Wildflowers

To create a better and healthier ecosystem at Lowther, considerable work has been done to increase the number of species in the grasslands. Time was when they were much richer and more diverse.

Working alongside groups such as the Woodland Trust and ecologist Claire Cornish, the Lowther Estate has planted a number of new flower-rich habitats. The forest of flowers by the River Lowther was planted to show how more pollinators and bird species can be brought back to an area. More natural hay and grassland meadows have also been sown – these are less showy but equally important in terms of diversity of seeds, plant pollination and varied diet for our graziers. Almost 200 acres of green hay meadows and another 200 acres of natural grassland meadows have been planted to date.

The dream and hope is that the spread of seed will proliferate to other areas of the estate, shifting away from a forest of flowers to a valley of flowers. This will benefit not only the natural landscape and its inhabitants but also visitors and local residents.