Wildflower meadow planted out in 2022 at the Lochwinnoch Annex to help improve biodiversity and wildlife numbers in the local area.  This photo was taken mid-2022 of the first flowers to have emerged, including cats ear, yarrow, plantain and sneezewort.

To create a meadow the grass and topsoil is removed to expose the less nutrient rich ground below, which wildflowers prefer as they thrive in poor soils. Throughout the spring and summer the wildflowers are left to colonise the ground naturally. Yellow rattle is grown as it feeds on the roots of grasses (parasitic), which helps to supress them leaving more space for the wildflowers to grow. If grasses are allowed to colonise a meadow unchecked they eventually increase the density of nutrients, thereby supressing the wildflowers. 

Locals will notice that the team and volunteers at Clyde Muirshiel will scythe/strim and rake the meadow once the wildflowers have set seed. By doing this the nutrient organic matter that would otherwise die off and decompose over winter is removed. This gives the wildflowers the best possible chance of success the following year!

If you get the chance, take a stroll out to the annex during the spring & summer and see how many wildflowers you can identify! Keep an eye out for the various caterpillars, bees, butterflies, moths and other insects that feed on them as well.