Enhancing

Creating a Wildflower Meadow on Brandon Hill

With the help of Avon Wildlife Trust, Bristol City Centre BID creates a wildflower meadow in one of Bristol’s bustling city centre parks.

04/01/2024

BID Lead

Tom Swithinbank

Email Tom Swithinbank

In November and December of 2023, Bristol City Centre BID worked with Avon Wildlife Trust to improve the wildflower meadow on Brandon Hill. The meadow, located in this busy city centre park, has been managed by Avon Wildlife Trust for 40 years and was identified as an opportunity to add habitat for pollinators and nature.

We received grant funding from the West of England Pollinator Fund, which aims to enable community groups around the region to create habitat for pollinators and contribute to the Mayor’s vision for the region as the ‘Bee Capital of the Country’, to make this happen.

We collaborated with Avon Wildlife Trust’s Grow Wilder project to deliver this initiative and received support for our Pollinator Fund application from Friends of Brandon Hill, St Mungo’s Putting Down Roots project – who work in the park on a monthly basis, and JLL– who’s office overlooks Brandon Hill.

The work to plant the additional flowers consisted of two, two-hour lunchtime sessions where Bristol residents and volunteers from JLL, Silverback Films, the Environment Agency, and St Mungo’s Putting Down Roots project turned the turf, sowed wildflower seeds, and planted small plants.

The planting of more wildflower species and increasing the number of those already present will reinvigorate the meadow. By populating the meadow with a comprehensive range of plants, we are supporting a longer flowering season and in turn, providing a richer habitat and nectar source for pollinators throughout the year. The plants chosen for this specific project include Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Common Knapweed, Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Lady’s Bedstraw.

By planting and caring for wildflower meadows in gardens, community spaces, allotments, and public spaces, we can help to reverse the decline in insect populations and biodiversity that forms part of the ecological emergency.

Bristol City Centre BID is on the lookout for more opportunities to add wildlife and colour to other locations around the city. If you would like to work with us on a future project, please get in touch.

Enhancing

Creating a Wildflower Meadow on Brandon Hill

BID Lead

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