NESS BOTANIC GARDENS WILDFLOWER MEADOW
Wildflowers at Ness Botanic Gardens
The Ness Wildflower Meadow sprang into life in April 2008 when an area of rough grassland overlooking the Dee Estuary, almost two hectares in area, was ploughed to a depth of up to one metre in order to create a suitable infertile habitat for the establishment of meadow wildflowers. The creation of the meadow was possible due to a generous gift of £10,000 from the Friends of Ness Gardens which covered the cost of ploughing and British native wildflower seeds.
The established meadow in summer 2008 provided a spectacular display of cornfield annuals such as cornflower, corn marigold and corn chamomile. Recently a much wider variety of meadow plants have established and flowered and 75 species of plants have been recorded by an enthusiastic group of ‘meadow volunteers’
The meadow has already become a valuable wildlife habitat which supports a wide range of insects such as wild and honey bees, butterflies, moths and beetles and also provides a food source for wild birds. Our volunteers have recorded 16 different species of butterfly including the scarce Wall Brown and Small Copper, Small Skipper and Common Blue. Thus the meadow strongly enhances the existing key role of Ness Botanic Gardens as an important high biodiversity hot spot in South Wirral.
Several ‘meadow volunteers’ are gifted photographers and thirteen of their stunning photographs have been selected for inclusion in the ‘Wildflowers of Ness Botanic Gardens 2010’ calendar which is now sold out. A selection of the meadow photographs can be viewed below.
In the future we intend to extend the educational role of the Wildflower Meadow with the production of interpretative boards and booklets and widen the range of species groups being recorded. Bumblebees are our next target group to record in spring and summer 2010. If you wish to become a volunteer recorder please contact Phil Putwain or Tim Baxter at Ness Botanic Gardens.
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM
THE WILD FLOWER MEADOW
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