Wildflower gardens to visit

After the success of the Tower of London’s Superbloom’s wildflower meadow in the moat last year, there is also a growing interest in visiting wildflower gardens.

Number one in the UK is Bodnant Garden in Conwy, Wales, according to a survey by South West Rail. The next three best wildflower gardens to visit were RHS Harlow Carr (Yorkshire), Trentham Gardens (Staffordshire) and Hever Castle (Kent).

The National Trust for Scotland has a wildflower meadow walk at Balmacara (Ross-shire) and many other National Trust or National Trust for Scotland properties are increasing their wildflower areas.

On the Great British Gardens website (www. greatbritishgardens.co.uk) there is a “wildflower gardens” section, which includes Benmore Botanic Garden (Argyll and Bute), Bicton Park Gardens (Devon), Clyne Gardens (Swansea), Forde Abbey (Somerset) and many more.

The Wildlife Trusts website (www.wildlifetrusts. org) also has a section on visiting wildflower meadows all around the UK, including the Ulster Wildlife Trust’s two meadows in Feystown and Umbra.

Carefully managed visitors help fund the preservation of these important habitats.

The UK has lost 97 per cent of its wildflower meadows, as well as 200,000 miles of hedgerow and half of its ancient woodland in the past 50 years.

This has led to a major decline in most species of birds, bees and other pollinators, as well as bats, hedgehogs and other wildlife.

Botanical gardens and other heritage organisations are planting more wildflower meadow plants to help, and many local councils are also helping by leaving roadside verges unmown, allowing ox-eye daisies, dandelions and other wildflowers to pop up and brighten our journeys.