Leaders Romans Group supported the planting of 7 hectares of wildflowers in the UK across 2023-2024

Leaders Romans Group has taken action to restore wildflower meadows, one of the rarest habitats in the UK that is essential for the protection and survival of insects.

Wildflower meadows provide insects with food, shelter and transport links across countries in the UK where biodiversity has been depleted by habitat loss, development and intensive farming. World leading study, State of Nature confirms the UK as one of the world’s most nature depleted countries, with 1 in 6 of more than 10,000 species assessed (16%) at risk of being lost from Great Britain.

Pollinators are critical to food chains and as such, wildlfower meadows provide valuable support for wildlife and all life on earth, including humans. In the words of Kew Gardens, ’The more wildflowers there are, the more diverse pollinators they can support, and the more healthy crops we can grow.’

Our solution is to restore B-Lines - a network of insect pathways along which we are restoring and creating wildflower rich habitat. These insect super highways created in partnership with GreenTheUK and Buglife will extend across the whole of the UK, allowing wildlife to move freely through our countryside and towns. Thanks to support from Leaders Romans Group, a network of flower-rich pathways that benefits pollinators, other wildlife, and people has been created.

Leaders Romans Group has supported the planting of 7 hectares of wildflowers, with 6.5 ha already in the ground. A further 0.5 ha will be planted in the autumn which will be added to this case study in due course.

Wildflower Planting in Surrey (1 hectare)

Leaders Romans Group's sponsorship has gone towards clearing invasive Scott’s Pine over a hectare of priority heathland habitat at Surrey’s Wisley Common. Surrey has lost 85% of its heaths in the last 200 years, so this work is important to protect the remainder. Heathland habitats support diverse assemblages of invertebrate and other species, including many specialist species that aren’t found anywhere else. In fact, heathland habitats support more bee species than any other UK habitat, with Surrey additionally home to more known bee species than any other UK county. In October 2023, a team from Leaders Romans Group helped with tree popping in preparation for the wildflower meadow.

Wisley is a nationally important site for dragonflies and damselflies, with twenty species recorded. It also attracts many rare birds, including the hobby, which is one of the few creatures that can actually catch dragonflies. While the clearance works may initially appear harsh, the bare patches of bare soil will soon be colonised with purple heather and acid grassland. If left unchecked, invasive Scott’s Pine would out shade Wisley’s flowering plant communities, leaving little food for the rare pollinators and other invertebrates onsite.

Wildflower Planting in London (0.7 hectares)

Located in Southwark, the site surrounding the Canopi building has been adapted for pollinators through the addition of wildflowers seeds, invertebrate friendly features such as bug hotels, log piles, compost heaps and much more.

Volunteers from local LRG teams came together to help enhance this space in Spring 2024. Paving stones from the area were removed to make space for and then used to form the walls of the newly built raised garden. The style of garden, a 'hugelkultur', which is a type of garden that utilises wooden branches underneath compost and soil, was chosen as it will continue to provide nutrients to the plants as they decompose. The team had to clear the site to begin with, then layer vast amounts of wooden logs and branches before shovelling a tonne of mulch and compost to build up the garden bed. Once the final wall of repurposed paving stones was put in place, the LRG team planted a myriad of trees, wildflowers, and other plants to benefit local wildlife, creating an oasis of greenery in a majority-concrete area. Their work is the latest addition to to a number of new green spaces surrounding the Canopi building that were all once covered in paving stones, making it an important hub for various birds, small mammals, insects, and other pollinators in the centre of London.

Leaders Roman Group supported the re-planting of the B-Lines Garden, which won gold for it's category (Resilient Planting Pocket) at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival in July, in the Tyson Estate, linking the Horniman Museum and the Devonshire Road Nature Reserve. Beds were created along the edges of a roadside amenity grassland on Tyson Road by bringing forward edging paving slabs from walls and planting in exposed earth. The Hawthorn tree from the B-Lines Garden was planted in the main grassland space and will serve as a food plant to many invertebrate species and shelter for birds. An existing flowerbed was also weeded and more flower bedding was created further down Tyson Road, enhancing the local area for pollinators and people.

