The Meadow Makers' Network Forum

I think you are right about needing to remove the cuttings to prevent them fertilising the soil too much for wildflowers. If it’s just the picking up that is difficult, could you or the person who helps you rake the cuttings into a heap and leave it in situ? Snakes and spiders will love the warmth i...

We established a half acre community meadow three years ago at Moorhaven. We are taking part in the open meadows programme on 7th July (11am). You are very welcome to visit. Our soil is more acidic than yours if that’s of interest. Yellow rattle loves it!

Last year we left a massive spear thistle to grow in our garden. I was a bit worried about it spreading but the goldfinches did a good job and we don’t have any thistle offspring this year

IMG_0093.jpeg I inadvertently got a nice example of the benefits of varied cutting regimes. An area of grass in our village grounds had been cut instead of left long. 2-3 weeks ago I asked for it to be left unmown and lots of catsear and oxeye daisies have appeared there that only thrive in the lon...

There’s a balance between an app that everyone can use and one that gives completely sound data for research/recording. I would use iNaturalist for crowd sourcing lots of recordings from the community and iRecord for a proper ecological survey by someone who knows what they are doing

It's the third spring of our community meadow project. I've posted some information and pictures on my blog for anyone who is interested to see how it is getting on. https://devonhedgerow.wordpress.com/202 ... ring-2023/

Common sorrel. You can eat it in moderation. Oxalic acid gives it its sharp taste and is the reason not to overindulge, especially if pregnant.

I know people usually post about trying to encourage yellow rattle but i have so many seedlings in dense mats that they threaten to overwhelm betony and other plants in our meadow and lawn. Can you have too much of a good thing?

I understand the arguments for sowing local seed, but in terms of filling an ecological niche, isn’t any corncockle better than none?

Another suggestion for getting youngsters involved is to make small batches of hay for their pets. A few bin liners full lasts a guinea pig months.