Forest of Flowers project
An initiative
by the Woodland Trust and Landlife to
increase beauty and biodiversity in local woodlands.
The Forest of Flowers is a project to introduce native wildflowers initially into four woodlands in Leicestershire and Derbyshire using a range of creative conservation techniques. The project was delivered as a partnership by environment charity Landlife and the Woodland Trust.
The project's success has led to more creative conservation sites being developed across England. These woodlands are all managed by the Woodland Trust and are part of the National Forest.
(click links for images)
1. Burroughs
Wood, Ratby, Leicestershire (soil inversion, woodland glades,
scratch cultivation).
2. Pear Tree Wood, Ratby, Leicestershire
(soil inversion)
3. Foxley Wood, Linton, Derbyshire
(soil inversion, scratch cultivation)
4. Centenary and Royal Tigers Wood,
Bagworth, Leicestershire (soil inversion, plant introduction)
5. Coton Wood, Coton in the Elms,
Derbyshire (soil inversion, woodland glades, scratch cultivation)
6. Cowick Hall, Snaith, North Yorkshire
(soil inversion, conventional plough)
7. Geordies Wood, Auchterderran, Scotland (soil inversion)
8. St. Benedicts Wood, Rainhill,
Merseyside (soil inversion, conventional plough)
9. Polyphemus Wood, Darwen, Lancashire (soil inversion)
10. New pale Farm, Huyton, Merseyside (soil inversion, topsoil stripping)
11. Londonthorpe Wood, near
Grantham, Lincolnshire (soil inversion)
12. Hedley Hall, Sunniside, Tyne
and Wear (soil inversion)
13. Lottie's Wood, Sunniside,
Tyne and Wear (soil inversion)
14. St.Bede's and Bright Lea Wood,
Ouston, Tyne and Wear (soil inversion)
15. Thorn Wood, Hartford, Cheshire
(soil inversion)
16. Dutton Park Farm, Dutton, Cheshire
(soil inversion)
17. Penguin Wood, Botany Bay, Leicestershire
(soil inversion)
18. Dora's Wood, Lanchester, County
Durham (plant introduction)
19. Storeton Wood, Higher Bebbington,
Wirral (scratch cultivation, plant introduction)
The creative conservation
methods used in this project are based on experience gained by Landlife through
its 5 year Woodland Wildflowers project. Landlife has also worked for over
30 years with native wildflowers and set up the National Wildflower Centre
on Merseyside in 1998.
Techniques
The Woodland Trust has approved a range of different approaches in the initial four woodlands following site surveys, soil assessment and identification of locally distinct wildflowers. Where possible, small amounts of seed or runners from these local wildflowers have also been used to enhance the new areas.
Method 1: Deep ploughing
This is a technique which uses a deep plough called the Bovlund, imported from Denmark, to bury topsoil and bring the less fertile, weed-free subsoil to the surface for wildflower sowing. This has been successfully tried on sites in Merseyside and around the UK for new tree and wildflower areas.
All the sites in Derbyshire and Leicestershire are part of the Woodland Trust project to extend trial areas and monitor their progress. They all have deep ploughed areas which were sown with perennial and annual wildflower seed mixes, some with the help of local people.
Method 2: Non-cultivation
With more conventional sowing, soils need to be as undisturbed as possible from cultivation for successful wildflower introductions. Grassland areas were cut as bare as possible and sprayed with glyphosate, Wildflower seed was sown into the dead turf, allowing germination before grasses and weeds can develop.
Method 3: Meadow Plant introductions and Woodland Glades
A meadow area at Centenary and Royal Tigers Woods was planted with cowslips and other species as plants, and oversown with perennial seed to increase diversity in established grassland areas. Woodland edge plants were also introduced into areas under trees at the three other sites, and oversown with Red Campion and Bluebell seed. These new glades were first mulched with green waste to provide a planting medium and to suppress the invasion of weeds and grass during establishment. The trees were also thinned to increase light levels for these woodland edge plants.
For more information contact
Janet Pell jpell@landlife.org.uk
Richard Scott rscott@landlife.org.uk
