Our wildflower margins are really starting to come into their own now with some species in full flower. The first species we see flowering are the vibrant blue cornflowers, daisy like corn chamomile and the lilac common sainfoin. We have a 12 different species in this mix to ensure we have a large spread of flowering plants right through the summer to provide a continuous nectar source into the early autumn with the borage. These margins not only provide a nectar source for bees but also a food source, cover and nesting habitat for the diverse number of wild birds we have on the farm. Closer to the ground they are also home to a large number of invertebrates. We are currently studying the numbers and species diversity of ground beetles and other insects in these margins to establish what we have, how we can look after them and if they have predatory tendencies to some of the pests we have in our vegetable crops such as aphids. More on this will follow in the coming weeks.
