8 Wildflowers Advice Sowing In the first full year it is advantageous to regularly cut the area to a height of 60mm through the growing season. Although this sounds detrimental, perennial species will not flower in year one, so no flowers are actually being lost. By cutting in the first year, the competition from the grasses is minimised and more light is allowed to reach the lower growing wildflower species at the base of the sward. If a mixture was sown containing annuals, these should be allowed to flower and then the whole area cut in July. This will prematurely end the flowering display from the annuals, but it will allow the perennials a better chance of establishment. In subsequent years the annual maintenance regime should consist of the following: Spring Cut It is not uncommon for there to be an initial flush of grass in the spring. This can be detrimental to the wildflower species as they will only just be starting to grow and can be easily swamped out. By cutting to around 60mm and collecting the debris, the levels of grass growth will be reduced for the coming months allowing for more wildflowers to emerge. Summer/Autumn Cut The optimum time to cut an area of wildflowers is in late July. This is replicating a traditional hay cut. By cutting and collecting the debris in July the maximum amount of organic matter possible is being removed from the area, minimising the amount of nutrients that can be returned to the soil. Cutting in late July does mean that the flowering period is sacrificed prematurely; however, cutting at this time will result in a more diverse species population. The later the cut is performed, the less diverse the population will be. A compromise would be to vary the cutting time each year, or on larger sites cutting areas at different times on an annual rotation. End of Season At the end of the year, before the onset of winter, a final cut can be made if required. This serves to remove any grass growth following the main summer cut, leaving the sward open and tidy through the winter months. At the end of the season it is also beneficial to disturb the sward either by raking or chain harrowing. This will open up the sward allowing room for more wildflower species to emerge. Maintenance 9 Wildflowers Advice Willingdon Golf Club course manager Luke Turner isn’t just trying to create the perfect greens for members, he’s also hoping to attract a much wilder set of visitors to the 18-hole course. Set among the protected grassy downlands on the edge of the South Downs in Eastbourne, the 120-year-old course, recently listed as one of the top courses in Sussex, is a haven for birds and reptiles – and, more recently, wildflowers. As well as hand crafting bird boxes and reptile homes, Luke and his deputy James Wilkinson have turned an area of rough into a wildflower meadow that’s attracting more than 25 species of butterfly. “Greenkeepers and golf courses can sometimes be portrayed as environmentally unaware; that we are not concerned with the environment around us and ecology of our sites” says Luke, who has been working as a greenkeeper at Willingdon for eight years. “But we definitely don’t see it like that here.” Wild at Heart When an elderly member of the golf club passed away last year, Luke and James were approached by the family to create a memorial for them. They hit upon the idea of a wildflower meadow. “I’d used Barenbrug’s Cornfield Annual wildflower mix at a previous course and it was very effective, with very reliable germination, so I knew this would perform well,” says James, who joined Willingdon in February. “It’s a very versatile mix and seems to cope well, wherever you use it.” After selecting a specific site on the course in early spring, James and Luke broadcast the seed thickly using sand as a carrier. They sowed seed in multiple directions to ensure good coverage and lightly raked it over. By mid-May there was complete coverage with an inch of lush green growth, and at the beginning of July the first flowers began to emerge. As a 100% annual mixture, with five of the most popular native flowers included: cornflower, poppy, corn marigold, corn chamomile and corncockle, Barenbrug’s mix is designed to give a big hit of colour. And that’s just what it did. “Over one weekend the whole area had transformed into a stunning carpet of colour,” says Luke. “It was alive with butterflies and bees and it could be seen from two or three of our tees so it had a stunning visual impact for members. The end results were like something out of a brochure.” Rare Gem Thanks in part to the mix’s endurance – it stayed colourful throughout July, August and into September – the new wildflower patch attracted a record number of bees and butterflies at the course, including rare species such as Adonis Blue and Dingy Skipper. It’s something that might have made Willingdon course designer Dr Alister MacKenzie proud. In 1925, he redesigned the course to make more of its natural features and had a strong conviction that golf was good for health. “We are trying to take the course back to its downland grassy routes, and make the site more ecologically varied,” says Luke. “The golfing and greenkeeping industry has changed massively in the last 4-5 years and an increasing number of golf clubs are now pushing their commitment to ecology and making course management more sustainable. We actively promote and encourage that approach here.” Wildflower Seed Ensures Eastbourne Golf Club is Blossoming
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