This year there has been a great development in the meadows along Shirehampton Road. Since the Council stopped regularly mowing them their intention has been to let these areas turn to wild flower meadow, but it takes time for native species to establish.

This year there has been a rise in the amount of Yellow Rattle in parts of the park which is a great addition. Yellow Rattle is a semi-parasitic wild flower that saps nutrients from the soil making it harder for grasses to grow. In turn this enables other wild flowers to come up through the greensward where they would otherwise be suffocated by dense grass. Many wild flowers prefer less nutrient rich soils so the Yellow Rattle is a welcome arrival which will enable the meadows to thrive.