News

There is currently a lot of coverage in the press dedicated to the loss of biodiversity – in this country and across the world.
Now the Government is set to introduce a new initiative – Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). Any new development that disturbs green space will need to have a plan to deliver BNG. In simple terms the developer will have to ensure that a project/development maintains or enhances biodiversity.

This isn’t new and maintaining biodiversity has been a planning objective for many years. The whole 2012 Olympic project went to great lengths to deliver green infrastructure. It set and fulfilled its own very exacting targets and was an exemplar development in this respect.
Although still in its early stages, BNG is going to be measured, audited and monitored over years. It will be compulsory so there has to be a financial incentive, either as a grant or as a fine. So far it looks like the latter!
This is likely to mean that an ecologist or suitably qualified person will assess the state of the site before work starts and report back…

With a busy year ahead, we’ve recently appointed a new addition to our team.
Exciting news this month, as we can reveal we’ve appointed Phil Singleton to assist us to further service our growing customer base in the north of England. Welcome Phil!

Phil has a strong background in the horticultural and landscape industries, having formally worked for Icopal Limited (part of the BMI Group) and Greenscape UK (now trading as Fytogreen).
As former Deputy Chairman for GRO (Green Roof Organisation), Phil will use his skills to great advantage from the outset, as we’re currently working on several large wildflower roof projects. Watch this space for further details!
Phil’s appointment follows our northern expansion in 2017, with our production site situated in Helperby, Yorkshire complementing our Hampshire production facility. We have increased our overall capacity and our northern base also enables us to offer training to our Accredited Partners on a more regular basis.
As interest in, and demand for, our range of wildflower products continues to grow apace, we remain committed to providing our customers with outstanding service. Phil is highly qualified and will be instrumental in providing our northern…

Art may be in the eye of the beholder but as far as we are concerned the proof is very much in the pudding this month!
With spring just around the corner (we hope!) we’re delighted to share some lovely images of our Wildflower Turf Landscape Turf flourishing within the scenic grounds of The Wykeham Gallery in Hampshire.
The popular Gallery, one of the UK’s leading contemporary art galleries, exhibits paintings as well as an extensive selection of bronze sculptures, ceramics and glass by well-established British and International artists.

Situated on the High Street of Stockbridge, the main Gallery rooms open out into a Sculpture Garden, where space has been provided to exhibit an array of bronzes, ceramics and a collection of glass by the acclaimed glass blower Adam Aaronson.

With walls adorned by landscapes, the Gallery itself embarked on a major landscaping project of its own in the summer of 2017.  The Wykeham Gallery enlisted the support of Wildflower Turf Accredited Partners, Charlie’s Homes & Gardens, and the transformation of…

Want wildflowers but need them to catch the eye?
Launched in 2017, Wildflower Turf Ltd’s Native Enriched Turf™ was developed to provide maximum floral display providing more colour and interest than our Landscape Turf with the addition of naturalised annual and perennial species to our standard native wildflower mix.

It was designed with aesthetics very much in mind, the turf provides more of a “cottage garden” look compared to our other turf products but will naturalise as it settles into the local environment over time, typically flowering from April until September (weather dependent). It is a product that fits really well into areas of high visibility, either by the public in communal green spaces or for private customers in their own garden settings.

With an increased focus on landscaping that is both attractive and biodiverse, Native Enriched Turf has proven very popular with our clients as it appeals to a wide range of audience, as well as…

As 2018 draws to a close (how did that come about so quickly?), we thought we’d share with you a selection of projects and key highlights from our year. It’s been a very busy and rewarding twelve months for the Wildflower Turf Ltd team, and we’re looking forward to continuing to share news and insights with you as the New Year commences.
January 2018 saw us exhibiting again at the BTME BIGGA Turf Management exhibition Harrogate, and we’ll be there in 2019 too. Pop it in your diary and come and say hello!

Still in that part of the world and not too far away from Harrogate, The University of York formally opened The Piazza Learning Centre at the start of this year. Containing a range of high-quality learning spaces and facilities for those living and studying on the University’s Campus East, the area around the new building features 1,800m² of our Native Enriched Wildflower Turf. (Read more about this project here.)

