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Creating a Community Meadow
a great way to create a buzz
in your local area. Creating
a meadow full of colour and
the sounds of summer is a
simple way to bring people
together to do something that
can make a real difference
to our wildlife.
Wildflower m
eadow
©Richard Sm
ith
Wildflower-rich grasslands are essential for bees,
butterflies, hoverflies and other pollinating insects.
They also provide food and shelter for other wildlife,
including birds and mammals.
Bees need!
your help
Our bees and other pollinating insects
are in trouble. Their populations have
declined drastically in recent decades.
We now have only a fraction of the
abundance and variety of the insect
wildlife that we once had...
FACTFILE
Buzzing bees and other pollinators spend the spring
and summer months collecting nectar and pollen
to feed their young, and in the process pollinate our
wildflowers, garden plants and crops. In doing this, they
play a vital role in the production of the food we eat.
Without pollinators we would have no apples, grapes
or strawberries. In fact, most plants need help from
pollinators to produce their fruit.
lebee
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Without poll
ina
we would ha tors,
ve no
apples, grap
es
strawberries or
. In
fact, most pla
nts
need help fro
m
pollinators to
produce their
fruit.
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zzing...
Why cre
ate a
Commu
nity Me
adow?
ects
To help our bees and other pollinating ins
Bees and other pollinating insects have largely declined due to the
loss of habitat, and in particular wildflower-rich habitats like meadows.
A massive 97% (3 million hectares) of wildflower-rich grassland has
been lost in the UK since World War Two. Changes in agriculture and
loss of wild areas to development have taken their toll.
This loss of wildflower grasslands has caused drastic declines in
pollinating insects. Bees, butterflies and hoverflies, many of which act as
important pollinators for agricultural crops such as strawberries, raspberries
and tomatoes have all been affected. The value of insect pollinators to
agriculture is valued at more than £510 million each year in the UK alone.
oth
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Our pollinators need our help. They need more places to live and different
types of food. By creating a community meadow, we can provide pollinators
such as bees, hoverflies, beetles, butterflies, flies and moths with more food
and places to live.
To help other wildlife
You can help our wildlife by transforming unused grassland in your local
community into colourful and wildlife-rich wildflower meadows, which
provide refuges and stepping stones for pollinators, as well as habitats and
food for a range of other insects, amphibians, mammals and birds.
To create an attractive flower-rich
area for all the community to enjoy
Wild
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©Lo ower m
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eado
Gill
w
Community Meadows can provide enormous benefits for people too;
projects can create visually stunning areas of natural art, which can improve
surroundings and general well-being, they can be used as an educational
tool or simply spaces for quiet enjoyment and beauty. These areas can
bring communities together through their creation, management, use
and enjoyment.
Getting outside and into nature has a wealth of benefits to us.
You can learn new things and improve the health of your mind
and body. Your meadow can be a focus point for community
activities, thereby strengthening your neighbourhood.
Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is a company limited by guarantee.
Company No: 4132695. Registered Charity No: 1092293. Scottish charity No: SC040004.
G
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How to cr
eate
a Commu
nity
Meadow
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How tuonity Meadow
a Comm
Further information & help
from scratch
There are a number of wildlife organisations that can help and advise on how to create your
meadow. Organisations you might like to contact include:
Soil & turf stripping
The most effective way to create a wildflower meadow
is to strip the existing turf or other vegetation along
with the first 5-10cm of topsoil, then sow a mixture of
wildflower seed and grasses into the soil. Removing this
turf and topsoil will considerably reduce the nutrient
levels of the soil, making it more suitable for wildflowers.
When is the
best time to do
the work?
Autumn is the best time for sow
ing
wildflower seed as this is the
time that it would naturally fall
in
the wild. Often wildflower see
d
requires a period of cold weath
er
to break the seed dormancy and
allow germination to comme
nce.
Raking
The site now needs to be raked to break up the
surface and remove and large stones and debris.
This should be done just before seeding.
Seeding
With a clear site to seed on, a seed mix of grasses
and wildflowers can be used. Discuss your ideas and
requirements with your supplier. Try to get a good mix of
species to ensure a long flowering season with flowers of
different shape and size. This will maximise the suitability
of the site for a variety of different pollinator species.
