Marvellous Mayflower

Thanks to Carol Gilroy from Tuar Ceatha Photography for the lovely images of Hawthorne flowers.

Driving down the country this week I couldn’t help but notice the fabulous display of Hawthorn (mayflower) Mile after mile of hedgerows that seemed to be covered in a snow white cover shimmering in the sunlight.  It wasn’t just me that noticed the display.  The following day a friend of mine posted a comment about this in a wildflower Facebook group and within hours had a stream of people across the country saying exactly the same thing.

I’m not sure if it’s anything to do with how hedgerows are cut (or not) this year or if it’s a climatic reason.  Mike Collard from the group thinks that it could be a winter without stress, and a kind spring, also we are seeing the result of the last 20 years of hawthorn hedge planting. He says that more hawthorn has been planted now than any time in the last 100 years, thanks to reps schemes.  All I do know is that it’s generating some lovely photographs such as the one pictured here from Carol Gilroy from Tuar Ceatha Photography based in Carndonagh here in Inishowen.

The spectacle has also inspired some very lovely descriptions.

Taragh Cosgrove says "Mayo is thriving with hawthorn; it's like someone poured cream over the tree tops!"

Kate Penn Limerick: Last time I saw it this prolific we had a nice summer so fingers crossed!!

Finola Finlay in Cork: For both hawthorn and cuckooflower.

Beryl Quayle: I was only saying yesterday it's the best year isle of man.

Gordonski Boxwellawich: Westmeath is absolutely unbelievable. I wasn't sure it was hawthorn at first. I had to double check. It's like some sort of outrageous Cherry blossom.

Anne Narkist: Lots of jam and wine later in the year, yaay!

Wasteland

I have noticed a growing amount of areas in built up areas being set aside for wildflowers and grasses. With austerity cuts to local council services our understanding of biodiversity has come at a good time as more and more grass verges remain uncut in the summer.  It can be a bit of a shock to people who are used to and love the closely manicured lawns and public spaces but when this type of twice yearly cutting is seen as a good thing for the environment we can see through the ‘untidiness’ of it all. 

Changing from a mono culture grass planting will allow the use of colour through wildflowers and bulbs to provide a changing splash of colour through spring, summer and autumn.  Closely mown grass along edges and paths, and cutting wide meandering pathways through the tall grasses as they do in our local park, improves aesthetic appeal and encourages people to wander in and out of the meadows. 

Tall grasslands and wildflowers may not always be appropriate and can be seen as unsightly and unattractive both before and after flowering. Others see tall grasses as a fire risk in much the same way that gorse can be; and others as a dog loo or a focal point for littering.

But there are benefits of tall grasslands that merit their wider consideration.

Biodiversity - while short grasslands attract birds and invertebrates of grassland and open habitation, tall grasslands will also tend to include nectar-rich plants, in turn attracting hoverflies, butterflies, moths and bees. The habitat will also be more likely to support small mammals and even reptiles.

Social benefit - tall grasslands are particularly attractive to young children, stimulating the imagination and natural play, educating with respect to insects and other invertebrates associated with the habitat, and introducing them to wild habitats. 

Economic sustainability - The management regime for tall grasslands and wildflower meadows is less intensive than for closely mown grasslands, so they can be a cost-effective alternative.

Even though some urban areas seem a bit untidy they have probably been well thought out and planned and been assisted by organizations such as the Conservation volunteers. There are many types of grassland: amenity grassland (lawns and recreational fields), grassland habitats, agricultural pasture, waste (grass) lands and common land. All have an importance, even the piece of waste ground full of plats such as coltsfoot and nettles will have more biodiversity than a manicured garden.

The maintenance of amenity grasslands is surprisingly high, forcing many local authorities and land-owners to seek cheaper management protocols or regimes (not burning though)!

 Allowing grassland habitats in urban settings for the provision of native or naturalised grasses and flowering plants offers several advantages such as plant diversity, insect and wildlife and education. One of my most memorable field trips at horticultural college was a trip to the local supermarket car park to see the planting schemes and impact it had on the environment. It doesn’t take much to keep me entertained.