Get Glasgow Buzzing

A massive 97% (3,000,000 hectares) of flower-rich grassland have been lost in the UK since World War Two. These flower-rich areas are vital habitats for wild bees, butterflies and other insects to nest and feed. The loss of this important habitat has resulted in large declines in UK pollinators as well as other invertebrates.

Eighty percent of plants need insects for pollination and without these plants we would not have the air we breathe and the food we eat. National reports in the press stress the importance of honeybees in food production, but wild bees and other insects are even more important as they are adapted to pollinate a much wider range of plants. This new project is funded by the Glasgow City Council Landfill Communities Fund and over three years will work to provide vital habitat for many species, particularly pollinators in Glasgow.

Cranhill Park meadow in Glasgow © Suzanne Bairner

Creation of wildflower meadows within the parks will involve planting a seed mix with a diverse range of wildflower species. The seed mix includes Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis), Field scabious (Knautia arvensis) and Red clover (Trifolium pratense) as well as many others that are of known Scottish origin.

The seeds of Yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor), a hemi-parasite of grassland will be planted in meadows within the parks. This will reduce the growth of grasses and will aid in helping to improve species diversity.

One of the most important issues that will be dealt with within this project will be altering the grass cutting regime within the parks with Glasow City Council. We aim to change the grass cutting regime so that the meadow is cut once in September and then lifted. This will help to promote competition between species by reducing nutrients and providing light and space within the meadow. This will ultimately create a healthier meadow and also help in improving wildflower species diversity.

Parks that will benefit from this project

Glasgow Green

This large park within the centre of Glasgow is about 55 hectares in size. The park contains large areas of grass that are cut regularly and kept very short in height. This park is often used for large events such as the Glasgow Show and for firework displays that attract thousands of visitors. Due to these events, wildflower meadows will be created at the east end of the park where there is less disturbance.

Along the south of Glasgow Green is the River Clyde. The river bank has several wildflower species including Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis) and Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) that are important to a number of invertebrate species. Wildflower meadows created during this project at Glasgow Green will create additional habitat for pollinators that may already be present along the riverbank.

Hogganfield Park

Located about 5km northeast of Glasgow City Centre, this park is 48 hectares in size. Various habitats are already present within the park including woodland, grassland, marshland and open areas of water. Hogganfield Loch in the centre of the park and is the most important site in Glasgow for migrant and wintering water birds.

Wildflower meadows have already been created within this park. This project will help to further improve these meadows through the planting of a diverse range of wildflower species and changing the cutting regime at the park.

Marmalade hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) © Roger Key

Situated in the south side of the city, this is the second largest park in Glasgow. Its 82 hectares contain a variety of habitats including open grassland, scrub, deciduous and coniferous woodland and the riverbank environment that runs alongside the White Cart Water that passes through this park.

A wildflower meadow is already present at this park and this project aims to increase the size of this meadow as well as creating new meadows within the park.