Rygor Group supported the planting of 5 hectares of wildflowers in the UK in 2023-24, including working in local primary schools

Rygor 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 Rygor Group, a network of flower-rich pathways that benefits pollinators, other wildlife, and people has been created.

Rygor Group has supported the planting of 5 hectares of wildflowers in local areas, including local schools (view schools case study here).

Wildflower Restoration in Camgate (2.6 hectares)

Rygor Group supported the restoration of 1 hectare of wildflowers at Stockley Park. Stockley Park is a 4.5 hectares Industrial Estate, with a dedicated management team that has demonstrated commitment to biodiversity enhancement. Rygor Group has supported Buglife's work with Stockley Park to create additional wildflower-rich habitat to support a myriad of pollinators, including the rare, Brown-banded Carder Bee (Bombus humilis) which is a conservation priority species recorded on site. A large bee bank has been installed to provide nesting habitat for solitary mining bees. This creation improves the network of natural habitat around the estate: including ponds, woodlands, grassland, scrub, and areas of ornamental planting. The management team have created many areas of deadwood habitat and log piles around the estate to support their Stag Beetle population and other invertebrates. There are areas for No/Low Mow May, and care is taken to mow around the Bee Orchids in areas where the grass must be kept cut short.

A further 0.8 hectares of wildflowers were planted by volunteers from Rygor who helped to seed a mixture of traditional wildflowers across Long Lane and Stanwell Moor Recreation Grounds, two sites within walking distance of their workplace. The volunteers helped prepare the ground by raking off the excess grass, scattered the seed and walked it in. Additionally, the team helped clear piles of excess grass from Stanwell Moor to give the seed the best chance of establishing. Wildflower plug plants were planted by Spelthorne Council to further enhance 0.8 hectares of wildflower habitat.

Wildflower Restoration in Swindon (2.17 hectares)

Rygor Group has supported wildflower restoration at Shaw Ridge, an area managed by a local volunteer group called Flowers and Butterflies (FAB). The vision for Shaw Ridge is 'A space for people and for wildlife. A place for quiet woodland meanders, with a carpet of woodland wildflowers in spring, and a summer meadow humming with life. A space treasured by local people, free from litter and fly tipping, encouraging others to keep green spaces clean and beautiful.' The meadow sits within Shaw Ridge Linear park, at the top of the ridge slope facing southwest. In 2023 the Parish Council took responsibility for the cutting and removal of arisings to support wildflower restoration. Shaw Ridge Linear park is an example of a planned green corridor developed as part of the rapid growth of Swindon since the 60's. The green corridor is well-used by pedestrians and cyclist to commute and visit local sites and attractions. These include Shaw Ridge Primary School immediately to the east of the site and Shaw Ridge Leisure Park.

Raybrook Meadow is located in the Mannington and Western Ward of the Borough of Swindon. It is approximately four acres and is an amenity grassland north of Mannington Recreation Ground. The meadow runs alongside the Great Western Way on the western edge (120m). The River Ray borders the southern side (155m). The north side (165m) is next to Pasture Close which is separated from the meadow by a fence (85m from the north corner) and then by trees, scrub and a balancing pond. There is also planting along the boundary of the retirement home (68m) and is separated by trees and dense scrub. Raybrook Meadow has an active managing community group with a vision: 'Raybrook Meadow will be a beautiful shared space designed and supported by local residents, where people come together to enjoy the restorative power of nature and where a broad diversity of wildlife can find a home and thrive.'

Rygor Group are also supporting work with Central Swindon North Parish council to restore 0.2 hectares of wildflower meadows across urban areas. This planting will be delivered at The Venny in Autumn 2024 at The Venny.

Rygor Group has further supported the local community and the b-lines network by planting wildflowers, vegetables and herb gardens in two primary schools in Swindon. A combined area of 0.97 hectares were planted across Bridlewood Primary and East Wichel Primary. Click here to read more about the children's experience.

