Conservation & Ecology
Kim Blake on a patch ready to be seeded
look of the course - for players and visitors. The flowers would be good for the bees, and provide habitats for insects and small mammals. We tried some wildflower seed mixtures in 2011, but weren’t happy with the results. And then I bumped into Kim at BTME who invited me over to his course to see what he’d been doing.”
Flowers at Gaudet Luce
After a visit to Fulford Heath last year, Andy went ahead with sowing a variety of mixtures across nearly two acres of the Gaudet Luce course. Game cover mixtures and
environmental mixtures, which were specifically formulated to provide seeds for birds, and pollen for bees, were sown on the larger out of play areas. “These mixtures aren’t particularly aesthetically pleasing in the second year, so we will re- sow after the first year,” says Andy. As well as sowing Douce France like Kim, Andy also tried another Colour Splash mixture: Jour de Fête. This mixture reaches a height of just over one metre, and contains Cornflowers, several Cosmos varieties and a new variety of Zinnia which flowers several times through the season. “These flower mixtures provide colour - not just around the clubhouse - but also against the in-play areas, sides of walkways and backs of tees. They also
Gaudet Luce - rolling after seeding
look good either side of the walkways between holes. These are areas we would otherwise have to mow.” “The flowers have generated a lot of comments from our own members and visitors here during open competitions, especially from the Ladies and Seniors,” he comments. “They are a talking point and make people appreciate the course. As for the wildlife - despite the poor weather last year, we saw a huge increase in bees and insects.” To establish the new flower areas last
year, Andy first sprayed off the grass in March and then left it for 10-15 days before rotovating. After another 10-15 days, it was sprayed again to kill off any emergent weeds. The Colour Splash seed mixtures were mixed with kiln-dried sand in a 400g/25kg ratio, and sown in the second week of April using a fertiliser spreader. “After sowing, we chain-harrowed the
ground before rolling. But we won’t this year as there were a few areas where we think the seeds may have been buried too deep. Instead, we will attempt to hand rake the areas lightly before rolling.”
“Once established, the plants outcompete the weeds, and there’s zero maintenance required - no fertiliser and no herbicides.” For this year, Andy will be keeping the game cover and birdfeeder mixtures
rolling on into the second year, for the benefit of the wildlife. And he will re-sow the Colour Splash and bee mixtures. Andy adds: “One of the main reasons for trying the flower mixtures was that we wanted to have something new and different for the course. And now it’s been such a success, we’re going to continue to dedicate more areas to flowers! I’m very much looking forward to trying out some of the new mixtures in the range this season!”
Bee Mix at Gaudet Luce Golf Club
Colour Splash Amenity Flower Mixture
Rothwell, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire LN7 6DT
Tel: 01472 371471
amenity@limagrain.co.uk www.limagrain.co.uk/amenity
APRIL/MAY 2013 PC 49
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