In early summer, the green’s two designated wildflower zones were planted with a rich assortment of native species of perennial wildflower plug plants including oxeye daisies, knapweed, devils bit scabious, wild carrot, yarrow, field scabious, geranium pratense, salsify, wild marjoram and thyme and many others. Alas, the summer’s relentless heatwave and lack of rain thwarted a decent display in its first year. Fears that all the plants may have succumbed to the dry and heat are alleviated as amongst the long grass, some of the plug plants have recovered and are now growing strongly. 

One of our successes this summer was the abundance of yellow rattle grown from seed scattered last autumn. Yellow rattle weakens the grass which prevents it smothering any newly planted wildflowers.

Wildflowers on the grass verge opposite the village school were allowed to flourish this summer by not mowing during the summer months. No wildflowers were planted but plenty of species grew including musk mallow, vipers bugloss, fennel, verbascum, teasel and knapweed to name a few. It was good to see bees and butterflies enjoying their blooms too.

At the end of June, Parish Councillor Jonathan Hunt along with other members of the Wildlife group, attended a tour of Wivenhoe’s Wild Spaces Project areas. Wivenhoe Town Council are trialling an alternative way to manage selected verges and areas of open space in order to encourage wildflower growth and help develop the area for invertebrates such as bees, butterflies and moths. By leaving these areas uncut for the summer, five times as many wildflower species were found in the unmown sites compared to the mown sites. As the Boxted Wildlife group have similar aims for the village green and adjacent verges, the group were pleased to learn that they have already adopted similar maintenance regimes. 

Last weekend, volunteers spent the morning mowing, weeding and giving the Village Green an end of season tidy up in readiness for the group’s Wildlife Activity Day this Sunday. The grass has been left long in the wildflower zones until late autumn to ensure all plants have set and dropped seed before cutting. It is planned to leave other areas of long grass uncut over the winter months as a habitat for hibernating insects and invertebrates.

The wooden circular bench around the central oak tree has been removed in readiness for a wrought iron circular seat in memorial to Colonel Jeremy Carter which is being installed very soon.

Imminently the Wildlife group will be putting up a selection of bird and bat boxes in the hedgerows and we hope with the help of additional volunteers on the Wildlife Activity Day, that creatures will be able to shelter this winter in a newly built bee and bug hotel and stag beetle pyramid. 

The group now have a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BoxtedWildlife/ and we plan to develop a website proper over the winter months. If you wish to express any interest in, or comment on these activities, please feel free to contact Councillor Jonathan Hunt or the wildlife group on the email addresses below.

Cllr. Jonathan Hunt.       cllr.jon.hunt@boxted-pc.gov.uk

Boxted Wildlife Group    boxtedwildlife@gmail.com