{"id":14938,"date":"2022-03-11T10:40:37","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T09:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=17117"},"modified":"2022-03-11T12:03:23","modified_gmt":"2022-03-11T11:03:23","slug":"meadow-guide-where-to-see-and-best-wildflowers-to-plant","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/meadow-guide-where-to-see-and-best-wildflowers-to-plant\/","title":{"rendered":"Meadow guide: where to see and best wildflowers to plant"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Phil Gates\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 11 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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There is only one way to fully appreciate the biodiversity of a hay meadow. Resist the temptation to wander through the flowers; trampling disfigures a meadow, flattens rare plants and can destroy hidden nests.<\/p>\n

Instead, arm yourself with a good field guide, such as this one, stick close to footpaths and boundaries, and hone your wildflower identification skills. Then sit down and immerse yourself in the flowers and swaying grasses, so that you have a hare\u2019s eye-view. Take a camera \u2013 preferably one with a macro lens with a shallow depth of focus, so you can isolate individual flowers and insects against a diffuse background \u2013 and record the activity that unfolds around you. The hours will fly by.<\/p>\n

Here is our expert guide on meadows in the UK, revealing what hay meadows are<\/a>, a brief history of British meadows<\/a>, different types of meadow<\/a>, when to visit<\/a>, plants to look for<\/a>, wildlife to spot<\/a>, different grasses that grow in them<\/a>, where to see the UK\u2019s most beautiful meadows<\/a> and how to grow your own wildlife meadow<\/a> at home.<\/p>\n

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What is a hay meadow?<\/h2>\n
Hay meadows can be home to as many as a hundred plant species, cohabiting in a delicate balance that depends on an ancient form of husbandry.<\/p>\n
Hay cutting, followed by grazing and limited manuring, maintains a low level of soil fertility that prevents any species from becoming dominant, supporting a level of floral biodiversity that is breathtakingly beautiful. There, among the grasses, you would find the sources of that comforting fragrance: the leaves of meadowsweet, with their vaguely medicinal smell; lady\u2019s bedstraw, with a soporific scent that led to its use in stuffing mattresses; and coumarin-scented sweet vernal grass.<\/p>\n
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