More Biodiversity Initiatives for 2022

After the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received last year about the wild flower beds on Intake Lane Green, the Parish Council will continue its efforts to promote greater biodiversity around the village.

Thanks to a free hedge pack to support wild life from the Woodland Trust, planting in Julia’s Garden and part of the Millennium Garden has just been completed. We are grateful to volunteers from Dunnington in Bloom and Treemendous for their help with this.

Eagled-eyed residents may have spotted some markings on the grass at the Millennium Garden and the village green at Greenside. There are plans for some new beds at Greenside which will be planted with a low growing mix of wild flowers.

The height of the beds on Intake Lane last year came as a surprise, thanks to an abundance of Cosmos. We will be asking the seed supplier not to include this in future mixes. The existing beds will be lightly raked and a few annual seeds added to them. Last year’s perennial plants are already coming through.

Millennium Garden has had a bit of a tidy up and a few extra shrubs have been planted in an enlarged bed which backs on to the allotment, thanks to Dunnington Conservation Group. The main grass area behind the benches will be planted as a wild flower meadow with an 80% grass and 20% wild flower mix. Walking paths will be cut all around this area and the marked sections around the oak trees will be left as they are to protect tree roots. Once this meadow has established, some paths will also be cut through the main area.

Thanks are also due to the Hassacarr team who have been busy ‘recycling’ some of the wood chippings from recent tree work and the larger sections of a fallen tree will be left for wildlife. You’ll see what they’ve been up to next time you have a walk round the big pond. Please help the team by keeping dogs on a lead as it is now nesting season.

We are grateful to our ward councillors who have agreed to ward grants which will support these initiatives.

Look out for another local scheme organised by the Green Initiatives Group called the Bee Friendly Trail, planned for July.

And now, a request to all residents – if you are planting a wild flower patch in your garden, or in pots this year, we would love to have your photographs to add to our wild flower gallery.