For a large meadow site, use a tractor drawn seeder. For
smaller areas you can sow the seed with volunteers.
Remember to sow the seed half horizontally across the
site and half vertically, in order to get an even distribution.
Sowing rates
If you have a bare site to sow, you can use a seed
mix containing wild grasses. The seed should be
sown at a rate of 10-15kg/ha, or up to 5g/m2.
If you are using plug plants,
autumn planting is also
preferential as it allows them
to
develop roots before the grass
starts growing in spring. The
y
can be planted into the spring
but
they must not be allowed to dry
out until they have establish
ed.
f
variety o
a
g
n
i
t
n
a
g
By pl
h differin
t
i
w
s
r
e
wildflow
can help
e
w
,
s
e
m
ti
e diverse
r
flowering
o
m
a
e
rs to hav
nectar to
pollinato
d
n
a
n
e
poll
e year.
range of
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t
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o
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hrou
feed on t
Buglife
Scottish Natural Heritage
Flora Locale
The Postcode Plants Database
www.buglife.org.uk
www.floralocale.org
Landlife
www.wildflower.co.uk
Plantlife
www.snh.gov.uk
www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/plants-fungi/
postcode-plants
You can source seed suppliers through
the internet.
www.plantlife.org.uk
Always enquire about where
the seed has come from.
Butterfly Conservation
www.butterfly-conservation.org
Bumblebee Conservation Trust
www.bumblebeeconservation.org
Choosing your site
There are many types of wildflower-rich grasslands,
including lowland hay meadows and pastures
on deep neutral soils, flower-rich swards on the
thin calcareous soils of the chalk and limestone
landscapes and more acidic grasslands often found
alongside lowland heathland areas. All these types
of grassland are important and will provide food and
habitat for their own distinct group of insects.
Wildflower sites can take time to establish, so you
should be sure that the land on which you are creating
your meadow can remain managed as a meadow for
the foreseeable future. If you have received funding
to create your meadow, the duration of the meadow’s
existence may form a part of your grant conditions.
There is no need to seed or plant into sites
which already have lots of different
species or other important habitats.
Your local Wildlife Trust
www.wildlifetrusts.org/your-local-trust
The Conservation Volunteers (TCV )
Things to consider:
Who owns the land where the co
mmunity
meadow will be?
How will we fund the community
meadow?
What long- term management will
needed for the community meado be
w?
What equipment will we need to
create
and manage the meadow
What manpower do we have and
what
will we need?
What type of soil do we have?
What sort of seed or plants shou
ld
we get?
www.tcv.org.uk
Natural England
www.naturalengland.org.uk
Natural Resources Wales
www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk
Weaventh
orpe Dale
©Richard
Smith
Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is a company limited by guarantee.
Company No: 4132695. Registered Charity No: 1092293. Scottish charity No: SC040004.
FACTFILE
Creating a meadow
ts for
See our Plan tion
ec
pollinators s
for ideas on
oose
species to ch w
do
for your mea
d
ee
o n ant
n
is r pl h
e
r
c
o
The seed s whi e
to o site y hav nt
int lread iffere er
a of d
th ts.
o
r
a
lots cies ot habit
spe rtan
o
p
m
i
Wildflower seed and plugs are not cheap so
effective planning can save you money and help
to ensure your project is successful. Research
your site to make sure you know what the local
conditions are. You can then be sure that you
are planting appropriate species for the soil type
and pH you have. You will also need to think
about how wet the ground normally is and what
level of shading the site is likely to experience.
n be
Meadows ca ed by
y creat
successfull
ting grassy
is
x
e
g
in
c
n
enha
arting from
t
s
r
o
s
a
e
r
a
d
bare groun
A more effective method is to use green
hay. This is a way of giving nature a helping
hand. Green hay is freshly cut hay which
will provide a source of native wildflower
seed produced within your local landscape.
Enhancing an
existing grassy area
Land ownership
Before starting your project, make sure
you have received written permission from
the land owner and they are fully aware
of any expectations you have of them for
future maintenance of the meadow.
What type of soil do
you have?
