Let’s have more wildflowers in Crowborough’s roadside verges

Species-rich verges look great and benefit wildlife.

In the north east corner of Sussex sits Crowborough, a town with a population of about 25,000.

The town is surrounded by the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Ashdown Forest and has two large country parks and other wildlife havens complete with resident dormice and great crested newts.

In spite of all this, some of the locals want even more countryside!

Local residents have set up Crowborough Wildlife Group.

Their first campaign is to increase the number of species-rich verges in the town.

Currently there are three large ones, two of which are on through roads and are most notable for the dense mass of ox-eye daisies.

The plan is to increase this number and applications are being prepared for the July town council environment committee meeting.

Many of the verges are only cut twice a year and so making these species-rich only requires some seeding and it’s likely that residents would prefer flowering verges to the current long grasses.

If you would like to get involved please contact Jeannette Towey at: info@cpresussex.org.uk and she will pass your details on to Crowborough Wildlife Group.