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| Parc-y-Werin, Gorseinon |
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| edge of Gorseinon Common alongside A4240 |
Today, along Mumbles Road, similar drifts of colour were made up by
plants including Cornflower, Pink Bachelor's Button (Centaurea pulcherrima), Musk-mallow (Malva moschata), Californian Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), Corn Marigold
(Glebionis segetum), Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis), Tricolour
Chrysanthemum (Ismelia carinata), Red Flax (Linum grandiflorum rubrum) and Rose
Mallow (Lavatera trimestris 'Silver Cup'), etc.
edge of Gorseinon Common alongside A4240 & Mumbles Road
Among these mixes of largely non-native annuals are a surprisingly diverse mix of more traditional annuals
such as Pineappleweed (Matricaria discoidea), Sun Spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia), Petty Spurge (E. peplus), Redshank (Persicaria maculosa), Scarlet Pimpernel
(Anagallis arvensis), Lesser
Swine-cress (Lepidium didymium), Wall
Speedwell (Veronica arvensis), Knotgrass (Polygonum
aviculare) and Shepherd's-purse (Capsella
bursa-pastoris).
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| Parc-y-Werin, Gorseinon |
Whilst the dominance of non-native species used won’t please
the purist, there is no denying the exercise adds interest to otherwise monotonous
swards and the abundance of insect life around these areas suggests there are benefits
for some groups. Aesthetically the wilder-looking patches are delight and I
look forward to encountering more patches on my trips around the city.
1 comment:
Hi Barry
These are pictorial meadow seed mixes. A concept developed by Nigel Dunnett at Sheffield University.
Several authorities across England have been using them on roundabouts etc in place of bedding plants at great cost saving, and also reporting a reduction in anti-social behaviours such as littering.
I've sown them in my garden for the last couple of years, very easy and give a great effect at smaller scales as well as these larger areas.
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