Blockley Churchyard is a riot of colour as its un-mowed wildflower area starts to bloom.
As part of their Eco Church project, they decided to promote local biodiversity by leaving areas of the churchyard un-mown. This allows the native wildflowers that still survive in the relatively unimproved soil to flower and set seed.
The aim was to encourage bees and butterflies, creating a healthier eco system which will provide food for a range of birds and mammals like swifts, hedgehogs and bats.
They have now done a formal survey of the species of wildflowers that are blooming in the churchyard.
We are delighted to report that they now have no less than 41 different species of wildflower in the uncut area of the churchyard. Plants include wild strawberries, pyramidal orchids, selfheal, square stalked willowherb and field forget-me-not.
You can see a full list of the plants in the notes below.*
This is a fantastic project for the summer, either in your own churchyard as part of your Eco Church scheme, or even at home. The sight of a manicured lawn is so familiar to us now that leaving grass and wildflowers to thrive seems unusual or counter cultural, but it is actually the perfect low effort way to care for God’s creation.
Could you leave part or even all of your garden unmown into early September? This article in the Guardian by Trevor Dines, botanist at conservation charity Plantlife explains how mowing at different times in the year can allow for the flourishing of different plants.
#SayNoMow
| Latin_Name | Common_Name |
| Achillea millefolium | Yarrow |
| Aegopodium podagraria | Ground-elder |
| Anacamptis pyramidalis | Pyramidal Orchid |
| Anthriscus sylvestris | Cow Parsley |
| Bellis perennis | Daisy |
| Briza media | Quaking-grass |
| Bryonia dioica | White Bryony |
| Centaurea nigra | Common Knapweed |
| Cerastium fontanum | Common Mouse-ear |
| Cirsium palustre | Marsh Thistle |
| Cirsium vulgare | Spear Thistle |
| Epilobium montanum | Broad-leaved Willowherb |
| Epilobium tetragonum | Square-stalked Willowherb |
| Fragaria vesca | Wild Strawberry |
| Galium aparine | Cleavers |
| Galium verum | Lady’s Bedstraw |
| Geranium robertianum | Herb-Robert |
| Glechoma hederacea | Ground-ivy |
| Leontodon hispidus | Rough Hawkbit |
| Lotus corniculatus | Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil |
| Luzula campestris | Field Wood-rush |
| Medicago lupulina | Black Medick |
| Myosotis arvensis | Field Forget-me-not |
| Phyllitis scolopendrium | Hart’s-tongue |
| Plantago lanceolata | Ribwort Plantain |
| Plantago major | Greater Plantain |
| Plantago media | Hoary Plantain |
| Potentilla reptans | Creeping Cinquefoil |
| Prunella vulgaris | Selfheal |
| Ranunculus repens | Creeping Buttercup |
| Rumex acetosa subsp. acetosa | Common Sorrel |
| Sedum acre | Biting Stonecrop |
| Sedum album | White Stonecrop |
| Senecio jacobaea | Common Ragwort |
| Sonchus oleraceus | Smooth Sow-thistle |
| Trifolium pratense | Red Clover |
| Trifolium repens | White Clover |
| Urtica dioica | Common Nettle |
| Veronica chamaedrys | Germander Speedwell |
| Veronica serpyllifolia | Thyme-leaved Speedwell |
| Vicia sepium | Bush Vetch |
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