The Benefits of Wildflower Planting

How We Create a Vibrant and Sustainable Landscape

Glorious, colourful wildflower meadows, alive with the buzzing of bees and the flutter of butterflies, are an iconic part of our landscape here in the UK. Wildflower meadows are hugely important as they support a wealth of flowers, insects, and other animals.?

These incredibly diverse habitats are a vital part of our ecosystems. When wildflower meadows vanish, so do pollinators and other insects, and in turn the animals that eat these insects, such as birds, hedgehogs and bats. We have lost 97% of our wildflower meadows since the 1930s, but here at The Future Forest Company, we are working hard to reverse that trend.

Why do we need to plant wildflowers?

Wildflowers and wildflower-rich habitats are an oasis for nature, providing essential sources of food for some of our favourite insects, such as bumblebees and butterflies. That is just one of the many reasons why wildflower planting is so important.

• Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths, flies and wasps all rely on wildflowers as a vital source of food, and in turn, many of our important food crops rely on insects to pollinate them. Insects that feed on wildflowers also provide a food source for other animals and help to reduce the numbers of pests like aphids that attack crops. The more wildflowers there are, the more diverse pollinators they can support, and the more healthy crops we can grow.

• Wildflowers protect the soils they grow in. Established wildflower meadows have complex root systems which make the soil very stable and able to withstand heavy rainfall. This helps by holding onto?rainwater, stopping nutrients from washing away, and mitigating flood risk.

• Healthy, undisturbed wildflower meadows store significant amounts of carbon in their soils.

• Wildflower meadows are good for our mental health. Spending time in beautiful, natural surroundings is a proven antidote to the stresses of modern life.

Restoring wildflower meadows?

Changes in land use and farming practices, as well as the expansion of our cities, towns and villages, have all contributed to the disappearance of wildflower meadows. The scattered meadows that remain are at risk through neglect and inappropriate management. We want to change that.

You can help us restore nature by sponsoring wildflower meadow creation - get in touch to get planting!