Milner Avenue: Abandoned corner to Wildflower Meadow.

The Milner Avenue site was suffering the fate of many green corners and being used as a dump for household waste and rapidly becoming species poor. That was until local residents with help from Altrincham Baptist Church, St Albans Church and Broadheath Primary with the assistance of Action for Nature and council staff got involved.

All rubbish was removed from the site and the ground prepared by knocking back the existing grasses. This was followed up by seeding by the local people with Meadow wildflower mixes from the landlife centre at Knowsely. All this action led to a vibrant meadow filled with Oxeye Daisy, Corncockle and Cornflower.

However this was not a one year show but the start of a management routine to maintain this meadow for future residents. In the autumn the dying plants where cut back and those cuttings removed for composting. This allows the flower seed to fall for next year and ensures the soil quality does not improve allowing tall ruderals to take over.

The site once again this year is alive with flower species but these have attracted other visitors including insect such as bumble bee’s which are under threat and the air was full with bird song. Not at all bad for a small rectangle of land at the end of a dead end street in Broad Heath