Accidental Rewilding
When we moved into Stokewood House we adopted the sit on mower from the previous owner and continued, unquestioningly, with the resident mowing plan . The garden lawns are surrounded on 3 sides by woodland and we happily mowed them on a regular basis.
In the early days we drew up a woodland management plan and we were proud to document that we had a wild orchid ( yes – meaning a single one!) growing on the verge of the lawn. We proudly took photos of it to demonstrate it as an indicator of ancient woodland we were told.
Then in June of our second year here, whilst doing a quick final lawn cut before heading to Glastonbury Festival – the mower broke down. Not prepared to be late for the Pyramid stage we abandoned the mower concluding the repairs could wait a week or two.
Well how fortuitous these events can be! We returned from the festival to find the top of our garden transformed into a carpet of orchids including Pyramidal Orchids, Common Spotted and even a Bee Orchid.
Since then we have left the top of our garden to grow wild with just one cut at the end of the summer. The number of orchids vary each year but are always spectacular.
Is there any benefit to leaving the garden to grow wild, other than a beautiful display of flowers?
I researched the orchids and learned the following.
The Pyramidal Orchid - Anacamptis pyramidalis
is a small orchid that lives up to its name - its pink flower spike forms a pyramidal shape. It grows on chalk grassland, coastal habitats, scrub, roadside verges, old quarries and railway embankments. It flowers in June and July, its densely packed flower spike holding up to 100 flowers. It attracts a range of butterflies and moths. Like many orchids, it requires a specific fungus to be present in the soil in order to bloom. Orchid seeds do not store enough food to grow on their own, so they team up with a mat-forming fungus in the soil. In turn, the orchid’s roots protect the fungus. Each flower has a long thread-like spur that holds a generous supply of nectar that attracts day and night flying butterflies and moths.
The Bee Orchid -Ophrys apifera
gets its name from its main pollinator - a species of bee - which is thought to have driven the evolution of the flowers. To attract the bees that will pollinate the plant, it has flowers that mimic their appearance. Drawing them in with the promise of love, the bees attempt a mating. As they land on the velvet-textured lip of the flower, the pollen is transferred and the poor bee is left frustrated!
Article by Emma Naysmith