Globally, pollinators are declining. These insects play a crucial role in our lives, including food production as they pollinate important crops. Wildflower meadows and bee corridors can provide an important source of pollen and nectar for pollinating insects, as well as habitat and food, directly and indirectly for many other species. They also have been shown to positively impact health and wellbeing as they are a beautiful addition to our urban landscapes.
Plymouth City Council have been developing a network of wildflower meadows and bee corridors across the city over a number of years and these have proved to be very successful, benefiting both people and wildlife. Therefore, Plymouth want to add new sites to this network and improve the quality of their existing meadows and corridors.
Four new sites have been identified where new wildflower meadows can be established. These sites were prepared and planted in March 2019, when ground conditions are good for sowing. Existing sites will be invigorated as part of the project to make them better for wildlife and add more colour to the landscape.
Plymouth have also been working with seed suppliers to develop a new longer flowering seed mix. Further sites that we can convert to wildflower meadows will be identified to expand our network of sites in coming years. The council will also continue to investigate ways to improve the condition of their existing wildflower meadows so that they deliver the maximum benefits for our communities and the city’s environment.
Please note – this was published when Labour controlled Plymouth City Council between 2018-2021