Wildflower Planting in Norfolk (1 hectare)

Along the River Bure in Norfolk, Leaders Romans Group supported the planting of native wildflower species to support local biodiversity. Local volunteers assisted with the planting in a publically accesible area popular with the community. Overcrowding nettles and brambles were pushed back to provide space for the plug plants, which included species such as betony, wild marjoram, hyssop, field scabious, birdsfoot trefoil, wild clary, meadow cranesbill, giant knapweed, clustered bellflower, wild thyme, and comfrey.

Wildflower Planting in Suffolk (2.2 hectares)

The site is a ten hectare field recently purchased by Elmswell Parish Council as part of panning gain from a new housing estate being built adjacent to the area. The site has been enhanced for pollinators by planting of flowering native hedgerow around the entire boundary along with a significant wildflower margin. The bulk of the site is being turned over to football pitches and similar for the local community but all the awkward edges and similar bits have been turned over for wildflowers. The wildflower work was done by seeding a standard wildflower after the site had been harrowed by a local farmer, residents and councillors spread seed across the allocated areas. The hedging plants included: hawthorn, blackthorn, guelder rose, dog rose, dogwood, hazel and wild plum.

Wildflower Planting in Greater Manchester (1 hectare)

In the suburbs of Manchester, Leaders Romans Group sponsored the planting of native wildflower meadows across two community green spaces, Didsbury Park and Peel Hall. The planting was completed with the help of local groups: Didsbury in Bloom and Peel Hall Moat Watch. Wildflower bulbs were planted across local parks to create essential habitat for protected species.

In October 2023, a team from Leaders Romans Group spent the morning clearing planters in Didsbury village in preperation for Autumn planting. Didsbury village is a great spot for pollinators with the local group, Didsbury in Bloom, having won Britain in Bloom awards for their dedication to planting. Another group of volunteers joined us in the afternoon at Wythenshaw Park for a different type of volunteering. Volunteers helped with weeding around establishing trees and laid mulch to protect them. Following this, bulbs were planted in the park for wildlife and locals to enjoy.

Wildflower Planting in Northamptonshire (1 hectare)

On another important river, the River Nene, a wildflower meadow was planted using plugs outside the Nene Business Centre. As an important hub of biodiversity, the creation of habitat is vital to protecting local species which include a variety of invertebrates and riverside birds.

Wildflower Planting in Staffordshire (0.1 hectares)

Wildflowers seeds and plants have scattered across gardens and public spaces around the area of Ipstones by local residents and the Parish Council to enhance the whole village for pollinators. This allow the whole village to be a significant spot on the B-Lines network as a fantastic hub for pollinators and other invertebrates. The main wildflower sowing was done in an area with plenty of apple trees to bolster an existing insect habitat.

Grasses & Wildflowers Planted

Common Bent: Agrostis Castellana

This slightly wispy, bristly perennial grass grows quickly. It is also known as highland bent, and is often found on roadsides or in wildflower meadows. Common bent is what is known as a hyperaccumulator of zinc and lead, which means it can grow in soils with a high concentration of those metals.

Creeping Bent: Agrostis Stolonifera

As you might expect, this perennial grass creeps along the ground, then bends and grows upwards. It can be found growing in all sorts of locations, including ditches, meadows and wetlands. Specially managed varieties of creeping bent are often used on golf courses.

Crested Dog’s-tail: Cynosurus Cristatus

This common perennial grass grows in tufts in lowland areas where there isn’t too much water. Crested dog’s-tail is stiff and used to be used for making bonnets. It germinates quickly but takes quite a while to grow, so it doesn’t compete against and dominate other species in the wildflower meadow.

Sheep’s Fescue: Festuca Ovina

This narrow-leaved grass grows in tufts and is slightly spiky in appearance. It fares well in loamy soil and is often found growing in pasturelands where, as you might expect from the name, sheep like to graze on it. Sheep’s fescue has very dense bunches of roots, which makes it tricky for weeds to take hold nearby.

Smooth-stalked Meadow Grass: Poa Pratensis

This perennial grass species likes to grow in fertile, well-drained soil. It is a valuable pasture plant and is often used to make lawns in parks and gardens. Poa pratensis is also known as Kentucky bluegrass, and in the USA, it is used as a playing surface in both American Football and Major League Baseball.