The best way to find out what you already
have is to let the grass grow long and see
what plants appear – you’d be surprised at
what can turn up: orchids have returned to
some sites, just through cutting the grass less
often! Just giving the mower a rest and letting
the grass grow may be all that you need to do
to let wildflowers flourish. However in most
cases only a few flowers may appear – plants
like buttercups, dandelions and daisies. In
which case you may want to introduce some
more species yourself; this can be done
through seeds or plug plants (pot-grown
plants that have been given a head start).
How?
Green hay
You should only try and establish wildflowers
which can be grown in your particular type
of soil. Dig some samples of soil from across
your site and test them for pH. You can get
the testing equipment from most garden
centres. This will help to guide you on the
type of meadow you should be creating.
Once you know your soil pH, it is much easier to
select the appropriate species of wildflower for
your site. The best species to plant will be those
that occur naturally in the area in which you live.
created by
Wildflower meadows can be
as by sowing
enhancing existing grassy are
g plants.
wildflower seed or planting plu
r seed
we
dflo
However, just sowing wil
cessful.
suc
onto a grassy area will not be
w in dense,
Wildflowers will struggle to gro
ation is
vigorous grass – ground prepar
expose
to
d
nee
the key to success. You
ss for
gra
the soil or create gaps in the
of growing.
wildflowers to stand a chance
The best way to do
this is to cut the grass
very short and remove
the cuttings. This can
be undertaken by
machine or a team
of volunteers raking
g
in
the site. Following
arrow
Chain h Dilworth
n
a
s
u
mowing, the ground
©S
should be broken up to expose
the grass
bare ground and create gaps in
to grow.
to give the wildflowers space
This can be achieved
by chain harrowing or
scarifying (breaking
up the grass thatch
to open the ground
for seed).
Yellow Ratt
le Rhinanthus Minor
In addition you may ©Suzie Bairner
want to consider
enlisting some
–
assistance from Mother Nature
pictured
or),
min
s
thu
Yellow rattle (Rhian
t weakens
tha
nt
pla
right, is a hemi-parasitic
included
be
the grass. Yellow rattle seed can
. It will also
within your wildflower seed mix
er which
produce an attractive yellow flow
right.
n
ow
its
is of use to pollinators in
cies needs
The choice of native plant spe
d out
to be carefully considered. Fin
priorities,
and
about local wildlife issues
try to
e.g. rare plants and insects, and
ns.
link your meadow to these pla
Seed selection
Managing your meadow is key to having
a spring flowering or summer flowering
meadow. If you can have both, you will be
providing more opportunities for pollinators
to feed for longer in your area. Spend some
time researching what colours and species you
would like to see and look to grouping these
according to flowering time. Plants such as
red clover, yellow rattle, bird’s-foot-trefoil and
red bartsia are great nectar and pollen sources
for bumblebees. Knapweed and scabious
are useful nectar sources for butterflies.
Have a look at our Plants for pollinators section.
If your botanical skills are being challenged
you can find out what is likely to be
growing in your post code area by visiting
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/
life/plants-fungi/postcode-plants/
existing meadow
Natural regeneration
If your site is very close to wildflower-rich grassland,
seed can naturally spread across. This is a good option
if time permits, as allowing natural colonisation will
lead to the establishment of locally suited species.
•Species which thrive in your area will hopefully establish
themselves into your grassland, however it may take
many years and you cannot guarantee the results.
•It is cost effective as there is no need to purchase seed.
It is cheaper than buying seed mixes,
however, be sure that the hay comes from
a flower-rich grassland site and make sure
you obtain appropriate permissions, it may
be worth contacting your local Wildlife Trust
or TCV (The Conservation Volunteers).
Plug planting
For a large area of meadow, plugs can
be expensive, costing around 60p each.
However, they a great way of getting
volunteers involved in your project.
Your volunteers can help select the
species to use on your site and help
on the day with the planting.
Sowing seed
Enhancing an
How?
•Open up the existing
grassland sward by
cutting bare patches of
soil for seed to germinate.
•Allow wildflowers in
the surrounding area to
flower and set seed.
You will need to find a nearby
wildflower-rich meadow from
which you
can take some hay. The hay mu
st be cut
only once the seed has started
to ripen.
