News

Last week our head of Research & Development; Helen Simmen, was lucky enough to attend a reception evening for the Save Our Wild Isles campaign, organised about by the charities WWF, RSPB and The National Trust.

Held in The College Garden in the middle of Westminster, the event aimed to bring together business leaders, members of Parliament and nature advocates to highlight the importance of taking immediate action to protect and restore nature in the UK. Centred around the David Attenborough BBC TV series Wild Isles, which aired earlier this year, the campaign has been put together by the three charities to inspire people to value UK nature and take action to protect it through a sense of collective agency. A major part of this has been the People’s Assembly for Nature and the People’s Plan for Nature which came about as a result.

At the reception were representatives of the three charities who presented information on the People’s Plan for Nature, including their hopes and ambitions for political, business and community driven action that will come about as a result. Helen spoke to a representative from WWF who explained how the project has been…

Milton Park benefits from our wildflower consultancy service

We pride ourselves on being the UK’s leading wildflower specialists. As a solutions-led business, our experienced consultancy team is well-versed in providing assistance to a wide variety of professionals, organisations and councils within the landscaping and built environment sector.

A recent recipient of our consultancy expertise has been Milton Park.

Milton Park is a dynamic and vibrant science, business and technology park in Oxfordshire, situated between Didcot and Abingdon. Spread across 250 acres, Milton Park is home to 250 companies and 9,000 people.

We are no strangers to the site itself, having supplied Milton Park with 1,520m2 of Meadowscape ProTM Landscape 34 in March 2021 and 60m2 of SuDs Wildflower Turf in July 2021.

At the request of Peter King, Associate Director of Facilities Manager at CBRE (Milton Park), working with landscape maintenance provider, Nurture Landscapes, Wildflower Turf Ltd was asked to examine a number of wildflower-led areas and provide expertise in order to:

Wildflower Turf are passionate about supporting biodiversity and positively impacting our environment and natural habitat. The UK is at the bottom of the G7 league table for how much biodiversity it has left and is placed in the lowest 12% of global countries and territories for biodiversity intactness.

As well as our range of biodiverse products, education and consultancy, another positive impact we have is by supporting national conservation projects, such as the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme and The Big Butterfly Count.

We are driven by our passion and this knowledge helps us understand the kinds of pollinators that each of our range of wildflower products are benefitting. Internally, these projects help develop our team’s knowledge, aiding them to identify both flowers and the pollinators.

We will share our research with our customers and Accredited Partners, enabling us to show in real terms how their Wildflower installations are benefitting biodiversity.

These efforts are also contributing to citizen science, using our time and expertise to inform research.

UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme

The UKPoMS survey season is well under way. In 2023, it began on 1st April and will run until 23rd September.

The Pollinator Monitoring and…

The great glyphosate debate: an in-depth look into the science behind this controversial herbicide, including our stance on its use for wildflower spaces from the research & development team at Wildflower Turf. 

It’s no secret that glyphosate, also known as Roundup, has a bit of a chequered past and it has certainly had its fair share of newspaper column space over the last few years. So it might seem odd to you that we are still recommending its use in certain circumstances, but Helen from our research & development team is here to delve into the science behind it and explain why it’s still one of our recommended options for creating biodiverse wildflower spaces. 

Firstly, a little background information  

Glyphosate is an organophosphate herbicide, or weedkiller, that was developed by the agrochemical giant Monsanto (since bought out by Bayer) in the 1970s.1 It was originally marketed as an agricultural weed control method, and its impact on agriculture was so profound that it has been described “as important for reliable global food production as penicillin is for battling disease”. 2 It quickly became the most used herbicide…

Biodiversity needs all the help it can get…

Behind our pithy headline is the sobering statistic that is oft-quoted; the UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows since 1930.

Along with the destruction of over 200,000 miles of hedgerows, 50% of our ancient woodland and heathland has disappeared. The resulting effect on wildlife has been catastrophic, with 41% of all species seeing a decline since 1970 and a complete loss of 150 species in the last 100 years.

With classic meadow plants like Ragged Robin, Field Scabious and Devil’s-bit Scabious on the Near Threatened list, British conservation charity Plantlife is once again encouraging the lawn-loving public to get involved in their No-Mow-May campaign, liberating lawns up and down the country.

There is an astonishing array of diversity of wildflowers growing on Britain’s lawns and simple changes in mowing (or rather, not mowing) can result in enough nectar for ten times more bees and other pollinators. With an estimated 23m gardens in the UK, how lawns are tended makes a huge difference to the prospects for wild plants and other wildlife. Simply popping the mower in the shed for…

As we hopefully can look forward to a warmer May with the promise of 3 bank holidays ahead of us here in the UK, we have another guest blog is from Amanda Winstead.  Amanda is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.

