Importance of Insects

For wildflower meadows to flourish, they need insects to pollinate them. “People think, I’ll put some seeds in, and we’ll get a few wild flowers and everything will be all right,” says Peter. “They don’t think about what happens to insects over the winter, or when they emerge from hibernation.” He is a great believer in ivy as a support for a wide range of wildlife. In mature woodland areas on the farm, tree-ivy clambers thickly and freely. Its autumn flowers provide a crucial food source late in the year for butterflies, bumble and honey bees, and cold weather berries for blackbirds and thrushes, nesting sites for wrens, winter roosts for other birds, and cover for hibernating insects. “All the trees here have ivy. You stand under them in November and listen to the whole tree buzzing! It’s amazing. “Since the farm went organic in 2000, the level of insect pollinators increased dramatically and it made a huge difference. An organic system entails many different sorts of crops which attract the pollinators essential for wildflower meadows. Peas, red and white clovers, and our vetch crop in particular, are alive with insects and bees. This kind of farming has smaller fields with hedgerows to protect them against wind and soil erosion. Hedges are where pollinating insects live. Ladybirds and lacewings overwinter there in crevices and nooks and crannies, since the insects that depend on the flower meadows need other habitats during the winter.”