Our creators, the Hewetson-Browns, have been farming in Hampshire for two generations, bringing valuable knowledge to the development of our biodiverse rich range of seeds, soil and wildflower turf.
20 years on from being the original innovators of Wildflower Turf, we are proud to now operate three sites, adding Shropshire and Yorkshire to our Ashe Warren Farm headquarters and research laboratory.
As the leading experts in Wildflower spaces, our passion to educate and inspire sustainable action and biodiversity gain through innovation is as strong as ever.
Here are some key milestones from our 20 year journey…
The journey could have been very different when after much hard work and development, the first square metre of wildflower turf (created by hand) was discarded! One month later, when it flowered, James realised there was an opportunity to create wildflower turf that would flourish and so the development continued!
2004 was our first RHS Chelsea Flower Show appearance, featuring in this delightful display. Fast forward to 2023 and wildflower spaces are proudly a regular feature in many designs, as awareness and understanding of biodiversity and the importance of wildflower spaces has increased.
The first Green Roof, developed in 2004, as shown by this delightful feature above a children’s garden playhouse.
Image credit: Nick Rogers
The green roof projects have certainly grown in size and stature since then! The 2020 Skelton Lake Services project helps filter dust and pollution from the air and rainfall, enhances biodiversity, whilst absorbing and reducing low frequency sounds from the nearby motorway, with the extensive build up insulating up to 40dB, all with the added bonus of improving aesthetics.
In 2023, James Hewetson-Brown was voted onto the GRO (The Green Roof Organisation) board and as a sector leader, James is able to help support the growth of this key biodiversity gain further and impact his knowledge via this not-for-profit organisation.
Not content with supply and development, James Hewetson-Brown released ‘How to make a Wildflower Meadow’ in 2016. This highly acclaimed 256-page book details practical advice and new establishment techniques to overcome an otherwise difficult process of establishing a wildflower meadow. At the heart of the book is a collection of 30 case studies in private gardens, public spaces and community gardens. The constant teachings are yet another example of how we look to share knowledge through education and increase biodiversity.
To the next 20 years…
Our first 20 years have been incredible and we proudly reflect on what we have achieved and how far Wildflower Turf Ltd and the sector has come. We now look forward to the exciting future ahead over the next 20 years as we strive to further achieve our vision of creating a more sustainable environment, whereby wildflower spaces become an inspiring norm.