Poplar HARCA has been planting nectar-rich flowers to help bees and other pollinators on its estates, as well as brightening up the scenery for its human residents.
Over the last two years, around 50,000 bulbs of a “Bee Mix” have been planted at Rounton Road, Sleaford House Green (see header photo), Baxter House (photo left) and the Diamond Garden beside Wytham House. Wildflower plugs and seeds have also been planted, at Dewberry Street and Rainhill Way, with a total of over 800 square metres of amenity grass transformed with colourful, nectar-rich flowers.
At the diamond garden, even more flowers have been added, with a bed of herbaceous perennials, with logs buried underneath to provide habitat for beetles and other invertebrates which eat dead wood (see photo at bottom of page).
The bulbs are already being enjoyed by a range of bees and other pollinating insects, including the Buff-tailed Bumblebee (below left) and Large Bulb Fly (below right).
This initiative to help our declining bees has been led by Poplar HARCA’s Landscape Manager, Tim Wilcox. Tim
has a new plan to help bees and birds this year, as he explains: “We are presently sowing 6,000 sunflower seeds at various locations on our estates which should flower the end of July onwards. I am hoping to retain the plants through the winter for winter feed for birds on some sites.” So expect to see some huge, bright yellow
flowers appearing on Poplar HARCA estates over the next few weeks.
All photos by Tim Wilcox/Poplar HARCA (click photos to enlarge)