Cultivating a garden can be a personally enriching experience. You have the opportunity to create a space in which you’re surrounded by the beauty of the natural world. The result can be an oasis away from the stresses of daily life, complete with the sights, sounds, and smells of a thriving ecosystem. Not to mention that spending time caring for your garden can be a physically and mentally healthy activity.

It’s vital, though, to be mindful of what flowers you grow in your garden. While exotic flower species may be interesting additions to your landscape, you shouldn’t overlook the value of native wildflowers. Making choices in line with the native plant movement can benefit you, your garden, and the wider environment.

Let’s take a moment to explore the importance of…

Often over-looked, the importance of quality seed is a crucial element in the delivery of successful wildflower projects.

In the beginning, there was a humble seed…

With so many wonderful attributes and benefits to recommend them, it is very often the beauty and biodiversity of wildflower meadows that receive accolade. However, this month we’re turning our attention to where it all begins: seed.

Here at Wildflower Turf Ltd, we are passionate about seed, and with good reason. With increasing focus on the importance of preserving and enhancing the UK’s rich and biodiverse habitats that are essential for life, the need for quality raw materials is paramount.

In short, you get out what you put in. When poor seed is sown, the germination rate will be significantly lowered with crop failure a real possibility.

The wildflower seed market in the UK is currently unregulated, meaning that varying quality levels of seed exist. Yet, the benefit of using quality seed is enormous. Premium quality seed will, over time, result in the successful establishment of wildflower meadows and with appropriate ongoing maintenance, the meadow will continue to thrive and provide a…

As we all look forward to Easter we have another guest blog is from Amanda Winstead.  Amanda is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.

Wildflower gardens have risen in popularity in the past 5 years. This is largely thanks to support from the RHS and an improved understanding of how our gardens can support ecosystems and wildlife.

However, wildflower gardens are more than a trend. Wildflower gardens have distinct, long-term benefits and are a far more eco-friendly, sustainable alternative to traditional grass lawns.

Wildflower lawns also look great. Uncultivated splashes of colour help your front garden stand out from a sea of green, and the joy of watching pollinators go about their business is unparalleled.

Sustainability Benefits

Wildflower lawns look great and are good for the environment. By planting a wildflower meadow, you are contributing to a patchwork quilt of biodiversity and are reducing your carbon footprint. That’s because 97% of Britain’s wildflower meadows have been destroyed since…

In the final instalment of our two-part blog post dedicated to our 20 Year Anniversary we revisit two decades of highlights and explore our plans for the future.

Recognised as the UK’s leading authority for practical solutions in developing wildflower spaces, we’ve put our MD, James Hewetson-Brown, in the hot-seat and asked him to share some of his highlights from the past 20 years as well as delving into his thoughts on the future of the industry.

James, what are some of your more notable moments over the past 20 years?

Supplying over 60,000m² of Wildflower Turf® to the London 2012 Olympics was a very proud moment, both personally and for the wider team. Likewise, our involvement with the post-Games transformation of the site in Stratford to benefit nature has been a key highlight.

Most recently, the purchase and establishment of our third production site, in Shropshire, has been significant. This has been an enormous undertaking and one that will greatly benefit our business with the additional capacity that is currently being realised.

In short, during…

This year marks an incredible 20 years since the first turf was laid at our Hampshire farm. Join us for a trip down memory lane and learn more about our ambitious plans for the future.

Under the stewardship of two generations of the Hewetson-Brown family, Wildflower Turf Ltd has gone from strength-to-strength and this year marks our 20 Year Anniversary.

Our story begins in 1983 when Ashe Warren Farm, near Basingstoke, was purchased by David Hewetson-Brown. At that time the arable farm was multi-purpose, producing wheat for animal feed, spring barley for brewing and herbage seed for forage and amenity use.

In 1982, David Hewetson-Brown devised and pioneered a soil-less lawn turf growing system. This new soil-less product was unique as it did not remove any topsoil at harvest and was of a very high quality. As well as being incredibly strong (resulting in no wastage) the turf was also weed-free.

Thus, the decision was made by David to set up a diversification to complement the traditional crops by going into turf production. Coronet Turf was established as a result.

Alongside the UK’s emerging interest in nature and, specifically, wildflowers, was born a desire by the Hewetson-Brown family to find a practical solution to…