With much in the news at the moment about Councils cutting costs it is hardly a surprise to read in Horticulture Week magazine this week, that one council is beginning to transfer maintenance of public spaces in villages and towns to local town and parish councils. HOw long will it be before others follow suit?
So what will they do with these village greens, verges and open spaces at their disposal? One solution could be to create wildflower meadows.
How any village greens have always been trimmed within an inch of their lives that couldn’t benefit from a little natural “wildness” to encourage bees, butterflies and moths. Everyone likes to see a village green, with a pond, seating area etc. at the centre of the community. But structured areas are not really in keeping with the countryside, so why not transform just a bit of the area into a wildflower meadow?
Areas that could benefit from such a transformation would be pond edges, an area in the corner of a green that gets full sun, or even an area of dappled shade that would benefit from being brightened up with wildflowers. Plus any of those scrubby areas that presently could do with a facelift.
The results come with huge dividends as habitats are created for Bees, Butterflies and Moths, increases of which everyone can benefit from. Birds are also attracted to the insects that feed off the nectar as well as seeds from various plants and grasses.