Wealden Times | WT170 | April 2016 | Garden supplement inside

WT Garden Supplement
Gone to mow a meadow
Joshua Sparks, a horticulturist at Sissinghurst Castle, shares his love of wild flower meadows
Where, or even who, would we be without the
beauty of an English meadow? The English
meadow is entwined in our culture like
honeysuckle coursing through a native hedge. They’ve been
with us since Neolithic man discovered farming and have
helped us forge a unique presence on this planet. Their
romance and beauty have inspired countless writers, painters,
poets and gardeners through the ages. And they still inspire us
today. At Chelsea last year I couldn’t walk more than two steps
without seeing dozens of our native jewels taking centre stage.
Meadows have always had an intimate relationship
with gardens. Ancient Persians described meadows as a
‘recognisable confusion’ and a ‘colourful carpet mingled with
colourful gems’. A perfect description – and it’s wonderful to
see the resurgence of them in gardens. Here at Sissinghurst,
in an effort to forge a stronger connection to our surrounding
landscape, we have begun to create new meadows and
enhance old ones. Our grasslands are becoming like one quilt,
meadows are the patches and native
hedging the stitching.
Hunting for new areas of lawn or
grassland in an open, sunny position
with low nutrients has become a
habit. I enlist them in my struggle
against homogeneous, uninspiring and
manicured green spaces. Often the
simple beginnings of a floral grassland are hidden amongst the
grass. All I need do is stop cutting and allow it to grow from
the end of February. To give these plants a fighting chance I
sow yellow rattle. This hemi-parasitic annual partially feeds on
the nutrients of neighbouring grasses, hindering their growth
and giving wildflowers an opportunity to emerge.
Meadows thrive on low-nutrient soils, as high levels of
fertility encourage grass and pernicious weeds to outcompete
many wildflowers. Thuggish weeds like thistles and docks will
always try to muscle their way in, so should be spot-treated
with a selective herbicide.
I use a variety of methods, depending on the area, from
scraping fertile top soil to planting wild flower plugs and reseeding
with orchid-laden hay. Now, as your respectful author
I must admit to a deep, slightly obsessive infatuation that I
have and I suspect many other meadow gardeners reading this
have too. I am completely besotted by the seductive orchid.
Alas, the gardener in me. I am Anthony and they Cleopatra.
So, imagine my excitement when Marden Meadow, a local
ancient meadow managed by Kent Wildlife Trust offered
us three acres of lush, orchid-laden hay for seed. Using seed
from a neighbouring ancient meadow carries with it huge
environmental benefits. The travel-miles are low and the seeds
establish more easily when they are spread on to familiar
ground. We put Kentish seeds back into a Kentish field. On
a hot July day we loaded our metal trailer with hay. Marden
www.wealdentimes.co.uk
18
06WT170Supplement.indd 18 23/03/2016 18:49