This is the most common method used
to create wildflower-rich grasslands. A
range of seed mixes can be purchased,
or you can order seed separately and
mix your own, but ensure you select one
which is suitable for the site’s soil type.
Seed should be purchased from
specialist suppliers and of native-origin,
ideally from your local area or region.
Sowing
rates
•Immediately after the hay is
cut,
transfer to your site and spread
it
thinly onto a prepared seed bed
. Carry
out work in late July - August
but
ideally not in drought conditi
ons.
•Use a roller to bed the seed
into the
ground. Lots of volunteers trea
ding
across the site can have a sim
ilar effect.
How?
Generally, plugs should be pla
nted at a density
of up to 5 plugs per m2. The
density can be
reduced for larger areas and
you will still get the
same effect. They should be pla
nted in autumn
or spring, but keep an eye on
the weather as
they will die if they dry out. The
y may need to
be watered if the weather is par
ticularly dry.
Try to plant the plugs in groups
of three or
five in order to achieve a more
natural look.
How?
Sow onto the surface of a pre
pared fine
seedbed in autumn or early
spring. Depending
on the size of your meadow,
you may wish
to source a tractor driven see
d drill. Seed
should be bulked with sand
and planted half
horizontally across the site and
half vertically,
in order to get an even distrib
ution.
A mixed grass and wildflower mix should be used at a rate of 10-15 kg/ha, or
up to 5g/m2. If sowing a pure wildflower mix onto existing grasslands then
use 1-1.5kg/ha, or 1g/m2. Your seed supplier should be able to offer advice.
The sown land should be rolled to ensure seed is fully in contact with the soil.
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o
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g
n
i
Manag
w
o
d
a
e
M
y
t
i
Commun
soil that
Wildflower meadows thrive on
portant
is not very fertile, so it is im
e enriched
that your site does not becom
ilisers
through the application of fert
aterial –
or the build-up of dead plant m
ement
therefore some kind of manag
ary.
of your meadow will be necess
material
You will need to cut the plant
.
and remove it from the site
Every year your site will need to be cut after the flowers
have finished seeding, usually by late September.
Once cut, the grass cuttings must be removed from
the meadow. How you will undertake the long term
management of your meadow should be planned before
you start your project.
TOP TIP
Local farmers or contractors may be prepared to cut the
meadow and remove the cuttings, but there may be a
cost. If your site has been grass for some time, an early
spring cut may be advantageous to help the wildflowers
become established. This will help to weaken more
competitive species such as grasses, docks and thistles.
Meadow nt can
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Managi
ng your
Com
munity
Meadow
Some more detail on cutting
For the first few years of its life your newly sown meadow will need some
careful management to allow the wildflowers to grow, flower and set seed.
Every meadow is different and management should be adjusted accordingly,
however here are some general recommendations, particularly relevant in
the early years of the meadow establishing:
•Control weeds: You may need to cut/top tall weeds such as docks and
thistles in the early years to prevent them dominating the meadow.
•The first year’s growth: In the first year you will need to prevent seedlings
from getting smothered by vigorous grass growth. This can be achieved
by mowing to a height of about 5 cm, or the mower’s highest setting and
remove the grass cuttings. This may need doing several times over the year.
•The next few years: You should be aiming to allow the sward to
‘fill-out’, i.e. create a good coverage of wildflowers and grasses. The
meadow should be cut once a year after it has flowered and the seed has
dropped (late September).
Everything needs somewhere to live
Providing a source of nectar and pollen via wildflowers is only part of the
picture, the animals that will move into your meadow also need somewhere
to shelter, hunt, feed and breed. Many invertebrates require long grass for egg
laying and over wintering as eggs, pupae or larvae in order to complete their
life cycles. Grass is the larval food for many species of butterfly and moth,
such as the Meadow brown butterfly (Maniola jurtina) and the Large yellow
underwing moth (Noctua pronuba), which lay their eggs in long grass.
Leaving an area of uncut rough grassland can provide nesting areas for
bumblebees – undisturbed areas may attract voles whose nests bumblebees
often use, these areas can also provide ideal conditions for surface-nesting
species such as the Common carder bee (Bombus pascuorum).
