The region around the wetland area is being deliberately cultivated as a native wildflower meadow, creating a lovely habitat for bees, bugs, butterflies and other wildlife.
At the height of summer we counted at least 30 different plant/flower species, together with lots of bugs and butterflies (see below).
July 2019…
ragged robin 
red campion 
rough hawkbit 
selfheal 
soldier beetles on yarrow 
spear thistle 
sweet woodruff 
vetch 
white clover 
yarrow 
yellow oxeye 
yellow oxeye 
yellow rattle 
common knapweed 
common knapweed 
creeping thistle 
creeping thistle 
field scabious 
field scabious 
great masterwort 
great masterwort 
herb robert 
herb robert 
lady’s bedstraw 
lady’s bedstraw 
lesser stitchwort 
longhorn beetle 
longhorn beetle on hawkbit flower 
meadow cranesbill 
meadowsweet 
orange hawkweed 
orchid 
orchid 
oxeye daisies 
purple clover 
ragged robin
Some butterflies…
peacock and tortoiseshell 
…on scabious 
peacock butterflies on scabious 
small tortoiseshell 
painted lady 
In winter…
Since we (deliberately) don’t routinely mow the wildflower meadow area, it can look a bit bleak in winter. But it is still a good habitat for feeding birds and hibernating insects. And it can still look pretty in the frost…