Small-leaved Timothy: Phleum Pratense ssp Bertolinii

This grass is named after Timothy Hanson, an American farmer who introduced it to the United States in the early 1700s. Timothy grass is a common trigger for those who suffer from seasonal allergies, but its pollen has been used in the development of a hay fever vaccine. Timothy hay is a popular treat for many animals, from small pets to thoroughbred racehorses.

Lady’s Bedstraw: Galium Verum

You can recognise this plant by the stunning clusters of bright yellow flowers which burst forth in the summer months and smell faintly of honey. When dried, Lady’s Bedstraw has a scent reminiscent of hay, and it used to be used to stuff mattresses, especially for women who were about to go into labour, which is probably how it got its interesting name. It was also commonly used to curdle milk to make cheese!

Black Medick: Medicago Lupulina

Also known as hop clover, this annual or short-lived perennial plant sprawls out along the ground and has small clusters of yellow flowers. The flowers are rich in nectar and attractive to bees; the blooms later turn into small black seed pods. Sheep like to graze on black medick, but cattle are not too fond of the taste.

Salad Burnet: Sanguisorba Minor

Salad burnet has a taste that is somewhat reminiscent of cucumber, making it a popular kitchen garden plant for use in drinks, salads, sauces and elsewhere. In the 1600s, English settlers took it with them to the New World where it quickly became a popular delicacy, and Thomas Jefferson was known to be a fan. He wasn’t the only one; Sir Francis Bacon suggested planting salad burnet along pathways to perfume the air.

Bladder Campion: Silene Vulgaris

This common wildflower gets its name from the balloon-like bulge that sits behind its petals. You can spot its white flowers growing in meadows, grassland and hedgerows between May and September. Bladder campion leaves are widely eaten in the Mediterranean; you’ll find bunches of them for sale in Cyprus, in Italy they are used to flavour risottos, while in Spain, they used to be added to the cold soup gazpacho.

Wild Carrot: Daucus Carota

This biennial herbaceous plant is closely related to the carrots we grow and eat today. If you dig up the roots early enough, they are edible, but by the time the flowers appear, they will be too old and woody to eat. Wild carrot flowers are small and white, which is how this plant got its other name: Queen Anne’s lace.

Common Cat’s-ear: Hypochaeris Radicata

These bright yellow flowers can be found growing in grassy areas all over the UK, from roadside verges to parks and meadows. This plant has an impressive rosette of leaves, which means it is often mistaken for the dandelion. The common cat’s-ear can be frustrating for gardeners, as it uses its strong root to anchor itself to the ground before springing up on lawns.

Cornflower: Centaurea Cyanus

This annual plant is native to Europe and best-known for its striking blue flowers which bloom from late spring into early summer. The cornflower’s vibrant petals are a magnet for butterflies and bees. The flower is also called “the bachelor’s button”; possibly because they were commonly worn by single men and women hoping to find love, or maybe because they resemble buttons that require very little sewing!

Cowslip: Primula Veris

You can recognise the cowslip by its clusters of drooping bell-shaped yellow flowers which make a cheery addition to meadows and woodlands. Cowslips are very strongly associated with springtime and Easter, thriving on chalky soils where they flower between April and May. They were traditionally picked to make May Day garlands and wedding decorations.

Field Forget-me-not: Myosotis Arvensis

You might well spot these small, pale blue flowers growing by the side of the road, or else on dry, arable land. Field forget-me-not seeds should be sown in the autumn, so that they can flower in the spring and summer, attracting bees, butterflies and other insects. According to Greek myth, it is so-called because when Zeus was naming the plants, this little blue flower feared being left out and shouted, “Forget me not!”.

Autumn Hawkbit: Leontodon Autumnalis

The autumn hawkbit shares part of its name with the dandelion because the two flowers are really very similar. This grassland perennial’s yellow rosette flowers are in full bloom from June to October. Unlike its hairy cousin, the rough hawkbit, the autumn variety has slender, almost hairless leaves.

Rough Hawkbit: Leontodon Hispidus

The rough hawkbit is a rather hairy plant which fares best in the full sunshine. It looks quite a lot like the dandelion and shares its famously diuretic properties. Hawkbits have a sweet smell, like honey.

Hoary Plantain: Plantago Media

You’re most likely to see this perennial in England between the months of May and August. The hoary plantain has a rosette of leaves at its base, a slim stem and delicate pinkish-white flowers growing out of a thick spike at the top. This plant grows best in dry grassland areas, especially where there is chalk or limestone soil.

