Wildflower seeds to be sown into Oswestry flowerbeds

Oswestry’s greenspaces are becoming a lot more beautiful with the sowing of wildflower seeds into specially-prepared beds.

Today (Wednesday 15 April 2013) pupils from Meadows Primary School and Kidszone Nursery were helping Orchard Field Ecological Contractors sow the seeds into the flowerbeds. 

Within a couple of months we should have colourful displays of cornfield annual plants such as Corncockle, cornflower and corn chamomile.  Those wildflower beds the children are helping plant will be dedicated to Meadows Primary School and to Kidszone with little plaques. 

Shropshire Council’s outdoor recreation service manages most of Oswestry’s greenspace. Over the last two years wildflower meadow management has been introduced on about five of the 40 hectares of land.  In addition, numerous complementary cornfield annual beds have been established this year to give an extra splash of colour.

Shaun Burkey, greenspace officer for Oswestry, said:

“Wildflower meadows are one of our rarest types of habitat, now we have lost well over 90% since the end of World War 2.  Managing land for wildflowers not only increase the biodiversity of such land, but also adds an extremely important nectar source for our bees which are under threat.  Managing our grasslands this way on such a scale actually saves Shropshire Council money, increases the beauty of our urban settlements, and contributes hugely to biodiversity.”