October News
It has been a busy month for the Parish Council. After last month’s confirmation of funding, the Council has been working hard to progress the Pavilion project, meeting with the architect and engineers to produce the technical drawings required for Building Regulation approval.
Work on the new playing field continues with the first seeding having taken place. It’s lovely to see the grass coming through. While the grass takes, we would ask residents not to walk on the field.
Wildflower meadows, like the one being established on Headley Village Green, are one of the most beautiful ways to encourage wildlife. Unlike regular ornamental lawns, wildflower meadows only require around three cuts a year, but the timing and way they are cut are crucial to the meadow’s success. There are three prime times when wildflowers and meadows may need to be cut back: early spring, late summer and early autumn.
Whilst a wildflower meadow is relatively low maintenance once established, it does require cutting to help keep grasses and weeds at bay. The reason for this is that native grasses and other perennial weeds are far faster growing than both annual and perennial wildflower mixes. If a Wildflower Meadow is left to compete naturally with grasses and weeds, it will soon be smothered and will potentially die out. Wildflowers mainly germinate and grow back later in the season, i.e. April to May, and if the meadow is not mown in early spring then the grasses will already be far further ahead in their growth cycle. If this is allowed to occur, access to both light and water for wildflowers will be reduced making it far harder for them to survive.