Ragged-robin: Lychnis Flos-cuculi

Ragged-robin gets its name from its pink flowers which look almost as though they have been shredded. The number of these star-shaped wildflowers is declining here in the UK. They grow particularly well in damp places, where they are a haven for butterflies, bees and other insects.

Self-heal: Prunella Vulgaris

Self-heal’s bright purple flowers grow close to the ground in meadows and grasslands as well as by the side of the road and on lawns. It is in bloom between June and October. As you might expect from the name, this small plant has long been used in herbal medicine to treat a number of ailments.

Sheep’s Sorrel: Rumex Acetosella

Sheep’s sorrel leaves look a little like spinach, and they are widely used in salads or as a garnish. The plant has a citrus taste, so it features in both sweet and savoury dishes. Sheep’s sorrel grows quickly and has small, red flowers which are pollinated by the wind.

Common Toadflax: Linaria Vulgaris

The common toadflax has creamy orange and yellow flowers and is often found growing on wasteland and by the side of the road. It is very popular with bumblebees and honeybees. Common toadflax is also known by the nickname “butter-and-eggs” because of the colour of its petals.

Bird’s-foot Trefoil: Lotus Corniculatus

Bird’s-foot trefoil is already a pretty great name, but this plant has many other exciting aliases, including “hen and chickens” and “eggs and bacon”. These colourful names refer to the plant’s red and yellow flowers. Its seed pods are reminiscent of a bird’s claws.

Kidney Vetch: Anthyllis Vulneraria

Also known as lady’s fingers or devil’s claws, these slightly woolly-looking bright yellow flowers bloom from June to September. The kidney vetch thrives on sand dunes and cliffs and can be found dotted around the UK coastline. This plant used to be known as “woundwort” and was used as a herbal remedy for cuts and bruises

Yarrow: Achillea Millefolium

This hardy perennial has a slightly aniseed taste and can be made into tea; in the Middle Ages, it was used to flavour beer. Centuries ago, Yarrow was used to heal wounds and stop bleeding, but it was also thought to start nosebleeds, and still has the nickname “nosebleed plant”. Starlings and other birds use yarrow to line their nests.

Yellow-rattle: Rhinanthus Minor

This plant’s yellow flowers are in bloom from May to September. It makes a popular addition to any wildflower meadow, as it feeds off the nutrients in other grasses, reducing competition between species. Its seeds grow in brown pods which make a slight rattling sound.

Wild Foxglove: Digitalis Purpurea

Famous for its distinct look and potent poison, Wild Foxglove is a very popular addition to home gardens across the world. This beautiful flower sports a number of colours, ranging from purple, pink, yellow, and even white. Beyond looking pretty, Foxglove’s toxin is the source of digoxin, an important heart medication used worldwide. It is also one of the first wildflowers to reappear after a site has been disturbed by construction, tree felling, or other incidents, making it an important species for reintroducing biodiversity to an area.

Musk Mallow: Malva Moschata

Musk Mallow is a beautiful flowering plant with pink saucer-shaped petals with an attractive scent and as such is typically grown as an ornamental plant. It is native to most of Europe and southwestern Asia, preferring dry yet fertile soils and is commonly found in hedgerows. Numerous bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects are commonly attracted to the musky fragrance.

Common St John's-wort: Hypericum perforatum

As a metre-tall flowering plant with distinctly black-spotted yellow petals, St John’s-wort is hard to miss. This plant produces a number of highly active chemical compounds which range from being harmful deterrents to large herbivores, to being extremely useful in a variety of medicines and being used as far back as the first century AD. While St John’s-wort tries to deter mammals, a number of insect species rely on it as a food source. Chrysolina hyperici, aptly called the Saint John's-wort beetle feeds on St John’s-wort and related plants.

Viper's-bugloss: Echium vulgare

Also known as blueweed for its vibrant blue flowers, Viper’s-bugloss is a native species that had its roots used as a treatment for snake bites, particularly vipers, in ancient times. It is commonly found growing in coastal areas and areas of unimproved grassland and chalk downland where it is a fan-favourite of Burnet Moths and Red Mason Bees. Due to its fondness of dryer soils, it is particularly well suited to dry gardens in areas prone to drought.

