A COLOURFUL array of wildflowers are blossoming across the city, thanks to council chiefs at the Guildhall and County Hall.
Worcester City Council is taking action to encourage wildflowers to flourish in areas across the city in a bid to boost the numbers of bees, butterflies, and other insects, which play an important role in our ecosystem.
The authority has worked in partnership with the Worcester Environmental Group, reducing the frequency of grass verge cutting at some locations and introducing new techniques to encourage more flowers to grow.
The result is an abundance of wildflowers at sites such as Dugdale Drive in Warndon Villages such as Bush Vetch, Red Clover, Wild Carrot and Herb Robert.
Wildflowers have been planted at a number of new sites this year including Hylton Road, Bromwich Parade, City Walls Road and the Bromwich Road.
A different mix of wildflowers has been planted at each site to create a variety of species and colours. Soil type, soil fertility, shading, exposure to the sun, driver visibility and accessibility are all issues which are taken into account when new locations are selected.
The wildflowers are also once again blossoming again on County Hall campus.
The wildflower meadows were created last year by staff from the council’s Countryside Service with support from the Ecology Team as part of the Worcestershire Pollinator Strategy, and they are once again brightening up the grounds at County Hall.
The areas were sowed with a mix of native wildflowers and grasses, all of which are great food and shelter for pollinating insects, as well as other wildlife. The bright annual species are now protecting perennial wildflowers and grasses below as they slowly establish, and the flowers and colours will change year to year as it naturally develops into a meadow.
Coun Tony Miller, cabinet member with responsibility for environment, said: “It is so important we are pollinator friendly in Worcestershire, not only to help slow the decline of pollinators globally, but also to support Worcestershire’s thriving fruit growing industry.
“I look forward to seeing the continued work into making Worcestershire full of thriving habitats for bees and other pollinators.”