Ringlet
Aphantop
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ntus
©Claudia
Watts
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Com s pascu
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Leaving a patch of grass to grow long and remain uncut over the winter is
the best way to achieve this. Cut these areas every 2-3 years and try to leave
a patch of at least 2x5m. The edges of the site are the best places for longer
grass patches, connected to a hedgerow. This improves foraging for birds
such as song thrushes. House sparrows will use thick bushes as shelter and
from there, come to forage in the grass for invertebrates and seeds.
Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is a company limited by guarantee.
Company No: 4132695. Registered Charity No: 1092293. Scottish charity No: SC040004.
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Fundi
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Commu
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Noble en Falk
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With wildflower seed costing
around £100 per kg, creating
a meadow will usually require
funding. The internet is
a really useful source of
information for finding
project funding.
nmental
o
r
i
v
n
e
l
Loca
streams
funding
utilities
Your local
rge
or local la
company
e
s may hav
businesse
treams to
funding s
ts
cal projec
support lo
te
eir Corpora
through th
y
ponsibilit
Social Res
es.
programm
Lottery funding
www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
has details for different lottery
funding streams that operate
in your area.
ies
Local authorit
s
They may have fund
local
designed to benefit
imes
et
m
so
,
communities
provided via new
local
developments. Your
have
authority may also
ficer
of
ts
an
a specialist gr
e on
vis
ad
who can help to
sourcing funding.
Grant-giving
trusts
made
Grants are often
sts
from charitable tru
projects
which might fund
ea or
in a particular ar
r theme.
under a particula
and local
Use the internet
visors
authority grant ad
sts.
tru
e
to source thes
Funding Central
www.fundin
gcentral.org
.uk
- a free web
site for chari
ties,
voluntary o
rganisation
s
and social e
nterprises.
The site list
s hundreds
of
sources of fu
nding.
Or...
...how about
raising
the money yo
urself?
Sponsored ac
tivities and
money-raisin
g events are
a great way of
fundraising,
spreading th
e word about
your project,
and bringing
the commun
ity together.
Photographs on this page © Chris Gibson, Steven Falk, Suzie Bairner and Andrew Whitehouse.
Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is a company limited by guarantee.
Company No: 4132695. Registered Charity No: 1092293. Scottish charity No: SC040004.
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What m your
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M
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t
Communi
ators,
If you mention insect pollin
ybee,
most people think of the Hone
pes of
but there are so many more ty
insects which are more important
when it comes to pollination.
s,
Bumblebees, solitary bees, flie
verflies
beetles, butterflies, moths, ho
of
and wasps all share the load
d crops.
pollinating our wildflowers an
ion is
In fact, 90% of all pollinat
s.
undertaken by wild pollinator
ate
to pollin
e
l
b
a
n
u
s are
ch as
Honeybee wers. Plants su rely
some flo s and tomatoes
owers
rrie
strawbe llination’ - the fl
s.
po
umblebee
b
y
b
on ‘buzz
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e
t
be vibra
need to
variety of
Planting a
will help
s
r
e
w
o
l
f
t
n
differe
ider range
w
a
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r
o
pp
to su
ators.
in
ll
o
p
t
n
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r
of diffe
Sailor
Canth beetle
a
©Greg ris rustica
Hitch
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Bomb iled bum
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Buff-t hen Falk
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Bumblebees
There are 25 species of
bumblebee in the UK, and
they are really important
as pollinators. However,
bumblebees are disappearing
- 6 out of the 25 species have
declined in numbers by at least
80% over the last 50 years.
Honeybees
Bumblebees are able to remain
active in colder weather
than Honeybees and so
are particularly important
pollinators in early spring.
Bumblebees and flowers
have evolved alongside each
other over millions of years,
so now some plants can
only be pollinated by certain
bumblebees. One of these is
Monkshood (Aconitum napellus);
it has a long-throated flower
with nectar at the bottom. Only
long-tongued bumblebee species
like the Garden bumblebee
(Bombus hortorum) can reach
the nectar deep inside.
Take a closer look below at the six common species of female bumblebees that you are likely to see
occurring in your garden and the countryside:
1 Buff-tailed bumblebee
(Bombus terrestris)
One yellow band on thorax.