A question we are often asked is, “What is the potential longevity of my wildflower meadow?” And our answer is, “It will be indefinite, if maintained well!”
Ten years ago, we worked with Accredited Partner Bill Welling from Lawn Man to enhance Ashley Manor in Hampshire and we were delighted to recently receive an update from Ashley Manor Head Gardener, Olly Samways. A decade on, the Ashley Manor meadow continues to thrive and delight.
Ashley Manor is a Grade II listed building, situated in the Test Valley. The original landscaping project was to cover the fairly steep banks to the rear of Ashley Manor with Wildflower Turf. The banks were south and west facing, in two tiers, and the Test Valley location meant they had chalky soil with only a thin layer of top soil to work with.

In September 2008, 655m² of Wildflower Turf was laid and, despite the challenging profile of the banks, the turf went down well and did not require any pegging. The September installation also meant that the turf did not require any additional watering.

With this year’s International Day of Peace falling on September 21, we were thrilled to attend the opening of a very special local garden in the Basingstoke War Memorial Park.

The overriding aim of the Peace Garden Project is to create a lasting celebration of peace and reconciliation which will provide a relaxing space in memory of all who suffered in past conflicts and which reflects hopes for lasting peace in the future.

The garden features a circular paved space with a central metal sphere, and pebble seating and benches surrounded by trees and wildflowers. Ten peace plaques designed by local schoolchildren have also been set into the ground.

The garden project was conceived in 2014 during the time of the commemoration of the centenary of the start of WW1, with project volunteers working closely with Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council to design the space.
Funding was raised via the Council’s Local Infrastructure Fund, as…

 Among their many benefits, the aesthetics of wildflowers and the associated joy that they bring cannot be understated. We were reminded of this recently during a conversation with Ewan Stutt, founder of the charity, Parkinsons.Me.
Joined by a group of committed volunteers, Ewan is the driving force behind the Parkinsons.Me Therapeutic Community Garden.

Located in West Lockinge, Oxfordshire, this community garden project has been two years in the making and was officially opened by Paul Mayhew-Archer (writer, producer, and script editor for the BBC) on Saturday, 15th September 2018.

Ewan himself was just 41 when, in 2013, he was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease. Ewan subsequently founded Parkinsons.Me, a charity established to offer positive support and advice to families affected by Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s disease, which mainly affects people over 50, is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years. Many people associate three motor symptoms with Parkinson’s; the tremor, slow movement and stiff inflexible muscles. However, many hidden symptoms such as loss of smell, anxiety, and…

As the leading supplier of Wildflower Turf products in the UK, we are passionate about supporting and encouraging action that promotes and improves biodiversity within the urban environment.
 To this end we’re delighted to announce that, as in previous years, Wildflower Turf Ltd will be the overall prize sponsor at the CIRIA BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards.  Now in its 5th year, the BIG Biodiversity Challenge invites the construction industry to add at least one new biodiversity enhancement to construction sites, developments or existing buildings.
With 2018 entries drawn from the likes of Skanska, Network Rail and Scottish and Southern Electricity, just to name a few, it is clear that engaging with the biodiversity agenda is of great concern, and indeed importance, to organisations up and down the country.
With voting (http://www.bigchallenge.info/2018-shortlisted-entries) for this year’s BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards now open, we thought it an opportune time to bring you a brief update on how last year’s overall winners, The RG Group (http://rg-group.co.uk/), utilised their prize.

The RG Group are construction specialists primarily focussed on the Living Space, Retail and…

The second installment of our tale of a community that has come together to transform their communal space. And won a Green Flag Community Award to boot!
The Katherine Buchan Meadow in Ealing, London had received enough funding to ensure that the key elements of their rejuvenation project were able to be completed. So where next for the project team?
With funding from Ealing Council’s “Transform Your Space” programme now confirmed, further community consultation was undertaken by the project team of Amanda and Sim, and landscaping preparation was able to be finalised.

Central to the green was a large mound. Delving into the annals of local history revealed that the mound itself dated from the 1970’s, but the resulting rubble contained within was dated much earlier. In 1876, four Alms Houses for single women of the parish were built by one Katherine Buchan, in honour of her father, also a local charitable figure.
When these Alms Houses were demolished in 1976, the resulting rubble was disposed of nearby, with the surrounding area turned into a green space. (Fittingly, the new meadow is…