The Meadows
The Summer Meadow
This meadow occupies the central part of the garden. It is almost entirely of native species (only one Geranium macrorrhizum has invaded from the flower beds). It is cut once per year by hand — usually in November and all cuttings are removed. It is on a clay soil that is impenetrable in the summer.
Meadow Plants
Plants that are naturalised and spreading well include Geranium pratense (Meadow Cranesbill), Centaurea nigra (Hardheads or Knapweed), Centaurea scabiosa (Greater Knapweed), Knautia arvensis (Field scabious), Dipsacus fullonum (Common Teasel), Oreganum vulgare (Wild Marjoram), Lotus corniculatus (Bird’s-foot Trefoil), Agrimonia eupatoria (Common Agrimony).
Plants that are periodically re-planted to maintain their representation include Chrysanthemum leucanthemum (Oxeye Daisy) and Cichorium intybus (Chicory) — they don't seed themselves well into the hard soil. Hypericum perforatum (Perforate St John’s Wort) has recently been established. Some Senecio jacobaea (Ragwort) is tolerated each year — partly to cater for the cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae) and partly for educational reasons — it is a toxic plant. Purple Mullein, Verbascum phoeniceum, from south-east and central Europeis is growing on the edge of the meadow. There is a very good range of native grasses which produce a fine interweaving with the knapweeds, scabious and teasels. The meadow looks very fine in late June and July.
Attracting Insects
This is an excellent feeding ground for many insects — solitary bees, bumble bees, hoverflies, butterflies and moths. Notable also are breeding populations of large and small skipper (Ochlodes venatus and Thymelicus flavus), Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and Speckled Wood (Pararge aegena) using the grasses as larval food plants; Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) and Six-spot Burnet moth (Zygaena filipendulae) using the Bird's-foot Trefoil; Comma (Polygonia c-album), Painted Lady (Cynthia cardui), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) on the hops and nettles neighbouring the meadow.
Two species of grasshopper are well established in the meadow — the Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus) and the Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus). Their large numbers fill the air with song in the hot afternoons of June, July and August.
In August 2001 the first male Long-winged Conehead (Conocephalus discolor) was seen in the long grass of the meadow. This is a relatively rare cricket — a dozen years ago it was restricted to sites on the south coast and in the New Forest. Females were seen later and mating observed on 26th September. One part of the meadow close to the apple espalier path was never cut in the previous year and this had probably encouraged them to stay to breed. Long-winged Coneheads lay their eggs in the stems of uncut grasses and sedges. The same part of the meadow has therefore been left uncut since then. Nymphs were seen in June 2002 and both nymphs and adults again in June and July 2003. The population thus seems established. Furthermore we were also able to attract another unusual cricket — Roesel's Bush Cricket (Metrioptera roeselii) in 2003 — a female was seen during the Open Evening event on 9th July and the following day in the same area of uncut meadow. Young were seen in 2004 and 2005 though none were seen in 2006.
Yellow meadow ant colonies are now well established in the meadow. This cute little ant (it doesn't bite), lives entirely underground, feeding on the sugars secreted by an aphid that lives on grass roots. It builds mounds as nests that, in our meadow, reach about 50 cm across. When David started in post in 1999 there was only one large nest close to the Indian Horse Chestnut. The hand-cutting regime of the meadow is favourable to the growth of this ant's nests as it allows mounds to mature. Now there are many mounds - small and large.The New Meadow
A new meadow was established in 2001/2 in a neighbouring part of Lambeth Walk Open Space — a council park that previously had only two areas of mown grass. The turf and upper layer of soil of a part of one area were removed in December 2001, the surface cultivated lightly and sown with native wildflower seed from Landlife. Plants of oxeye daisies were also put in to ensure a show in summer 2002.
The work was done with a local group, the Friends of Lambeth Walk Open Space. The first summer — 2002 — the oxeye daisies put on a superb show, with germination of other plants visible. These field scabious and knapweeds, along with a lot of wild carrot (Daucus carota) planted with local special school students, joined the oxeyes to make it a strong meadow with more variety. The grasshoppers from the Wildlife Garden have spread to set up a new population here as have the yellow meadow ants. In 2006, however, part of the area was burnt in a cigarette end fire, destroying a beautiful Santa Cataline Ironwood Tree pklanted by KAte Hoey MP and in spring 2007 it is noticeable that the original range of flowers is declining.
Other parts of the area are simply left uncut with mown paths through and around them. These areas produced a big show of Milfoil (Yarrow, Achillea millefolium) — excellent for bees, and some clumps of oxeye daisies appearing in the first season of their own accord. A large circular seat in the centre and an arched seat of oak make the meadow an excellent picnic site for Wildlife Garden visitors.