Do you know your Campions from your Cornflowers?
Could you pick out a Poppy or spot a blooming Buttercup?
Whatever the answer, if you want to see all those wildflowers and more in their stunning full-colour glory then look no further than Liverpool’s main roads and major routes this summer.
It’s all part of the Liverpool Wildflower Gateways Project, which is a partnership between Liverpool City Council, the National Wildflower Centre at the Eden Project and is bringing a riot of colour to sites across the city.
Now in its second year, the project, affectionately known as the ‘Scouse Flowerhouse’, takes in locations across Liverpool including Croxteth Park, Longmoor Lane, Ullet Road and Everton Park.
A small band of intrepid flower advocates and sowers led by Richard Scott, Director of the National Wildflower Centre and based here in Liverpool, have been taking to the grass verges, public green spaces and central reservations to plant millions of tiny seeds.
The sites have been prepared by Liverpool-based arable and urban farmer Dave Roughley, before being sown by Dave, Richard and fellow volunteer Bradley Hampson.
Last year the planting became a real community event in certain parts of the city, with residents taking part in mass sowings.
This year the group have been encouraging residents to get involved in a socially-distanced way by leaving packets of seeds on people’s doorsteps.
The choice of flowers has been specially chosen to reflect the country’s wild heritage, with many varieties such as Cornflower, Corn Poppy, Corn Chamomile, Daisies and Red Campion and Meadow Buttercup – originating in cornfields.
In addition to these wildflower areas the city has many wild areas within parks where grass is left to grow longer to encourage wildlife.
The council’s grass cutting service has begun again on verges which are close to public highways, this is to ensure the right level of visibility for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. However, there are some verges where it is suitable to allow grass to grow longer and encourage more diverse planting. The council is continue to identify suitable sites across the city.
Some of the sites are already beginning to spring into life but in the fullness of time, they will all bring a suffusion of reds, blues, oranges…every colour of the rainbow in fact for everyone to enjoy.
It is a real and practical response by the city in response to the Climate Emergency and Extinction crisis.
Watch the video about the project here: https://vimeo.com/422368604
