 |
| Volunteers sowing a cornfield annual mix to provide
temporary colour and nectar sources in Charlie’s Field, New Ferry Butterfly Park. Photo: Hilary Ash |
Thanks to all the members and
public who voted for the Love Wirral Grant to create a kaleidoscope of flowers
on the railway embankment at New Ferry Butterfly Park.
The project application
was successful and there will be a public Love Wirral event on Sunday April
13th, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. It is a great
opportunity to expand the array of native wildflowers for bees and butterflies
along the park’s railway embankment. This will be achieved by planting 150
Primrose, 50 Red Campion and 50 Greater Stitchwort plants. Following on from
the blue haze of the established Bluebells, this project will add flashes of
yellow and white in late spring and in summer a flash of red producing a kaleidoscope
of colour. This will provide extra nectar sources throughout the spring and
summer seasons giving butterflies a great energy boost to keep them flying. The
embankment will be periodically coppiced to maintain the area for these
perennial flowering plants of the woodland and to enable butterflies to use the
flowers.
The Kaleidoscope of flowers will
be seen by Merseyrail passengers as the trains run by the embankment, subtly
advertising the park. A holly hedge will be planted along part of the park’s
boundary, which will add to the country feel of the park and to the successful
future breeding of Holly Blue butterflies. In addition there will be Betony to
plant into the lime waste grassland and Hemp Agrimony into the freshly dug
ditches. Also let’s not forget the hungry caterpillar. Sheep’s Sorrel will be
planted for the caterpillar of the Small Copper butterfly. Trowels will be
provided.
The park’s regular volunteers
will be down at the park from 9.30 a.m. doing some necessary planting
preparation work and general tidying up of the park. You are welcome to join in any time during
the day.
Paul Loughnane BEM
No comments:
Post a Comment