Introducing...

Watching the flowers grow

Volunteer organisation Surrey’s Wildflowering Project (SWP) is building a partnership to enable native flowering in the county. Surrey County Council encourage residents to use “Blue Heart” stakes to mark out mini native plant reserves (e.g. around street names and trees). Chair of the project, Kim Spickett, lives in the borough of Epsom and Ewell. 

“It is nonsense that street verges have to be overgrown; nectar rich plant species can thrive in 15-20 centimetres. Birds need shorter grass in order to dig for invertebrates. Talk to your neighbours, be kind to each other and find a happy medium!” Kim encourages native plants into the design of her own garden. In front of a riverside pub, the Hogsmill Tavern, a patch of ground has been awarded “Blue Heart” status. “We enjoy daffodils in the spring and a butterfly sanctuary during the summer. Abdul, the landlord, kindly allows us to fill our watering cans at the pub”.