Meadow areas of focus (by G.Burgess)
- Woodland Perimeter.
The aim is to provide a safe and substantial screen so that users of the meadow cannot see built-environment and distracting images of passing vehicles. A degree of noise abatement is required.
This woodland environment can have varying amounts of shade and as wide a diversity of plants as possible. Such vegetation provides corridors for wildlife and suitable sheltered and protected habitats for various forms of wildlife. This environment can provide various morphological effects and various fruits some of which may be edible.
2. Long Grass.
This is an increasingly rare thing. The site is an old agricultural site and the earliest crops were very tall members of the grass family. Long grass negatively pre-disposes people to walk through it so the area seems wilder.
Children love to explore long grass either through pedestrian exploring or tactile interfacing. The effects of wind and ripening can be experienced. This aspect is competing with other wild flower species particularly as some of the grass species extant are the sort bred at Aberystwth for agricultural grazing. This inherent vigour allows these grasses to out compete more natural species.The long grass needs cutting and this requires machinery access with associated costs.
3.Mowing for Access.
Most visitors are in the pedestrian mode and wearing general footwear so particular areas where footfall is predominant must be mowed very flat. This applies to the perimeter paths and theOgham Circle. Species variation will not be a prime target in these areas.
4. Selective Mowing for bio-diversity.
This can be applied to selected areas so as to lessen the effect of over competitive species and timed so as to maximise self seeding opportunities of chosen plants. Some form of safe grazing may be a possibility.
Detailed plans will be produced for particular areas with mowing instructions.
5. Cultivation to extract competitive species.
Machine and hand extraction of species including roots and stems.
6. Spraying to remove competitive species.
This would include nettles and invasive grasses. Areas to be selected for ongoing works.
7. Sowing wild flower seed in prepared areas.
This can be applied by experts; volunteer groups; child groups and school groups.
A desireable species list is required.
8. Innoculation Planting.
Planting of established plants ex pots into various sorts of areas with aim to allow self seeding in close proximity and opportunity for seed collection for sowing elsewhere.
Added benefit of immediate pleasing effects.
9. Creation of special habitats.
Woodlandcan be cleared, pruned and controlled so as to create variable shade habitats.
Prunings may have peripheral uses such as wood for children’s dens.
Water bodies can be varied and managed in such a way as to create minimum disturbance to extant wildlife. This can be integrated with historical conservation for example in the drainage ditches and sluices.
Machine work is needed in this area as well as hand-work.
It may be good to lower ground surface levels in certain areas.
Graham Burgess Dip Hort (Kew) July 2011.
