Wildflowers provide an abundance of benefits. Aesthetics aside, these great all-rounders can transform your green space and help our fragile planet at the same time.
According to The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, the UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s. This makes the requirement to “rewild” the UK even more important than ever. Did you know that about 35% of the world’s food crops need insects to pollinate them?
Wildflower meadows are important feeding and nesting habitats for insects, butterflies, birds, small animals and other wildlife. A rich variety of insect life will encourage other animals like hedgehogs, birds and bats into the area. However, if one group of species is in decline, that can lead to the loss of many more, with insects and pollinators on the lowest and most vulnerable rung.
There are a whole host of wonderful resources available to help get you started on your meadow journey. Our own blog contains a wealth of information and the Plantlife website is also an amazing resource that is well worth a look. The Wildlife Trust’s website has a brilliant and very visual wildflower ready-reckoner to help you identify your large thyme from your dwarf thistle and the Woodland Trust also has several areas dedicated to wildflowers on their website.
No room for a meadow? No problem! There are many ways you can still get involved and act to help pollinators and make sure their populations are sustained:
> Grow more flowers, shrubs and trees.
> Let your garden grow wild.
> Cut your grass less often.
> Don’t disturb insect nest and hibernation spots.
> Think carefully about whether to use pesticides.
Ready to make the leap to meadow? Find your nearest Wildflower Turf® / MeadowScape Pro™ installer here.