Wildflower Turf and Green Roofs

Windsor Great Park is taking its last delivery of the year with 400/m² leaving the farm tomorrow morning. Despite the weather it is still a good time of year to lay the turf as it will not need to be watered while it establishes. Once the turf’s roots are established a wild flower meadow is drought tolerant and very hardy. Establishing the turf before the spring will ensure it is flowering towards the end of April. The turf is fine in frosty conditions, both here on the farm or once it is laid on site. The main problem is lifting frozen turf as once frozen it is similar to lifting stiff cardboard – we can not roll it up! On most days it has thawed by the afternoon and is lifted then.

Natural History Museum Press Release 30 NOV -

PRESS RELEASE

Wild Flower Meadow at the Natural History Museum is Huge Success

The Natural History Museum extended the meadow habitat in their Wildlife Garden using an innovative soil-less Wild Flower Turf from Hampshire for the meadow area of the project. The Museum’s Wildlife Garden, first opened in 1995, and was created to illustrate a range of semi-natural habitats including woodland, heath land, hedgerow, freshwater pond, fen, chalk grassland, reed-bed and meadow to showcase the variety to be found in the English countryside.

This most recent meadow project was started in March 2009 using 75 sq meters of the beautiful soil less wild flower turf.  This has a compost based growing medium, laid over a membrane using a 50 % grass, 50% flower seeds of many varieties, to give a natural meadow area for visitors to the Museum to enjoy.

The brainchild of James Hewetson-Brown, this wildflower turf is grown on Ashe Warren Farm in Hampshire. The meadows are characterised by a wealth of colourful wild flowers, requiring little maintenance and have the additional use as grazing land during the winter for sheep. With the variety of wild flowers and grasses this provided an important habitat for many species of insects, bees, and butterflies.

Wild Flower turf has become the fastest growing medium in the UK for putting back the country life and habitat into our towns and cities, not only on land but on green roofs too. The Natural History Museum has plans on the drawing board for incorporating a “Wild Flower Roof” into their future plans.

Caroline Ware said “I was so pleased to have the turf in our Wildlife Garden, the ease of the laying and the speed with which the turf set down its roots was amazing. The turf complemented our existing meadows beautifully with oxeye daisies, wild carrot, common sorrel and crested dog’s-tail amongst the variety of wild flowers and grasses in bloom this first year, and which attracted a wonderful variety of bees, and other insects. The turf also provided extended grazing area for our sheep at the end of the summer.

James Hewetson-Brown, commented, “These are exciting times and it is very gratifying and satisfying to see the outcome of years of development turn into such a great business, bringing colour, birds and butterflies back into our gardens, parks, cities and countryside”.

For further information ring James or Heather on 01256 771222 or go to our website www.wildflowerturf.co.uk