The council have been developing a strategy over the past eighteen months, to increase wildflower species growing in the parish.
Diamond Jubilee Park
The St Andrews Parish Council have also been working on creating areas for residents and visitors to enjoy.
The first area selected for the Pollinator Pathway project was at the top of Diamond Jubilee Park. The council said this areas was chosen because it was tucked away yet also near projects occurring in Tadpole Garden Village and other surrounding areas by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.
The area was left uncut and untouched throughout the growing season, allowing native plants to grow, linking up different areas, allowing wildlife to travel between them accessing food and shelter and spreading pollen. Every three weeks an inner pathway was maintained creating an attractive walk though for the local community.
Before the annual cut and collection in Autumn, the council's Grounds Maintenance Manager went up to survey the area. The council says it is excited to report that many native plants were found - cow parsley, common hogweed, chamomile, field bindweed and even bee orchids.
From April, further areas in the parish were added to the plan, including natural habitat areas and additional plants have been spotted including Moon daisies, pyramid orchids, speedwell, herb robert (wild geranium), cowslips as well as common ragwort.
There will be some small additions to the plan in 2022 and the parish council says it will monitor the areas and evaluate the effects of this management plan before making any further changes.
A spokesperson for the council said: "Now you know what has been growing in the parish please enjoy spotting them in the open spaces. Don’t forget you can set up your own pollinator pathway which can be anything from a flowerpot, a tree, a wildlife bath/pond to a patch in your garden all free from pesticides."
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