Life on the Verge

We are linking with the Devon ‘Life on the Verge’ project – click the icon to find out more. The DCC site has useful downloads at the foot of the page.

The term rewilding comes with caveats and we are not overly keen on using it. For us it is about sensitively managing our environment, not just ‘letting it go’. We need to work with nature, not against it.


Forgive the use of the term ‘rewilding’ here, but the sentiment is what we agree with… https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/about-us/the-world-we-want-to-see

We are consulting various sources for advice on how to operate the verge project, and Plantlife’s website is incredibly useful: https://plantlife.love-wildflowers.org.uk/roadvergecampaign/management-guidelines

 

 

Project #1: Land opposite The Bowd, started November 2020

This land has been left for several years but has become mainly course grass. There are other plants growing and the list is extensive but the grass definitely overshadows. As at writing, the grass is being cut for its end of year ‘tidy’; now the grass is being taken away, the land scarified and yellow rattle is being sown.

 

Group member Stefan Drew has analysed what is growing – October 2020

Bowd Plant List – October 2020 

Weather dry after showers. 

The grass was about 4 inches high following a previous cut. Therefore many potentially flowering plants were not in flower. 

There was evidence of soil mixing (turbation) in various places, presumably caused by earthworms and moles (Talpa europaea). 

Photos were taken of all specimens and where there was doubt the ID was confirmed using the PictureThis app (which I find 95% accurate!) 

Red Clover Heracleum sphondylium

Common Hogweed / Cow Parsley Heracleum sphondylium

Mouse Eared Chickweed

Ribwort Plantain Heracleum sphondylium

Autumn Hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis

Buckler Mustard? Biscutella laevigata

Lesser Knapweed Centaurea nigra

Common Selfheal Prunella vulgaris

Meadow ButtercupRanunculus acris

Yarrow Achillea millefolium

Sorrel Rumex acetosa

Meadow Pea Lathyrus pratensis

Dandelion Taraxacum officinale

Schreber’s Big Red Stem Moss Pleurozium schreberi

Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens

Bush Vetch Vicia sepium

Eastern Cottonwood? Populus deltoides Ed any thoughts on this ID? 

Texas Madrone? Arbutus xalapensis DITTO 

Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris

Spear thistle Cirsium vulgare

Ragwort Senecio jacobaea

Fringed Willowherb Epilobium ciliatum

Wood Avens Geum urbanum

Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea

Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare

Broad Leafed Dock Rumex obtusifoliu

Curly Dock Rumex Crispus

Bramble Rubus

Red Campion Silene dioica

Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera

Black Bryony Dioscorea communis

Common Comfrey Symphytum officinale

Cleavers Galium aparine

Hedge Bindweed Calystegia sepium

Common Ivy Hedera helix

Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata

Holly Ilex aquifolium

Fungi

Earthstars

Boletes

Calvulinaceae

Omphalotaceae