Public Places
Councils could be beacons of good practice and parks professionals could show the way forward, but they must make their case properly and tell the story well if they hope to persuade a sceptical public
Sheffield School planting at Wisley The National Pollinator Strategy represents
just one driver of potential new approaches to managing public land. In addition to mowing regimes, the last twenty years or so have seen naturalistic, ecology-based landscape planting styles and maintenance regimes develop, which were adopted early in Europe and are now, at last, gaining full credibility in the UK following the stunning success of the Olympic Park planting for London 2012. Variously termed Lebensbereich Planting (living space), Steppe Planting, Prairie Planting, Sheffield School Planting etc., they have replaced features such as herbaceous borders, flower borders and seasonal bedding with more sustainable low- maintenance plantings which can be used on a large scale. Originating in Germany and Holland but,
taking some cues from British plantspeople like Beth Chatto and Christopher Lloyd, these plantings give a rich display throughout the year over many years, evolve naturally, require no staking and minimum weeding, with just an annual cut in late winter, whilst providing food, shelter and nesting sites for a
wide range of wildlife. The work of, amongst others, Piet Oudolf
at the Chicago Botanic Gardens and at Wisley and Trentham with Tom Stuart-Smith, and the pictorial meadows and naturalistic planting styles created by Sheffield School leading lights Nigel Dunnett and James Hitchmough, most notably in the 2012 Olympic Park, sets a benchmark for developers, planners and parks professionals in establishing highly attractive, low- maintenance, wildlife-friendly planting in an era of dwindling budgets.
We would be interested to hear of your stories, successes or difficulties in coping with budget reductions, of implementing larger-scale long grass regimes, contemporary plantings, mowing frequency reduction challenges, especially any recorded improvement facts and statistics for wildlife value. We would be particularly interested in areas where developers and planners are recommending extensive wildflower or long grass regimes or naturalistic plantings in new developments. In future articles, we will discuss your case
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studies and ideas, plus how the emergence of community interest companies, outcome specifications and partnership contracts, super parks services, innovative funding streams and new pressures etc. could impact on the parks sector in the next decade. We would welcome your contributions to this debate, especially with case studies of your experiences with current issues. Send your thoughts to
editor@pitchcare.com
*Bombus distinguendus, Bombus humilis, Bombus muscorum, Bombus ruderarius, Bombus ruderatus, Bombus subterraneus (extinct, but UK genotype survives in New Zealand), Bombus sylvarum
About the author: A former Head of Environmental Services, Bernard Sheridan is a consultant providing advice and management support to local authorities and organisations. With a background in parks, countryside, horticultural and sports turf management, he has particular expertise in developing green space policies and strategies, community involvement and delivering operational plans and services. Bernard is an RHS Master of Horticulture, NDT(IoG) and a member of Chartered Institute of Horticulture.
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