Flower planting at Birkenhead Park

As part of Cheshire Wildlife Trust's 50th birthday celebrations, four families enjoyed planting 50 wildflower plants on 14th April at Birkenhead Park. The Park Rangers are developing a wildflower meadow on an area disturbed when lake spoil was stored there during the restoration of the Park. This has left a heavy clay soil with poor drainage - good for damp loving wild flowers such as the ragged robin, marsh woundwort, cowslips and bugle which were planted. Thanks to the clash with a certain football match, it will be mostly ladies who have the pleasure of looking in future years and saying "I planted those!"

Anne Litherland, Senior Ranger, said "We are very grateful to Cheshire Wildlife Trust for helping to move this project forward. Because of the historic landscape, most of the Park is very formal, and this is one chance to have a more natural area." The wildflowers, attractive in themselves, will also provide nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other insects. Funding was provided by Cheshire Wildlife Trust and Wirral Borough Council Tourism Dept, under their Year of Coast & Countryside initiative. Look for the wildflower meadow next to the Royal British Legion Birkenhead Branch building.

The remaining wildflower plantings for CWT's 50th birthday will be on 9th September at Dawpool, Wirral Country Park, and on 15th September at Bidston Moss former landfill site. On 11th November 500 native bluebells will be planted at New Ferry Butterfly Park.

Anyone is welcome to join in the planting - to book email us or telephone 0151 327 5923.