Sharing the value of verges
Whilst we know that wild verges are excellent for the planet, others may be skeptical and there is the idea that unmown verges are ‘messy’. Manicured lawns are engrained into English culture, dating back to around the 17th Century. With this in mind, be prepared for the fact that you might not win everyone in your area over about how great it is to mow less often. However, here are some tips and messaging that can help.
- Cutting less often genuinely saves money!
- Great for wildlife – celebrate this! Put up signs (these really help) and publish articles in your local village newsletter / social media.
- Manage expectations – show what the verge is likely to be (e.g. a grassland habitat) rather than presenting it as a poppy and cornflower annual mix for example. Or, rather than the term 'wildflower'- you could present your verge as a “species rich”, “wildlife verge” rather than using the term “wildflowers” if you think that might cause problems or raise certain expectations about the aesthetic.
- Mow a short border around the edge to frame it – this makes it look purposeful rather than neglected.
- Collect cuttings – whilst this is essential management for species diverse wild flower verges, it also prevents the area looking untidy.
- Species surveys – monitor your verges and tell everyone what you find - there might be loads of insects that you didn't even know were using it.
- Road safety - good verge management can prevent the grassland species from being too tall. Equally, a stepped approach can be used so that shorter grass and low growing species are close to the road and the taller species are further back from the road to keep visibility.
Fabulous for wildlife
Telling people about how great these spaces can be for wildlife is really important. Put up signs, run talks, write about it - show how great the area is for wildlife. That way, even if people don’t like it aesthetically, they can at least appreciate the importance of these spaces. Monitoring the verge and sharing wildlife findings (beetles, butterflies, ladybirds, the chirp of crickets) will help to show that these spaces are filled with life, even if at a glance they don't seem to be. Find out more about how great verge habitats can be on the benefits of verges page.
“I thought the meadow area had failed because there weren’t many flowers, but actually, it’s filled with so much life!” (Kidlington volunteer)
A success story from Shropshire
The Shropshire verge project began as the small Edgeton Village Volunteer Group. They surveyed all the verges in the village and the surveys revealed that they had some of the best verges in the County! This inspired them to protect and enhance them, and therefore cutting regimes were agreed with the Council. Now there’s Restoring 'Shropshire’s Verges Project' which is the umbrella for local group verge projects across Shropshire, funded by National Trust, Plantlife, Wildlife Trust and Caring for God’s Acre. From small seeds, big things can grow. Find out more about their work here.
Exploring verges in Watlington - Wild Oxfordshire's Local Environment Groups Conference
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