Wildflower Meadow
In just under 100 years the UK has lost 7.5 million acres, 97% of wildflower meadow and flower-rich grassland. 1400 insect species rely on wildflowers for survival. Insect pollinators help increase crops and fight against crop pests. They help maintain a healthy ecosystem and have made a significant contribution to modern medicine. Meadow areas absorb carbon dioxide and also help capture & filter out different pollutants from the atmosphere.
In 2012, HRH The Prince of Wales called for action to ‘turn the tide’ on the fate of UK Wildflower meadows.
In the autumn of 2021, The Friends of Romiley Park began preparations for a wildflower meadow. The chosen place for this, is the grassed area at the back of the park, where the pathways of all three entry's to the greenspace meet.
It usually takes between three and five years to establish a wildflower meadow. There is a lot of preparation required, involving many hours of manual labour.
In the first few years, the primary aim is to control weeds and reduce competition from grasses.
The meadow needs to be mowed twice a year, once in spring and again in autumn.
Progress so far on our Wildflower Meadow
This is the work undertaken by the Friends Group so far. We will continue to develop the meadow over the coming years.
September 2021: Scarified chosen area and removed thatch
October 2021: Sowed Yellow Rattle seeds, which need a cold spell over winter to germinate and flower in the Spring.
April 2022: Removed docks from area. Grass cut by TLC.
May 2022: Sowed a variety of wildflower seeds. Yellow Rattle plants appeared and flowered.
July 2022: Planted wildflower plugs (10 different varieties)
August 2022: Five different wildflowers still flowering. More docks removed.
September 2022: TLC cut grass in wildflower area.
October 2022: Raked off thatch.
April 2023: Grass in wildflower area cut.
May 2023: Removed docks. Seven different wildflowers identified, including Yellow Rattle from seeds from last year’s plants.
June 2023: Ten different wildflowers identified(total of 12 for the year)
July 2023: Removed more docks before they flowered.
September / October 2023: Scarified and raked wildflower area.
October 2023: More Yellow Rattle seeds to be sown to help further weaken the grass and make room for the wildflowers to grow.