The Meadow Area

The Meadow

Leading into the woodland garden along the top of the dyke bank is a long narrow grassland strip that has been developed into a small meadow to accommodate the grassland butterflies. Paths are mown so that we can walk through it without disturbing the caterpillars and chrysalids of the meadow butterflies. Some of the area is mown as normal but on a high cut, allowing the wild flowers to bloom at a low height. Once the meadow plants are flowering, mowing becomes a lot more specialist, as we attempt to keep them low without damaging them. If carried out correctly, the effect is quite stunning and the grassland butterflies - particularly Skippers, Small Copper, Small Heath, Meadow Brown, Brown Argus and Common Blue - love it.

Essex SkipperLarge SkipperSmall CopperSmall HeathMeadow BrownBrown ArgusCommon Blue

Plants growing amongst the grasses include bird's-foot trefoil, clover, black medick, cowslip, marjoram, dandelion, daisy, ribwort plantain, fox-and-cubs, mallow, yarrow, cat's-ear, buttercup, rough hawkbit, selfheal, and yellow rattle. As well as being a good nectar plant, yellow rattle is grown in an attempt to keep the grasses from being too aggressive – it is a semi-parasite that feeds on grasses, reducing their vigour.

Yellow rattle, nature's way of keeping the grasses at bay.

There is a low-growing privet hedge separating the meadow from the pathway that goes around the house. When this privet flowers in July, it is alive with butterflies. Common Blue, Brown Argus, Essex Skipper, and the day flying Six-spot Burnet moth all do exceedingly well in this meadow area.

The day-flying Six-spot Burnet moth has dramatically colonised the meadow, using bird's-foot trefoil as its larval foodplant.