Meadow Crane's-bill: Geranium pratense

Meadow Crane’s-bill is a famously popular member of the family Geraniaceae. Growing in clumps up to 1 metre across, they have hairy stems and with saucer-shaped blooms of 5 pale violet petals. Numerous cultivars (a kind of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and which retains those traits when propagated) have been grown and are available for anyone to acquire, some of which have even gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

Field Scabious: Knautia arvensis

These vibrant bluish-purple flowers are related to the honeysuckle, rich in nectar and attractive to insects, especially bees. They are also known as “pincushion flowers” because they have short petals with little stamens sticking out of them. This flower gets its name from the Latin word for itch, because it was once believed to be a remedy for the skin disease scabies.

Betony: Stachys officinalis

Deriving its name from the Greek “stachys” meaning “ear of grain,” the commonly called Purple Betony has a spiked shape inflorescence (the arrangement of the flowers on a plant). Purple Betony has a long and detailed history, even being referenced in Pliny the Elder who claimed it was 'a plant more highly esteemed than any other.' Showing up in numerous books over the millenia, many uses for the plant have been described such as: having dream-controlling properties, an old remedy for arthritis and gout, being used to make wine and holy water, and witchcraft.

Corn Cockle: Agrostemma githago

Corn Cockle’s flowers are scentless but range from deep pink to purple, with each petal bearing two or three discontinuous black lines. It was once extremely common in the 19th century, showing up as a weed in wheat fields. Due to the increase of intensive mechanised farming, Corn Cockle is now uncommon and at risk in many countries, and was even thought to be extinct in the UK until a single specimen was found growing in Sunderland in 2014. Every part of the plant is poisonous, containing a number of triterpene saponins, yet it is still used in folk medicine.

Common Poppy: Papaver rhoeas

The Common Poppy, a symbol of remembrance used since WW1 and commonly seen almost everywhere across the Commonwealth. The typically bright red flower is full of black edible seeds and has been used to make a variety of products from red dye to oil from the seeds. Poppies play a specific role in meadow and garden ecology, serving the needs of pollen-gathering/consuming insects as it produces a high amount of pollen but very little nectar.

Borage: Borago officinalis

Also known as starflower, Borage is typically blue or pink with five, narrow pointed flowers resembling a star shape. It is a very common garden plant for its look and is also used heavily in companion planting to protect other species. It produces a lot of nectar, making it popular amongst honeybees and is also popular for a variety of culinary uses, ranging from a garnish in Pimms to a key component of salads.

Rudbeckia: Rudbeckia spp.

Hailing from North America, the Rudbeckia, or cone-flower, is very distinct with its bright yellow petals and prominent, raised central black-brown disc. There are over a dozen different species of Rudbeckia with many having become popular garden species. Their leaves are a favourite snack for caterpillars of certain species of moths and butterflies. The name Rudbeckia comes from Rudbeck, honouring Olof Rudbeck the Elder and Olof Rudbeck the Younger.

Fleabane: Erigeron spp.

Fleabane gets its English name from the belief that the dried flowers would repel fleas, however there is little modern evidence that it does so. The name fleabane actually refers to a number of different types of flower, with there being hundreds of fleabanes falling under the Erigeron species that are found across the globe, many of which are loved by butterflies and moths as food sources for their larvae.

Greater Knapweed: Centaurea Scabiosa

Greater Knapweed, characterised by deep purple thistle-like flowers, blooms in summer and attracts butterflies and bees. Its rugged appearance lends it a robust presence in meadows. This wildflower has medieval associations with knighthood and chivalry.

Agrimony: Agrimonia eupatoria

Agrimony is a herbaceous plant with slender spikes of small yellow flowers. It is mentioned in ancient medicinal texts by herbalists like Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder, and Shakespeare mentions its ability to ward off sleep and nightmares in “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” Its leaves emit a pleasant fragrance.

Marjoram: Origanum majorana

Wild marjoram, loved by bees, other pollinating insects and humans alike, can be found on chalk or limestone grassland, hedge banks, woodland rides and scrub. Often called oregano in Europe, marjoram is best known as a pizza herb, and is important in both Greek and Italian cuisine. Wild Marjoram has been traditionally used to treat colds, indigestion and stomach upsets.