Pembrokeshire Hedgebank is a very traditional field boundary made up a rubble core topped with soil with tapered stone sides. Meadow Creations based in Pembrokeshire carries out a lot of environmental landscaping for both private and institutional clients.
Not looking to recreate a Pembrokeshire Hedgebank but wanting to create a habitat that is based on an earth bank. Creating a similar valuable interconnected ecological base Meadow Creations wanted to experiment with using chopped vegetation to create a cover over the earth bank encouraging plants to establish more quickly stabilising the bank at the same time creating a wonderful wildlife bee friendly resource.
Trevor Bendall of Meadow Creations commented:
“The results of our little experiment using green hay to cover a recently constructed earth mound, have shown quicker results than what I was expecting. Probably helped by the mild weather it was ‘sown’ on September 8th but is showing good numbers of vetch, oxeye daisy, champion, red clover and wild carrot already.”
The photographs were taken about 8 weeks apart.
Climate change can be so easily seen when working close to nature. This image of knapweed, in bud, taken at the end of October. Trevor made a note:
“The meadow in which this photo was taken this week was given a tight mow mid September. As a result of the extremely mild weather the knapweed is coming back into bud! Ground is to wet to travel on now. Early cut next year to try and get it back into sync for pollinators.”
The historic Pembrokeshire Hedgebank can be seen emulated in a modern setting as well.
Trevor’s comment about housing developers is more than interesting:
“Another garden on a new housing development where we have removed the lawn turf and replaced it with Wildflower Turf. Photo shows Landscape Wildflower turf at the front and Shade Tolerant turf under the fence line. Maybe developer’s should give customers an option if they would like Wildflowers?”
At the end of September you think that this image is probably the last of the wildflowers this year but as you can see is still managing to put on a great show. The area was cleared and mown for the first time last year and the devil’s bit scabious have certainly appreciated being able to see the light of day.
We look forward to seeing photographs next spring when the new planting of this year will be flourishing, plus the progress of the Meadow Creations experiment that is a modern equivalent of the Pembrokeshire Hedgebank.
