Conservation & Ecology
Public interest in wildflower meadows and sustainable landscapes is at an all-time high. There is recognition throughout the groundcare and landscape industries that more needs to be done in the establishment of biodiverse areas within sports facilities and green amenity spaces.
Wildflower Turf Ltd’s Managing Director, James Hewetson-Brown, discusses the various methods of establishment
food source and habitat creation, you would imagine parks and golf courses, up and down the land, keen to convert vast areas of space to wildflower. As attractive as it sounds, successfully establishing a wildflower area is a landscaper’s nemesis. In the media. there have been plenty of
high profile ‘landscape experts’ who would have you believe that by raking through a patch of grass and throwing some wildflower seed over the top, you will very quickly have a beautiful wildflower meadow. The reality is all too often different, with the amount of work involved to establish a meadow more likely to be years rather than weeks. The early years of a planned meadow can
mean plenty of clearing, weeding and mowing. Alternatively, there is more of a scientific approach, with books and papers written about seed mixes and the relationship between one species and another and how they will or will not coexist
Methods to establish a wildflower area
Let’s look first at the different establishment methods that can be used to create a native perennial wildflower area.
Natural Regeneration of Grassland
This method can be used on an area of existing grassland or lawn, and is often known as naturalising. In its simplest form, it means leaving the area to grow and allowing nature to run its course. The area will naturally develop with just a small amount of management required. Whatever is already in this area or naturally migrates to the site, will be allowed to grow with just one annual cut. By changing management regime and techniques, seeds that have remained dormant in the soil for years may decide the time is right to make an appearance. By leaving it to nature, you relinquish control over what may grow and it is likely that, whilst biodiversity will be increased dramatically over the years, the overall visual representation of wildflowers may be less satisfying and the number of species limited in the short to medium term. Whilst there is a minimal amount of work
and effort involved with this methodology, the timescale is certainly years and not months and the overall look, without intervention, is more likely to resemble an unkempt hay meadow rather than a colourful wildflower meadow with a lower yield of wildflowers and biodiversity. With knowledge, enthusiasm and a great
deal of time, naturalising can be a great approach. It is a low cost method that works if there are realistic expectations on the amount of time and the amount of flowers that you would expect to see.
Seeding
Seeding with wildflowers is a long term commitment to creating a colourful wildflower meadow. One particular wildflower seed supplier has described adopting the seeding method to establish wildflowers as similar to creating an apple orchard, where you can only expect fruit five
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n theory, wildflower areas would seem an attractive proposition to most groundcare professionals. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing but there is little maintenance required once the
meadow is established. A wildflower area will need just one cut a year, where all of the arisings are collected from the site. Watering requirements are low, wildflowers are resilient to drought and, in fact, will perform better in drier years. There is no requirement for fertiliser or pesticides in order to keep the wildflowers competitive with invasive grasses; wildflowers flourish in low nutrient soil. With these factors ticking the environmental boxes, along with the obvious benefits for wildlife with regard to
104 I PC JUNE/JULY 2015
in a meadow. These approaches are polar opposites - one too simplistic to actually work and one too complicated to engage more than the most ardent enthusiast. Whilst much has been done to promote the benefits of having a perennial native wildflower meadow, little has been put forward to provide a proven, workable solution for the creation of a meadow. Therefore, an understanding of the methods of establishment of wildflowers is crucial in managing the expectations of the meadow maker. A pragmatic approach, providing sensible and realistic solutions, is essential if our natural landscapes are to benefit from the current resurgence of interest in wildflower meadows.
Whilst much has been done to
promote the benefits of having a perennial native wildflower meadow, little has been put forward to provide a proven, workable solution
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