Queens very large with a
buff tail, white on workers.
Nests underground.
2 White-tailed bumblebee
(Bombus lucorum)
One yellow band on thorax with
a white tail in both queens and
workers. Males have yellow hairs
on its face. Nests underground.
3 Garden bumblebee
(Bombus hortorum)
Two yellow bands on thorax with
a white tail. Nests underground.
4 Common carder bee
(Bombus pascuorum)
Gingery-brown all over with
some black hairs on the
abdomen. Nests on the surface
of ground in long-tussocky grass.
One queen will lay up to
2,000 eggs in a day, and in
summer there can be around
5 Red-tailed bumblebee
Solitary bees
6 Early bumblebee
What some people find
surprising is that most of the
240 species of bees in the UK
are what we call ‘solitary’ bees.
These bees don’t make honey,
and don’t have queens to lay
the eggs, or workers to care
for them. Instead, the females
do this all themselves.
(Bombus lapidarius)
Black all over with a red tail.
Males have yellow hairs on
its face. Nests underground.
(Bombus pratorum)
One or two yellow bands on
thorax with a red tail. Males
have yellow hairs on its face.
Nests underground or in holes
in trees or in bird boxes.
2
1
The majority of Honeybees
(Apis mellifera) (7) in the UK are
not wild - they are “farmed”
by beekeepers. Each Honeybee
can fly up to five miles a
day to search for nectar and
pollen. This is why we have
the saying ‘as busy as a bee’.
3
Some species look very similar
to Honeybees; you can tell the
difference as they don’t have
the pollen baskets that you
can see on the hind legs of the
Honeybees. Solitary bees carry
their pollen on their bodies –
for example, Leaf cutter bees
Wasps
50,000 bees in just one hive.
Honeybees aren’t specialists,
meaning that they will visit
lots of different plants to collect
honey and nectar. When a
bee finds a large patch of
flowers, she (all workers are
female) will return to the hive
and do a ‘waggle dance’. This
dance tells the other workers
where they need to fly to
find a good source of food.
(Megachile willbughbiella)
(8) collect pollen on the
underneath of their abdomen.
Carrying pollen on your body
rather than in a pollen basket
is less secure, and because of
this, wild bees can be more
efficient pollinators as they
lose their pollen more
easily, spreading it from
flower to flower.
Not all wasps sting. In fact they
are very helpful – they pollinate
lots of our crops. There are
hundreds of species of wasp
in the UK, although only eight
species are social – i.e. they
live in colonies and build large
nests, such as the Common
wasp (Vespula vulgaris) (9). The
rest are solitary, and make
nests in hollow plant stems,
beetle holes in deadwood or
digging into bare ground.
Wasps primarily feed on
other insects but will feed on
nectar. Not only are they useful
pollinators, but they’re really
good at keeping down other
garden pests. Each solitary wasp
species tends to specialise on
a particular kind of prey, such
as caterpillars, aphids or flies.
9
Solitary bees nest in hollow
plant stems or dig their
nests in the ground.
8
7
4
5
6
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Beetles
Butterflies & moths
Fossil records show that beetles
were around 200 million years
ago, making them and flies,
some of the first insects to
pollinate flowers. They are
attracted to large, bowl-shaped
flowers which are open during
the day. Because they rely on
their sense of smell for feeding
and finding places to lay their
eggs, they like strongly scented
plants, so flowers which smell
sweet, spicy or fermented
are particularly irresistible!
Butterflies and moths are not
as well adapted to pollination
as other insects are. They don’t
have any special structures
for collecting pollen – like
the pollen baskets on bees.
However, they do transfer
some pollen on their bodies,
and they can travel longer
distances to find nectar
from the same food plant.
Soldier beetles don’t visit
the flower for the pollen, but
come instead to catch the
pollen-eaters and drag the
pollen along with them.
Over seventy-one families of
Hoverfly larvae are voracious
flies are flower pollinators,
predators of other bugs, and
making them the second
can be useful allies in the
most important group after
garden controlling aphids and
bees. Many fruit and
other potential crop pests.
vegetable crops are visited
by flies and if we didn’t
Hogweed
Evans
ob
have the tiny little midges
bonking beetle
R
©
(Rhagonycha fulva)
that visit the cacao
flower, we wouldn’t
have chocolate!
