Last year, we received several enquiries regarding the work undertaken to prepare the ground for the wildflower meadows on Rimrose Valley at the centre of Chaffers running track and alongside the Queensway allotments.

This year, we have worked with the National Wildflower Centre and Green Sefton to ensure that advance notice of this work is given to members of the public to address the above.

Work is due to begin this week and includes the spraying of herbicide on Friday 29th April.  Signs are to be put in place at locations close to each meadow to ensure that regular park users who may not be online are aware of the work.

For more information, please read the following update from the National Wildflower Centre.

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Over the last few years, we have sown wildflowers on Rimrose valley to bring much more colour and wildlife value, and importantly to highlight the significance of Rimrose Valley for local people, the campaign to save it and with support from Sefton Ward Councillors.

We hope you agree that this has been important. The cornfield annuals which we have sown with local people need ground preparation, and the income from the sale of seed has kept this project going.  This we know was of great solace to many during the worst of the lockdown.

To make this happen again for these annual species, they are arable weeds of cultivated ground, we need to prepare and cultivate the ground, which does involve spraying the ground first. This is done to full Health and Safety Standards.

The herbicide used is glyphosate and is specific to plants; not humans, animals or insects. We have previously explored the use of organic herbicide but, unfortunately, it is not available in the quantities needed, nor does it kill the weeds as required, in order for the meadow to flourish.  Everyone’s health and safety is really important to us, as is the ecology of the site which is why we used a skilled contractor to carry out this work, under our supervision.

The advice regarding pets is to keep off the area while the spraying is taking place until it has dried , which is within minutes on a dry day, which we know will be important to many dog owners.

We will spray on Friday 29th April and cultivate the ground shortly afterwards to enable the annuals to flower again, otherwise there will be no stunning displays as in previous years.

On the Chaffers meadow area, we will sow buttercup and other meadow species, so cultivation will not happen next year, but change into more a buttercup field, which will be a little different, and again add to the ecological value.

We trust you will enjoy the flowers again this year, and support efforts to save this land, and help us maintain this unique display of flowers of national note.  These flowers are some of the rarest flowers in Europe and attract many pollinators, birds and people to visit them.  We know visitors came from far afield to see them.

We hope you enjoy this year’s meadows and understand the work needed to make them a success.

Thank you.

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