On Sunday 1st September, the Edinburgh Shoreline Project and Lothian Conservation Volunteers planted a new wildflower meadow (measuring 11m x 16m) at Cramond.
The well-known ’roundel’ in the middle of the promenade at the entrance to the beach and causeway to Cramond Island, is certainly looking very different this week, and will look even more different in 6-9 months time – blooming with coastal wildflowers such as Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Lady’s Bedstraw, Sea Mayweed, Kidney Vetch and Clovers!
First off, the Lothian Conservation Volunteers removed the turf and top soil from the site. This reduces the fertility of the area, and means that plants such as dock do not take over the site and out-compete the wildflowers. The ground was then raked to prepare a seedbed, seed mixed with sand was scattered on the area and thoroughly trampled in to ensure they were bedded in and would not be blown away.
Many thanks to the Lothian Conservation Volunteers for their hard work preparing and sowing the meadow, and to the Community Payback Scheme for transporting the removed turf to the Social Bite Village!
We hope residents at the Social Bite Village will enjoy their new turfed seating area, and that the new meadow, which will be in flower from next Spring, will bring much pleasure to those who use the promenade, and much needed food for our pollinators.
If you’d like to get involved with improving the flower-richness of Cramond, don’t forget that you can join us to plant some plug plants on the promenade on Saturday 7th September. More details here: https://edinburghshoreline.org.uk/events/grassland-planting-cramond/