Both butterflies and moths
usually feed on nectar (some
micro moths feed on pollen).
Night-flying moths are
attracted to strongly scented
evening-flowering plants such
as honeysuckle or jasmine.
Day-flying moths will feed
on a range of wildflowers.
Flies & hoverflies
©Al
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Painted Lady
(Vanessa cardui)
ay
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Cinnebar moth
(Tyria jacobaeae)
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Fa
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Thick-legged Flower beetle
(Oedemera nobilis)
Marmalade hoverfly
(Episyrphus balteatus)
Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is a company limited by guarantee.
Company No: 4132695. Registered Charity No: 1092293. Scottish charity No: SC040004.
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Bee boxes & bug hotels
Just like us, insects need somewhere to live. Bee boxes
and bug hotels can provide somewhere for insects to
spend the winter in. They are easy to make and can
help to ensure that the insects that have found your
meadow thrive.
The simplest bee box can be constructed by drilling
holes into a piece of untreated wood and attaching a roof,
to divert rain away from the holes. Bees will create nests
within the holes.
Bug hotels can be constructed from bits of drainpipe or
old fizzy drinks bottles. Cut off the bottom of the bottle
and fill with long pieces of bamboo cane. They will need
to be jammed in so that they do not fall out. Visit the
Buglife website for full instructions on how to make a
bee hotel and bug hotel.
Formal planting
Artistic designs can be created in your meadow using
colour specific planting, or the heights and shapes of
flowers, blending together. This was demonstrated
successfully at the London Olympic Games in 2012.
Flowering shrubs & hedgerows
Native shrubs and hedgerows can provide shelter
for pollinating insects and somewhere for them to
spend the winter. Native shrubs such as hawthorn and
blackthorn also provide an important source of nectar
and pollen in the early spring. If you do not have an
area of land available for a meadow, consider enhancing
boundaries with native hedge planting or garden areas
with shrubs that provide nectar and pollen.
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Orchards
Apple, plum, pear, cherry and other orchard trees can provide a
useful source of nectar and pollen in the spring and added benefits
to the community via a fruit crop later in the year!
Meadow activities
Once you have completed the hard work of creating your meadow,
it is important to maintain community interest in the project.
Organise activities which will bring your community together to
enjoy and learn about your meadow.
©Greg H
itchcock
Bug hunt!
ning a bug
Consider run
orry if you
hunt. Don’t w
eir names.
don’t know th
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Make a coun
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number of dif
. Over
bugs you find
develop
time you can
learn
your skills to
.
their names
Or how ab
out some
meadow-i
nspired p
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try?
Picnic!
Invite friends, family,
y
or the whole communit
to share a picnic and
spend time together
enjoying your new
Community Meadow.
m
ra
m
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a
s of your
Take photo
s
nd the bug
meadow a
end
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you find liv
at
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your photo
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info@bugli
Take a ske
tch book w
ith
you and to
draw som
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pictures o
f the flowe
rs and
wildlife yo
u see whil
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are in you
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og
Hov
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photos!
Meadow art
and poetry!
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Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is a company limited by guarantee.
Company No: 4132695. Registered Charity No: 1092293. Scottish charity No: SC040004.
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How itity Meadow
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Creatin ow
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The Green Backyard
©Richard
Smith
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
At the Green Backyard, two sites were established, totalling
0.9 hectares. This Community Meadow project was a partnership between
Buglife and The Green Backyard, and was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The sites
Maintenance
Preparation
Results
1. a raised mound of fertile earth that had
been used for growing mixed ornamental
plants and strawberries. Changing into an
annual meadow
2. a patch of mown rough grass changing to a
perennial meadow
Site one was cleared and weeded over the
winter of 2011, raked and then site two was
mown short and partially turf stripped by
volunteers in September 2011. Remaining turf
stripped in October 2011, when topsoil was
also inverted by a mechanical digger. Soil raked
and cleared of large stones and debris.
