 Sunday 15th (Father's Day) was the day we chose for our annual wildflower wander. A small band of residents gathered in Knights car park in readiness to wander and marvel at the wildflowers in 4 locations in north Betchworth. Each location was chosen to tell a different story. The first stop was near the A25 roundabout on Station Rd. In October last year the drainage ditch by the side of the road was dug out and the mud from the bottom of the drain was dumped on the bank. The muddy bank was devoid of plant life but 8 months later the bank is one of the most verdant places in the whole of the 4Bs comprising a tangled mass of plants. On our walk we spotted flowering bramble, nettle, several varieties of thistle, hog weed, great burdock, mugwort, plantain, oxeye daisies, red campion, rough hawks beard, common knapweed, hedge bedstraw, queen anne’s lace, hoary mustard, nipplewort, bristly oxe tongue, teasel and more. It also seemed to be a haven for ladybirds.   Our second stop was at Chalklands where for the past 7 years a significant part of the garden has been managed for wildflowers. The grass is cut once a year in early September and the cuttings removed. This practice has depleted the soil in nutrients, discouraged grass growth and encouraged wildflowers. In May and June there is a wonderful profusion of oxeye daisies in May and June, followed by the flowering of hundreds of pyramid and common spotted orchids in June and July. But this year has been different, because of the exceptionally dry spring weather, there are very fewer oxeye daisies and orchids than in previous years and the oxeye daisies and orchids that have grown are smaller in size – compare photos 2024-25.  In spite of this obvious difference there were still plenty of wildflowers to see including: oxeye daisies, three species of orchid – common spotted, pyramid and bee orchids, abundant clumps of yellow greater birdsfoot trefoil, creeping and meadow buttercup, hairy hawkbit, black medic and rag wort, purple self heal and common knapweed and white clover.  Our third stop was in the old Goods Yard at Betchworth Station, where the owners have recently embarked on a rewilding project to turn what was intended to be a car park into a haven for wildlife. The site has been cleared of the accumulated rubbish and prepared – trees have been cut, topsoil has been added in some areas and undergrowth removed from the woodland. Paths of wood chip have been laid through the woodland and perennial wildflower seed was sown 2 months ago. We were not expecting to see wildflowers from the seeds that were sown but all around the margins of the former goods yard there are signs of regeneration as seeds and roots already in the soil begin to exploit the new habitat.
Our final stop was Potters Farm where James and Claire Benn have been cultivating a wildflower meadow from a wildflower-grass seed mix for many years. Their practice is to make one annual grass cut with a scythe and remove the cuttings. Claire has identified over 30 plant species in the extensive wildflower meadow. This year the oxeye daisies are not so prominent but there is abundant knapweed, together with birdsfoot trefoil, meadow bedstraw and buttercup.  The weather was kind to us and it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon with a small group of people who enjoyed being amongst nature.
0 Comments
 Over the last decade, Paul and Clare Ritchie have led the way in showing us how to create the conditions for wildlife to flourish in their 850sq metre garden on the Brockham- Betchworth border. In doing so they provide both a practical demonstration of how we can all contribute to the enhancement of biodiversity and an inspiring example that can motivate us to do a little bit more for nature. Every year, during the national Open Garden weekend, Paul and Clare, generously share their garden – this year on July 07. In spite of the dull weather and occasional downpours, a number of residents from the 4Bs benefited from their hospitality and came away buzzing with ideas and uplifted spirits (see example comments from visitors). Paul wrote an article about his garden in the first issue of the 4Bs Nature Magazine. A Place Where the Wild Things Rrow 
A FLAVOUR OF PAUL & CLARE'S WILDLIFE GARDEN |
4Bs Nature Group BlogThis blog is maintained by the 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative Team. Its purpose is to provide brief updates of activities and encourage the sharing of experiences and learning. We welcome guests and contributions from members of the 4Bs WhatsApp Nature Group and wider community. To contribute a post please email the editor at biodiversityinititiative1 @gmail.com PagesArchives
July 2025
Categories |
||||
RSS Feed