Warwick community group and residents create wildflower verge in the town

A community group in Warwick and local residents have created a wildflower verge in the town.

Bee Friendly Warwick is a group set up to help improve the area for declining pollinators and raise awareness of what people can all do to help.

Working with Warwickshire County Council, communities can now “adopt” suitable road verges and manage them in a way to help biodiversity.

A verge was suggested by Cliffe Way residents and Bee Friendly Warwick championed a project to add wildflowers to the site.

A several-step process was followed to ensure the verge was suitable, funding for insurance was found and residents were consulted via a Street Letter and a local WhatsApp group.

Warwick town and county council approved the adoption and the seeds could be sown.

Where it’s safe to do so, wildflower areas provide habitats and nectar sources for a variety of species.

Connecting up wild and wildflower habitats allows pollinators and other biodiversity the opportunity to move around and increase.

A group of volunteers and residents started the work this autumn.

The verge was mown, the grass raked off and then the ground was raked to create patches of bare ground, which made it easier for the seeds to take.

Wildflower seeds had been sourced from local, native flowers and were mixed with flour to spread them out across the verge.

Residents Sylvia and John Hessing, said: “A big thank you to Bee Friendly Warwick who helped us to get our verge adopted for wildflowers.

"We’re really happy to be able to help the pollinators and can’t wait to see the flowers blooming and bees buzzing in our mini meadow next spring.”

A mown edge of grass will be maintained by locals year-round and most of the verge given an annual cut in the autumn.

There will be an outer mown metre-wide grass edge, an inner slightly taller selection of native wildflowers and in the centre tall wildflowers such as knapweed and ox-eye daisies.

It will take time for the wildflowers to fully take hold but in a few years, it should be a good resource for pollinators and biodiversity.

This was all made possible through the support and help of Warwick Town Council and funding from Warwick Court Leet and Warwick Relief in Need.

Sara Lever, chair of Bee Friendly Warwick, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who has made this happen: local councillors, volunteers and our funders.

"Bee Friendly Warwick are aiming to create a whole network of pollinator friendly habitats across Warwick. If you think you have a suitable verge or green space near you in Warwick and a team of willing volunteers to manage it, please do get in touch as we will only be too happy to help you through the process.

"Or do let us know if you have any other ideas on how we could make Warwick more Bee Friendly.”

To contact Bee Friendly Warwick, email: [email protected] or find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beefriendlywarwick