Leading wildflower and turf grower Lindum has been...
In fact biodiversity really was the buzz word at Ecobuild and its relevance to our living landscape industry is greater than ever.
Biodiversity affects us all, not just economically – pollinators are estimated to add £450 million to the value of fruit and vegetable production in the UK – but aesthetically as well.
Seeing birds, bees and butterflies in urban spaces as well as in the countryside gives us a feeling of wellbeing and it is refreshing to see these creatures in amongst the concrete jungle.
However, pollinating insects, such as common butterflies, moths, hoverflies and bees, have been declining over the last 50 years.
Gardens, parks, village greens, churchyards and roundabouts are all obvious places to try and reverse this trend but the greatest potential to make a difference in urban areas is on roofs.
It was particularly refreshing to see so much interest at Ecobuild in our Sedum & Wildflower mats which are specifically designed to be attractive to pollinators and promote biodiversity.
Recent research has shown that the mixtures of wildflowers, herbs, certain perennials and some sedums can provide a wonderful flowering display over several months, to the delight of people and pollinators.
All of our green roof mats have been developed to provide a habitat for conserving biodiversity in urban environments, and are able to survive long periods without rainfall; a key feature given the UK’s changing climate.
Grown on mats, installation is straightforward and provides valuable habitats in our towns and cities for wildlife and insects.
Encouraging biodiversity is something we should all care about and we in the landscape industry are in a position to do something about it.