Wildflowers for the church project

We have a lovely old church and churchyard, with immediately next to it a burial ground which is owned and managed by the civil Parish Council. The churchyard is closed to new burials which now take place in the burial ground. The burial ground is largely empty of graves still and at the present rate it will be many decades before it is full. Until this year the unoccupied area (about 1500 m2) has been regularly mown as an area of grass - a giant lawn. From now on, in a joint project, both the burial ground and churchyard are to be managed for wildflowers - and hence other wildlife, including we hope lots of butterflies, bees and so on.

We've chosen a contractor for the necessary cutting, which will cost no more than before. More later about the mowing regime we'll be trying. We're waiting to see what comes up from the existing turf - in the meantime supplementing with plantlets from our gardens and in particular that of Camilla, a local botanist and friend who has also given us invaluable advice.

Three or four weeks ago we went to Camilla's and came away with cowslips, primroses, stone parsley and betony. Snowdrops came from our own gardens.

We returned to Camilla's today and have moved yellow (hay) rattle, common vetch, self heal, cat's ear, knapweed, bird'sfoot trefoil, dropwort, meadow buttercup, field woodrush and more cowslips.

Maggie and Camilla

We've put them in, into two broad areas of the burial ground - to be managed for spring and summer flowers respectively. Also white sweet violets from friends and co-workers Jo and Linda went in today, and we hope tomorrow to get in foxgloves and more common vetch from our own garden.

Jo, Linda and Maggie proudly inspecting our first cowslip in flower!