Cheddar Parish Council is creating three small wildflower areas at Hannah More Park in the centre of the village to add some floral colour to the recreation ground. It is hoped the areas will provide bees, butterflies and other pollinators with food throughout the year and enhance the park for users.
Members of the council’s highways and open spaces committee, together with Assistant Clerk Sam Peake and Parish Ranger Toby Wall scarified and raked the ground before sowing a mixture of wildflower seeds, including Yellow Rattle, Cornflower and Poppy. Members of the public who were in the park at the time expressed their delight at the council’s initiative.
The parish council is working to increase biodiversity having already established wildflower areas at the cemetery beside Cheddar Reservoir and on the island bed in the River Yeo in the lower gorge. The council has also given support to the Wild Cheddar group to help restore the wildlife pond at Cheddar First School.
Users of Hannah More Park can help the parish council by keeping off the areas to allow them to become established. For more information contact clerk@cheddarparishcouncil.org or 01934 743217.
If you have been inspired to create your own wildflower patch you can visit the Wildlife Trusts website to learn how: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-grow-wild-patch-or-mini-meadow
Photo: (from L) cllrs Steve Kite, Gill Davies, Liz Smith and Peter Colton, Parish Ranger Toby Wall (centre)