As
the sun begins to drop below the horizon, the team from Pictorial Meadows are
just starting out, checking plans and unloading their convoy of trailers.
Across
a busy four nights, this team will transform the central reservation of a busy
dual-carriageway into Britain’s longest urban meadow, extending for over six
miles through Rotherham, and dubbed the ‘River of Flowers’.
Across
the UK, meadows are disappearing at an alarming rate, with over 97% of the
wildflower meadows that were around 100 years ago no longer existing. Meadow
landscapes are not only beautiful, but provide an important resource for our
bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
The
River of Flowers project serves as a shining example of how meadows can be used
to bring benefits for both people and nature in towns and cities.
The
meadow being sown has been specially developed by Pictorial Meadows for urban
areas and contains over 30 different flowering species, carefully balanced to
offer beautiful changing colours across the season while also ensuring improved
pollen and nectar availability for wildlife.
The
response from the public to the meadow in previous years has been
overwhelmingly positive, with Rotherham Borough Council commenting that they
had “received hundreds of compliments from local residents, and visitors as far
afield as Scotland, Cornwall, and even Australia”.
Connecting
the M18 and the M1 motorway, the meadow brightens the journey of hundreds of
thousands of commuters every year, as well as being appreciated by local
residents. “The flowers are so much better than the plain grass that was there
before, it just helps you feel more positive every time you see it - I hope
more councils do the same!” commented David, a regular traveller along the
route.
Creating
such a large meadow in an urban setting is not without its challenges however,
as Dan Cornwell, Landscapes Director at Pictorial Meadows, explains:
“Establishing a traditional native meadow requires some very specific growing
conditions, and can often need extensive soil conditioning works. This can make
it unfeasible for many locations.
The
specialist mix of species we have developed for the River of Flowers project is
perfectly tailored for an urban environment, and requires significantly less
investment than a standard meadow.”
Based
in South Yorkshire, Pictorial Meadows has developed a reputation for providing
high quality, reliable meadows across the UK and beyond. Alongside working with
councils and local authorities, you might have seen Pictorial Meadows featuring
at such high-profile locations as the Olympic Stadium, Windsor Royal Parks, The
Royal Horticultural Societies gardens at Trentham or the National Trust Gardens
at Bodnant, or even further afield at the Gothenburg or Madrid botanical
gardens.
