A sea of colourful wildflowers is springing up at open spaces and grass verges across Sandwell.
Five sites have been sown with a mix of wildflowers, creating a stunning multi-coloured display – brightening up the area and attracting bees and butterflies.
The flowers not only look beautiful and benefit local wildlife, they reduce the need for strimming, mowing and pesticides – saving time and money.
Three of the sites – Ashes Road open space in Oldbury, Sandy Lane open space in Friar Park and Balls Hill park in West Bromwich – have had new bollards recently installed following unauthorised encampments.
The flowers have been grown around the base of the bollards to add a splash of colour, encouraging bees and butterflies and reducing the need for strimming.
The verges on Brandon Way in West Bromwich have also been seeded, as has the Owen Street island in Tipton where a large conifer tree came down in high winds earlier this year.
Just last week, The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country named the A41 in West Bromwich the best for bees thanks to rare bee orchids and other plants growing there. This is down to the council changing when the mowing is done to allow the rare flowers to grow.
Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for highways Councillor David Hosell said: “We have had so much feedback from residents about the wildflowers – they have gone down incredibly well.
“They really are stunning to look at and they are attracting all sorts of bees, butterflies and insects.
“We’re now looking at other places we can use the wildflowers – and the beauty of them is, they will now re-seed for years to come.”
