Pictorial meadows / Colour + habitat

We specified a mix of two ‘Pictorial meadow’ turfs for this high-impact perennial meadow planting in Cambridge, since our retired clients wished for colourful results without the wait which is often the case with meadows sown from seed. The long season of interest was not only important from a visual perspective, since the clients also wished to support invertebrates for as long a season as possible. We therefore underplanted the turf with early spring bulbs and introduced some extra late season flowers such as perennial sunflowers and asters.

Alongside the fabulous turf, we incorporated hand-made oak bee posts to support and encourage the local insect fauna, as well as to give extra upright structure through the year. In several areas under the turf we also altered the soil make-up by adding crushed concrete; elsewhere we included small areas of sand, crushed brick, and a permanently muddy bucket. While mostly hidden from view, these additions create optimal conditions for a wide range of invertebrates including ground-nesting bees. By doing this we intended to replicate conditions similar to an open mosaic habitat, an important UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) habitat.