Sowing
Site 1: sown by volunteers with Landlife’s
‘Signature’ annual meadow in mid-March
2012. Seed was sown at a rate of 5g/m2, and
bulked out in a bran carrier to show where the
seed had been spread and to help ensure an
even distribution. Site 2: sown by volunteers
in early October, with Landlife’s Downland
and Heritage meadow mixes (50:50) at rate
of 1g/m2. Some remaining annual seed was
also sown here in March 2012.
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Site 1: weeded during spring 2012 and
flowered from mid-June, continuing until
early September. Seed was collected from the
meadow, which was then dug-over.
Site 2: Meadow cut and raked-off in early
November 2012
Meadow flowered with annuals and species
from weed bank from June 2012, dominated by
wild carrot later in season.
Extras
Artificial nesting sites for solitary bees (and
solitary wasps) were created by constructing a
‘bee wall’ and a ‘bee bank’. The bee bank was
formed from a core of turf and soil, capped to
15cm with sharp sand. The bee wall comprised
blocks of untreated wood, drilled with holes of
varying diameters, assembled together on a
south-facing wall of a shed.
©Vanessa AmaralRogers
G
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How it’s
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Commun
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case stu eadow
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Brickfields Triangle
Plymouth
Brickfields Triangle Community Meadow was
created by Buglife in partnership with
Plymouth City Council and The Millfields Trust.
The project was funded by The Co-operative’s
Plan Bee campaign. Brickfields Triangle Meadow
is 1.24 hectares.
Preparation
In November 2011 the existing amenity grass
was cut short and the cuttings removed.
Seeding/Planting
After cutting, the site was seeded using a deep
slot seeder. 7kg of Yellow rattle (Rhinanthus
minor) and 4kg of Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum
vulgare) were sown in the site at a rate of 1g
per m2, bulked up with sharp sand as a carrier.
In March 2012, four local primary schools took
part in a massive planting scheme to enhance
the meadow area with 5,600 plug plants. These
included Lesser knapweed (Centaurea nigra),
Field scabious (Knautia arvensis), Bird’s-foot
trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Red clover (Trifolium
pratense), Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)
and Viper’s bugloss (Echium vulgare). Plugs were
planted at a density of 4 plants per m2.
Maintenance
In autumn 2012 the meadow received its first
cut, with the cuttings being removed from the
site. This annual management will continue.
Results
Throughout the summer the meadow was
a blaze of colour. Community bug hunts
and seed scattering days were held in the
summer and early autumn. The site was
visited by the South West In Bloom judges.
©Jon Mold
©Andrew Whitehouse
hitehouse
©Andrew W
Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is a company limited by guarantee.
Company No: 4132695. Registered Charity No: 1092293. Scottish charity No: SC040004.
Plants for
Pollinators
There are endless combinations of plants to select for your Community Meadow,
here are some of our favourite plants for pollinators. Always select plants that are
suitable for your soil conditions and use plants and seed of native stock.
Viper’s bugloss
Yellow rattle
Red clover
Lesser knapweed
Field scabious
Wild carrot
Bird’s-foot trefoil
Oxeye daisy
Selfheal
Red campion
(Echium vulgare)
The ultimate bumblebee
plant! Long flowering
period, and excellent in
medium height grass.
(Trifolium pratense)
Thrives in short grass,
bumblebees love it.
(Knautia arvensis)
Good in short grass and
great for bees.
(Lotus corniculatus)
Long flowering
season, good in short
grass - great for solitary
mining bees.
(Prunella vulgaris)
Another plant for
short grass.
(Rhinanthus minor)
Attracts a range of
pollinators and is a useful
tool in managing grass to
promote wildflowers.
(Centaurea nigra)
Good in medium height
grass, great bee and
butterfly plant.
(Daucus carota)
Grows well in
medium-long grass,
flowers are useful for
hoverflies and beetles.
(Leucanthemum vulgare)
Essential in any meadow!
(Silene dioica)
Grows well in shady
spots under trees or
along hedgerows.
Photographs on this page © Chris Gibson, Steven Falk, Suzie Bairner and Andrew Whitehouse.
Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is a company limited by guarantee.
Company No: 4132695. Registered Charity No: 1092293. Scottish charity No: SC040004.