This is more like it. Whether the verge here, and other land surrounding a private estate on Dalston Lane, Hackney, is left uncut for conservation reasons or to save money, it's way more attractive and interesting than the usual over-mown examples that bear testimony to a warped sense of 'tidiness'.
OK, it's not stuffed full of rare meadow plants, but it's showing promise
Here are a couple of Corn Marigolds (Chrysanthemum segetum) right next to a busy bus stop. This arable 'weed' used to be regarded as a serious pest but had declined significantly.
And a couple of plants of Black Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) were noted.
Let's have more of this. Why should better managing verges for wildlife/wild flowers be restricted to rural areas? With so many front gardens being trashed and sterilised for car parking, we can at least offset some of the losses (whilst working to reverse this abhorrent trend) by allowing increased productivity and structural diversity in our street verges. Even where they are relatively species-poor, swaying grass seed heads are far more attractive than something repeatedly mown down to half an inch.
Many grass verges are wide enough to allow a taller rear section up against garden walls, whilst keeping the front 18" shorter for those species that do better in such conditions, and to allay 'health and safety' fears about people slipping over on wet vegetation that might otherwise flop onto the path.
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