There is an endless variety of flowers in the fields and meadows, which if the agriculture of the country were more carefully attended to, would disappear." William Wordsworth wrote this intuitive prophecy in his description of the Lake District at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Two hundred years later one of the conclusions of the most recent Survey of the flora of Cumbria was that while the loss of thirty species was depressing "it is of far less consequence than the progressive loss of habitat... of a large proportion of the native flora." This in an area considered to be amongst the least affected by 'progress'.

The knock-on effect has been that by poisoning and eliminating significant parts of the natural food chain species such as the skylark, dormouse and hare have become 'endangered species'.

Fortunately, we may have realised the danger before it is too late. From Bio-diversity schemes for farmers to articles in magazines and television programmes we are being encouraged to contribute to a process which will hopefully halt and then reverse the trend.

 

For further information contact a gardenadvice advisor by email.

Contact the supplier direct www.scottswildflowers.co.uk