A Wildflower Hay Meadow in Forty Green

By John Smiley

In 1983 I was fortunate to be able to buy two fields adjacent to my house. Over the next 15 years I attempted to farm them conventionally, but challenges such as cattle which jumped fences as if they were competing in the Grand National, led me to conclude by 1998 that my modest conventional farming operation was doomed. By chance at the same time I heard about a charity that combined two of my passions – my Christian faith and wildlife, (A Rocha). This led me to think how I could use my fields for God’s glory and, taking advice, I started on the long haul to create a wildflower hay meadow. The first two years were spent with a bare fallow to remove as many perennial weeds as possible. Then the special seed mixture of 13 native wildflowers and a variety of native grasses was sown. Initially there was very little to see from my efforts, but gradually more and more wildflowers appeared. Last year a group of botanists identified 41 different wildflower species. It has been exciting to see so many wildflowers appear that were not in the original mixture. Ragged Robin is a particular favourite and we have also found 3 common spotted orchids. But it is not all flowers, 17 different butterfly species have been seen.

It was a great thrill when Natural England offered a conservation agreement under ‘Higher Level Stewardship’ which gives a grant to help defray the costs of the specialist management that is required to maintain the wildflower hay meadows and the hedges around them, in which threatened farmland bird species such as yellowhammers nest. We are greatly blessed to live beside this lovely example of God’s creation and of course it gives us great personal enjoyment, but the greatest pleasure comes from the appreciative comments of visitors. We hope that, in a small way, our meadows do give glory to the God who has made this wonderful world.

We are very close to the Royal Standard of England pub in Forty Green which provides maps of short walks that take you on the public footpaths through the fields. Do come and enjoy the meadows. The best time is between mid April (for the cowslips) and July (knapweed and butterflies) after which the meadow should be cut for hay.