News

…something beginning with ‘W’.
Wildflower Turf to be precise! In July we were approached by Paul Hermon from Green & Gorgeous who’s brief was to supply and install a mature meadow for a site in Somerset, which needed to be around 260m². It needed to be mature due to the fact that it was needed for filming.

During the summer months we always hold back some of our Wildflower Turf so that it has the opportunity to become more mature. We hold mature stock right up until the autumn when we would then need to mow it, so that it is ready for the winter. This is because we have supplied our mature turf for filming projects in the past, as well as many of the prestigious flower shows, and its roots will establish quite quickly once installed, if your project requires it to. Logistically with the mature turf it would need to be delivered flat on an artic lorry, to avoid squashing or breaking the stems.

So what exactly was the filming for?

In a nutshell it was…

We have surely all by now, come across the statistic that wildflower meadows have declined by 97% since the Second World War, and that the majority of the ancient hay meadows which have survived are in desperately poor condition. Something that is not so shouted about, (and should be) is that research has shown that not only are meadows valuable wildlife habitats, but they are really efficient at absorbing and storing carbon.

Research carried out by Miles King Director of Conservation for the Grassland Trust has highlighted that grasslands lock up a fifth of all soil carbon in the UK. This is significantly more than woodland cover. In fact grasslands store on average up to 3 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year, which is more than double the amount that British woodlands store. Although it is worth noting that certain species of tree will be capable of absorbing up to 3.5 tonnes.
How do they do this? Plant litter and other biomass accumulates as organic matter in soils, and is degraded by chemical weathering and biological degradation. Grasslands contribute to soil organic matter, stored mainly in their extensive fibrous root mats. Miles King explained that carbon absorbed into the soil by becoming organic matter is…

Recently due to a very prestigious order of bespoke wildflower turf we have had to expand our production area!
Wildflower meadows have become catching so it would seem, especially since the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. The colourful meadows that were showcased on the sets of the ceremonies bought the option of wildflower meadows to the masses!

Admittedly the Wildflower Turf seen at the Olympics was mainly annual mixes, which gives that extra boost of colour, however, a traditional perennial meadow can offer many benefits to wildlife, especially the pollinating insects, with the added bonus that it is very low maintenance once established.

Here at Ashe Warren Farm we mainly produce a meadow mix that has perennials and grasses, which will give year on year flowers providing it is managed correctly. We also produce green roof meadow turf which is a slightly different mix to our landscape meadow turf.

We are also in the process of growing bespoke mixes for a number of different sites each of…

What are grasslands exactly…..

Wildlife-rich grasslands were at the heart of the English landscape. It has been suggested that they have been in existence for over 6000 years, created as a result of human activity. This means that although they are not purely ‘natural’ they are termed ‘semi-natural’ and are of vital importance.

Why?

Quite simply their wildlife encompasses native species which have adapted and evolved to reply upon them for food, shelter and therefore their very survival. Species include birds such as the barn owl, skylark, and lapwing; mammals like voles and hares, as well as many types of invertebrates such as butterflies and bees. They also support an incredibly rich and diverse array of flora. For example, the green-winged orchid, ox-eye daisy and common mouse-ear. They also support more priority species of wildlife than any other habitat. 

In the last seventy years it is estimated that 98% of the UK’s wildlife-rich grasslands have been destroyed as a result of intensive agriculture, neglect and urban development.  Those sites that have survived, particularly lowland meadows, are now so small they no longer support the…

If you are limited for space in your garden then have you considered looking around for any suitable buildings or out-buildings you may have. You only need a small area to convert to a green roof and it will make a difference. It will encourage bees and butterflies and a whole host of insects.
Traditionally, the design of green roofs was angled almost entirely from an engineering perspective. Much documentation was therefore focused around the fact that green roofs are grown on a shallow substrate and require practically no irrigation or other maintenance of any kind.
More recently researchers have concentrated on the role that green roofs play in the conservation of biodiversity, especially in towns and cities, where as you would expect, natural habitats are few and far between. Although they have only produced a small body of evidence suggesting that green roofs can indeed provide living space…

Has the BBC comes up trumps again with their new gardening program Flowerpot gang? The program focuses on a team travelling the country where they transform neglected plots of land into life-changing spaces.
The program does seem to have attracted mixed views, on the positive side, it’s never a bad idea to try to appeal to a wide audience with the hope of encouraging the benefits of improving green spaces whether they are private gardens or community gardens. Add to that the fact that they are transforming gardens for very worthy causes, and you have an honorable idea.
What was interesting is the fact that they had chosen to install a wildflower meadow. By incorporating a wildflower meadow into the planting scheme means that a large area can be transformed with ease into a bio-diverse habitat which will be a haven for wildlife. It’s also a low maintenance option which is always a bonus.
Have a look at the review of the program in The Telegraph. Maybe the only negative angle could be, as with all of these ‘garden make-over’ programs, it negates to really illustrate the fact that to actually transform any garden/community space into…

We received a lovely email from one of our customers recently telling us that she was really happy with the wildflower meadow she has now incorporated into her garden scheme by using our Wildflower Turf.

200m² of Wildflower Turf will not only look aesthetically pleasing but will of course add to the overall biodiversity of the area, and will undoubtedly encourage butterflies and bees.

Our client was kind enough to include a few photos of her newly completed garden and what makes these pictures so quintessential is the fact that her 3-year-old daughter is featured in them! She commented, ‘I thought you might like the pictures I have attached of my little 3 year old daughter enjoying the meadow on her birthday’.

It’s so lovely to see that all ages can enjoy the peace and tranquillity a meadow can offer.

Paul Hermon from the landscape design company Green & Gorgeous recently ordered some Wildflower Turf. He has kindly sent us some pictures saying that ‘the meadow is growing wonderfully well and the early flowers are already a riot of colour’.
Paul plans to cut a spiral into the turf, which will give an interesting twist on a wildflower meadow.

We look forward to seeing how the turf looks next spring!!

“Sustainable development satisfies the needs of the present generation without compromising the chance for future generations to satisfy theirs”
Brundtland Report (1987)
In 1992 at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), (Rio de Janeiro) most of the world’s nations committed themselves to protect the Earth’s environment, biodiversity, our habitat, non-renewable and natural resources.
‘It needs to be combined simultaneously with economic, social and political development particularly geared to the benefit of the poorest members of society,’ (the Olympic Movements’s action programme for sustainable development).
In the twenty-first century sustainable development, as defined above, was adopted as being central to any implementation of development plans. The Olympic Movements’s action programme for sustainable development had guidelines to ensure that this criteria was met. One of the elements included:
Improving socio-economic conditions – One such element within this objective is to place sport everywhere, with the view to encouraging a peaceful society. As mentioned on a previous blog general health can surely be improved with access to open green spaces making the conservation of open green spaces and the natural environment even more vital. It can become even more potent to the overall wellbeing of society by promoting sports activities, facilities and events, which is…

During the spring and summer months we host a number of open days and tours here at Ashe Warren Farm.
We have gained plenty of experience over the years in growing bespoke turf to a wide range of specifications ensuring that the turf fits the needs of the client and site alike. This is achieved by working closely with ecologists, landscape architects, large construction firms and garden designers.

 
If you have a large project and need a bespoke solution then get in touch with us.