Wildflower Restoration in Reading (0.33 hectares)

Rygor Group has helped create wildflower, vegetable and herb gardens in two local schools in Reading, planting a combined area of 0.033 hectares. Click here to find out more.

Wildflower Restoration in Gloucestershire (0.15 hectares)

Rygor Group has supported wildflower restoration across two areas in Gloucestershire that will have fantastic community benefits. 'Blooming Podsmead' is a community project based at the Podsmead Big Local community centre in Gloucester working in partnership with Blackbridge, GL Communities, Gloucester City Housing (GCH) and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. Podsmead is an area of Gloucester where residents face high levels of deprivation, unemployment and health issues. This project helped to create an attractive outside garden at the front of the centre and restore a community allotment which has become disused and overgrown. Residents are learning about wildlife, gardening and growing their own food, as well as the importance of wildflowers for wildlife. Rygor's support had helped fund planters, fruit trees and planters at the allotment across an area of 409 m2.

In addition to this, Rygor Group has funded planting at Gloucestershire Hospital where plug plants have been introduced across an area of 0.1 hectares to help improve biodiversity on the site and provide an eye-catching area for staff and patients.

Grasses & Wildflowers Planted

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.

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.

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!”.

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.

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.

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.

Meadow Buttercup: Ranunculus Acris

Buttercups are a familiar sight around the world, with this species being particularly hard to miss with its bright yellow colour and also being referred to as the “giant” or “tall” buttercup. Commonly used by Native American tribes to treat headaches, this plant is characteristically found in grazed grasslands and prefers soil with intermediate drainage. While sometimes considered a problematic weed in mowed lawns, the Meadow Buttercup is a valued addition to wildflower meadows and one cultivated variety even has the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Red Campion: Silene Dioica

Native to the British Isles, this 5-petaled flower is commonly seen growing on roadsides, in woodlands, and on rocky slopes where there is damp soil. If you visit the Isle of Man you may hear it referred to as “blaa ny ferrishyn” or “fairy flower” and make sure not to pick them as it is a taboo to do so on the island.

White Campion: Silene Alba

Not to be confused with Silene Vulgaris, this wildflower is also commonly referred to as Bladder Campion. Across England it has gained further nicknames including “Grave Flower” or “Flower of the Dead” due to its propensity for growing on graves and around tombstones, likely due to a preference for open, sunny areas. Their nectar-rich flowers are a hotspot of activity for bees, butterflies, and other insects making them a perfect addition to at-home wildflower gardens.

Night-Flowering Catchfly: Silene Noctiflora

The Night-Flowering Catchfly is a tall, annual herb growing to 75-80 centimetres. While considered a weed in North America, this plant is native to the UK and grows in fields and in other disturbed habitats. Inversely to most flowering plants and as the name implies, the Night-Flowering Catchfly flowers after dusk to attract nocturnal insects using a very strong fragrance.

Wild Clary: Salvia Verbenaca

Wild Clary, or as it is also known, Wild Sage, boasts a distinct soft purple to violet set of flowers in summer. It grows in neutral to alkaline and requires full sun and uses its aromatic scent to attract pollinators. The famous scent lends itself to many culinary recipes, with Wild Clary often being used in a variety of dishes and steeped to make teas.

Ox-eye Daisy: Leucanthemum Vulgare

Ox-eye Daisy is a small, yet resilient flower and has the ability to thrive in diverse habitats. The yellow centre of the oxeye daisy is made up of many small flowers which hold nectar enjoyed by various pollinating insects, including butterflies, bees and hoverflies. A mature plant can produce up to 26,000 seeds that are spread by animals, vehicles, water and contaminated agricultural produce, and some seeds remain viable for up to nearly forty years.

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.

Goat's-beard: Tragopogon Pratensis

Commonly referred to as Goat’s-beard, this fluffy yellow flower somehow has an even stranger nickname: “Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon.” Growing up to 76 centimetres tall with a bright yellow 5 centimetre wide flower head, it is easy to spot across England while it opens in the morning sunshine (hence its alternative name). The roots can be boiled and eaten like potatoes and have a sweet flavour.

