June 2021 Wildflower Seeding News
Insects make a beeline for wildflowers on Yorkshire road
A cornucopia of colour is a sight to bee-hold on busy roadside verges in Yorkshire, creating the perfect habitat for bees and other pollinators. Read More
Went to mow … but stopped: how UK cities embraced the meadows revolution
From Peckham to Plymouth, wildflowers are thriving in urban areas as councils let the grass grow to create ‘managed messiness’ for wildlife to thrive. Read More
UK wildflower meadows vital to biodiversity are under threat, says WWF
Increased urbanization in the UK over a century is threatening biodiversity found in meadows, according to The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
One single wildflower meadow can host up to a hundred varieties of plants and numerous insects – including bees, butterflies, and beetles. But conservationists estimate 3 million hectares of wildflower meadows have disappeared in the past century, lost to intensive agriculture, urbanization and pollution. Read More
Seven insect heroes of pollination
Many plants, including crops and the beautiful flowers we like to surround ourselves with, rely on pollination for survival.
Pollination is not just the work of honeybees. Meet some of the buzzing, bold and beautiful insects that make the most of long summer days to stir the pollen pot.
Pollinators spread the love
Flowers abound in spring and summer. Their generous offerings of colour, smell and nectar are all on show for one reason – to seduce a pollinator to pay them a visit.
Pollinators carry pollen with them as they move from flower to flower. Their pollination services are essential for plants, including the ones we like to eat.
Although honeybees get most of the credit, at least 1,500 insect species pollinate plants in the UK. In some parts of the world, birds, bats and even lizards also get involved. Read More
Beautiful rare flower found on a power site in Suffolk
Beautiful pink plants that are rated “nationally scarce” have been spotted on the grounds of an electricity substation in Breckland, in Suffolk.
The substation, on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), near Icklingham, was visited by members of UK Power Networks’ environment team as part of the company’s Green Action Plan to improve biodiversity at 100 sites. Read More