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Why Waddesdon's not mowing
Gardener Harvey Sullivan explains the creation of new meadows at Waddesdon
You may have noticed that some areas of grass around the grounds have been left to grow significantly longer than normal. This is part of our strategy to increase wildlife diversity in the garden.
Simply stopping mowing is the first step towards creating several species rich meadows around Waddesdon. The introduction of wildflower seed along with the right management practices will generate an abundance of wildlife.
Increased biodiversity has profound effects on other areas of the garden. For example, increased predator species will filter out to our bedding plants, helping to control pests.
It takes one member of our garden team a week on a ride-on mower to complete the full routine. Our new practice has reduced that to well under 1 day: reducing fuel costs, CO2 emission and damage to trees from soil compaction.
Our meadows can also be cropped for silage as a by-product, and what’s more, the diverse plants are more medicinal for the cows on the estate.
All these practices and more are being rolled out across the entire estate, to ensure our work helps the world around us thrive.