Common Knapweed: Centaurea Nigra

Black Knapweed, a native UK wildflower, is recognised by its distinctive bright pink and purple, thistle-like flower heads. It's a superb wildlife plant as the flowers are rich in nectar and pollen, and attract bees, moths and butterflies such as the Marbled white butterfly. It’s seeds are popular with birds like goldfinches.

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 Sorrel: Rumex Acetosa

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 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.

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.

Sainfoin: Onobrychis Viciifolia

With its unique appearance and important history, the common sainfoin is a popularly cultivated flower. Once a very popular forage legume up until the 1950’s, it has made a comeback in interest due to its anti-parasitic properties. As a natural anti-parasitic, it is a common addition to diets of livestock and is preferred by many species to other legumes such as clovers and alfalfa. As an open pollinating plant, it is fertilised by bees, moths, birds, bats, and even the wind or rain, and is an excellent candidate for boosting local biodiversity.

Red Clover: Trifolium pratense

As with all clovers, Red Clover is part of the bean family Fabaceae and native to Europe, Western Asia, and parts of Northern Africa. Despite the name, the Red Clover boasts dark pink flowers and is extremely popular both with many types of bumblebees as a food source and people as an ornamental plant. The flowers are edible and can be used as a garnish or ground into flour. It is also extremely valued as a fodder crop as it increases social fertility by nitrogen fixation.

White Clover: Trifolium Repens

Another very common and extremely popular clover, the White Clover is globally cultivated as a forage crop and is being used as a model organism for research into ecology and urban evolution. It grows well as a companion plant among lawns and easily tolerates mowing and grazing. It is considered beneficial to lawn care and pasture management due to its ability to fix nitrogen which reduces the incidence of some lawn diseases and it can out-compete weeds.

Corn Chamomile: Anthemis Arvensis

You’ll easily recognise this staple flower. The Corn Chamomile is found all over Europe and stands out with its golden yellow disc florets and white petals resembling a daisy. It prefers full sun and is an excellent summer addition to any garden. The flowers are rich in nectar and very attractive to bees, butterflies, moths, and numerous other species of insects and pollinators. Many people use it as an at-home remedy for its anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties.

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.

Corn Marigold: Chrysanthemum Segetum

This bright yellow flower is a goldmine for nectar and is a key provider for insects across the UK, but is considered a weed by some. It clearly a much more serious weed in the past as it greatly annoyed one key person in 13th century Scotland: King Alexander the Second. The King introduced a law which stated that if a farmer allows so much as a single Corn Marigold to produce seed in amongst his crops, then he will be fined a sheep.

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.

Purple Loosestrife: Lythrum Salicaria

Deriving its name from the Greek “lythron”, meaning blood due to the reddish-purple flowers and red leaves in autumn, it also has an alternative suggested origin. Pliny the Elder claims that Lythrum is named for Lysimachus, an ancient general and friend of Alexander the Great. It can grow over 6 feet tall with 3 different flower types and is pollinated by long-tounged insects such as bees and butterflies.

Small Scabious: Scabiosa Columbaria

You’ll find this beautiful pale-lavender or blue flower filling gardens across the UK. It is extremely widespread, naturally hailing from all the way from Sweden to Angola. Across Europe it grows in grasslands rich in calcium carbonate and can reach a metre in height. It has four currently accepted subspecies and numerous cultivars showing off different coloured flowers.

Teasel: Dipsacus fullonum

These herbaceous perennials are characterised by their prickly, cone-shaped flower heads. The flower heads are composed of numerous tiny flowers arranged in a ring around the cone. The spiky structure of the leaves and plant play a role in holding a micro-supply of rainwater for up to several days. Teasel stems usually stand right through winter, providing food for birds and shelter for insects.

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.