Britain has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows over the last century. One of the rarest wildlife habitats, their loss has had a devastating impact on biodiversity, reflected in the 60% decline in insect populations over the last 20 years. The wildflower meadows that remain tend to be small and fragmented.
Wildflower meadows provide vital food and shelter for insects such as bees and butterflies, as well as birds and small mammals. One acre of wildflower meadow can contain 3 million flowers, supporting large populations of our native wild bee species.
Delivered in partnership with South Hams District Council and local volunteers, ParkLife South West has been transforming selected council-owned greenspaces in Ivybridge into vibrant wildflower meadows. The chosen sites have already benefited from relaxed mowing regimes and have been carefully selected to make sure the meadows do not impact formal or informal recreation.
The work includes ‘scarifying’, or removing the top layer of grass, moss, and organic matter. This is followed by sowing a locally sourced perennial wildflower mix, including yellow rattle – a key species for meadow creation. Yellow rattle discourages the growth of grass species that might out-compete more desirable wildflowers. By attaching themselves to the roots of these other plants and extracting nutrients from vigorous grasses, a variety of wildflowers and native flora are allowed to flourish.
In Wembury, ParkLife has been working on enhancing sections of four road verges as wildflower meadows. These meadows are owned and managed by the parish council, and are well connected to other new meadows in the recreation ground. Over a period of five years, the project has involved the preparation of the ground and sowing of perennial wildflower and wild grass seed mixes. An alternative method of ground preparation used initially involved turf stripping and rotovating the ground.
These eleven new Ivybridge meadows combine to provide a rich habitat for insects, birds and small mammals, bringing life and colour to Ivybridge’s green spaces. They are dotted all around town, and we’ve had a really positive response from the community, people are seeing the benefit to local wildlife.