BIODIVERSITY LANDSCAPING ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWER MIXES EDUCATION FLOWER DISPLAYS
URBAN MEADOWS are not wild flower mixtures they are new solutions for environmental flower displays 22.08.2012 22.08.2012 Wild flowers Euroflor The same park, the same day.
HAY FIELDS & PERENNIAL WILD FLOWERS March April May June July August Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Grass growth Spring flowers Hay production Pasture with reduced flower interest Grazing ANNUAL URBAN MEADOWS March April May June July August Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Late spring to autumn flowering period No cutting is possible, it would compromise the flowering period
EUROFLOR WILD FLOWERS Public Parks Schools Conservation sites Roundabouts Embankments Rural roadsides Shopping precincts Country parks Nature reserves Old flower beds Cemeteries Riverside edges Gardens Industrial wasteland National Parks Tree surrounds Sports field surrounds Habitat renovation
HORTICULTURAL & INDIGENOUS FLOWERS CAN CO-EXIST produced by Wildflower turf Ltd.
London Olympics 2012 Grown as turf by Wildflower Turf Ltd.
Urban pollinators: ecology and conservation Led by Professor Jane Memmott, University of Bristol Honeybee - Apis mellifera Bumblebees - Bombus lapidarius (Red-tailed bumblebee), Bombus terrestris (Buff-tailed bumblebee) Solitary bees - Andrena dorsata, Halictus tumulorum Lasioglossum calceatum Lasioglossum smaethmanellum
1. INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE 2. COST ANALYSE
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS 1. SITE PREPERATION 2. SEED BED PREPERATION 3. BLIND SOWING 4. SUSTAINABLE WEED KILLING 5. SOWING 6. END OF YEAR MAINTENANCE
SITE PREPERATION Cut down existing vegetation to 5 10 cm and remove. Apply a glyphosate based weed killer.
The soil should be worked to a depth of 4-6 inches and raked to form a flat seed bed. The soil should be worked when it is moist but not waterlogged.
All debris with a diameter greater than 7cm should be removed. Beware of imported top soil & weed seed banks
BLIND SOWING After preparing the topsoil leave a 4 8 week interval to allow weed seeds germinate. A second glyphosate based weed killer can thereafter be applied.
SUSTAINABLE WEED KILLING TO AVOID PESTICIDE USE : Cover with a black plastic sheet after ample watering.
. No photosynthesis Leave for 4 8 weeks.
SOWING Sowing at 3g/m² means finding a suitable method.
All the zones should be sown twice if possible, at 90, in half doses to obtain a homogeneous seed cover.
Do not rake the seed deeply into the soil. If the conditions are favourable, the sown areas should be rolled lightly.
END OF YEAR MAINTENANCE Cutting the plants down to 10 cm at the end of the flowering period (usually after the first frosts).
ANNUAL TIME SCHEDULE J F M A M J J A S O N D Glyphosate " Work soil " " Blind Sowing " period " Sowing " Germination " Plant Growth " Flowering End of year maintenance "
2. COST ANALYSE The following scenarios have been compared on an area of 1000m² : 1. Medium quality lawn grass cutting (15 times a year), 2. High quality lawn grass cutting (30 times a year), 3. Bedding plants from plugs, 20cm apart (25 per m²), one display only. 4. Euroflor urban flower mix.
Installation costs Grass 15 cuts Grass 30 cuts Bedding plants Euroflor Company labour costs / hr. 25 25 25 25 Irrigation requirements no 16 16 no Clipping removal no yes no no Seed and plant purchases 35kg 130 35kg 130 12p. each 3 000 4 kg 1 000 Soil preparation 2 x 8hr 2 x 8hr 2 x 12hr 2 x 6hr Fertiliser 50 50 100 - Fertiliser application 1hr 1hr 1hr - Sowing & rolling 4hr 4hr - 4.5hr Planting 12 /m² (incl. handling) - - 200 hr -
Maintenance costs 1st year Grass cutting, strimmer & blower Grass 15 cuts 12 x 1,5hr Grass 30 cuts Bedding plants Euroflor 27 x 1,5hr - - Clipping removal - 27 x 1hr - - Replanting (time & costs) - - 3% - Irrigation 4mm x 2 per week July & August (x2 with labour) - 185.60 185.60 - Hand weeding - - 60 20 End of year clean up 16hr 16hr Waste disposal ( 50/ton) Clippings 6t/ha. - 18t 2t 3t
Maintenance costs 2nd year Grass cutting, strimmer & blower Clipping removal Grass 15 cuts 15 x 1,5hr Grass 30 cuts Bedding plants Euroflor 30 x 1,5hr - - 30 x 1hr Replanting (time & costs) - - 3% - Irrigation 4mm x 2 per week July & August (x2 with labour) - 185.60 185.60 - Hand weeding - - 60 20 End of year clean up - - 16hr 16hr Waste disposal ( 50/ton) Clippings 6t/ha. - 18t 2t 3t
Installation & Maintenance costs over 5 years Grass 15 cuts Grass 30 cuts Bedding plants Euroflor Installation costs 705 705 8 725 1 313 Installation per m² 0.71 0.71 8.73 1.41 Maintenance year 1 450 2 798 2 425 1 050 Maintenance year 2 637 3 086 2 425 1 050 Cumulative costs per m² Year 1 1.16 3.50 11.15 2.46 Year 2 0.90 3.29 11.15 2.46 Year 3 0.81 3.22 11.15 2.46 Year 4 0.77 3.19 11.15 2.46 Year 5 0.74 3.17 11.15 2.46
Conclusions : Euroflor provides significant cost cuttings as a low maintenance solution for towns and local authorities, whilst at the same time looking attractive and also contributing to a sustainable and bio diversity programme. The cost effectiveness of Euroflor is further multiplied on difficult sites requiring road coning or slopes where safety issues are important; these costs have not compared here.
Conclusions (cont.) : Working with conservative comparative figures Euroflor works out 5 times cheaper than traditional flower beds, If costs were compared on a flower display per month basis, Euroflor would become even more advantageous as it flowers continuously from 60-65 days after sowing to the first frosts (mid June to November).
The carbon footprint of Euroflor should be much lower than planted flowers and perhaps grass : No greenhouse heating, No substrate requirements, No plugs and plastic pots, Minimum irrigation, No transport, No fertiliser, No chemical applications, Less maintenance, No CO 2 emissions from petrol mowers, No grass clippings to dispose of
Sarah Bouquet sown at Southchurch Park, Southend-on-Sea
Ask for a PDF copy of the Euroflor Tecnical Guide 2013 h.wood@grassengineering.com
THANK YOU Howard Wood B.Sc (Hons)