When Waverley Borough Council in Surrey embarked on a new project to improve the appearance of Haslemere’s visible car parking environments, they turned to the team at Wildflower Turf to provide them with an aesthetically pleasing solution that was both cost-effective and low-maintenance.
A neglected, broad grassy verge beside a main busy footpath was the initial focus, and in such a visible and high-impact area public engagement was a key aspect of the initiative.
Quick and robust seedling growth was required, and the council elected to trial the pre-seeded growing medium Wildflower Earth to provide a practical and bio-diverse wildflower meadow quickly and efficiently. Available in several seed mixes, Wildflower Earth provides maximum flexibility in terms of wild flower species.
The Wildflower Earth Border mix was chosen by the council as it contains a mix of native and non-native wildflowers to give a perennial display but with high impact colour to really engage the public with this change in planting regime.
A key benefit for the Council in using the pre-seeded Wildflower Earth medium was keeping ground preparation to a minimum, saving in both time, labour and machinery costs. Cost per square metre was reduced and there was only limited site preparation needed, compared to conventional seed bed creation, prior to installation.
The council contractors sprayed off the area in late March/early April 2016, laid and lightly rolled the Wildflower Earth and watered it in. After a relatively slow start due to an extended cool wet Spring, the wildflowers really came into their own from June/July and delighted the local community. The accurate seed rate of Wildflower Earth, coupled with the premium nature of the growing medium, ensured exceptional levels of wild flower germination and establishment.
The resulting wildflower meadow flourished and a once-mundane unused area of public land was quickly transformed. The local community were delighted by the visual impact of the wildflower meadow and there was considerable positive feedback in the press and on social media, with the Mayor of Haslemere contacting Wildflower Turf to pass on his appreciation.
Likewise, Mark Collings, Green Spaces Contract Officer with Waverley Borough Council was equally impressed, saying: “The compliments from the residents of Haslemere and some very positive press coverage in the Borough have been phenomenal.”
Requiring only one cut per year, this low maintenance alternative to the grassed area (which would normally require weekly mowing and removal of cuttings) provided Waverley Borough Council with a colourful and cost effective way to transform this key thoroughfare in and out of the town centre.
