Wild Verge Trial

With the support of Withyham Parish Council, Wild Groombridge is trialling a wildflower verge in Groombridge.

The trial area is along the edge of Station Road by the Parish Council offices, so everyone can see what’s happening.

When we begin in 2022 we had no idea what would grow there as it has always been cut in the past so we surveyed the verge every month. We still are surveying and would love people to join us – you don’t need to know anything about wild flowers to help. Just bring a camera phone to record what you see.

JOIN OUR PLANT SURVEY! Outside the Parish Council office, 10am on the first Saturday of every month – everyone is welcome!

We have asked the Parish Council’s contractor to cut the area twice a year – once before the spring growth, and once at the end of the summer. This will allow plants to grow, flower and set seed, and insects and birds to feed on them.

After a year of surveying we decided to try introducing local native wild plants. In spring 2024 our volunteers split the verge in three. One section (nearest the station) was left to grow on without any intervention. The next was scraped back to reveal soil and sown with Yellow Rattle, a native plant that suppresses grasses to give other wild plants space to thrive. And the last section was scraped back and sown with a native High Weald plant mix.

If this wild verge trial is successful and popular we hope to extend the project and include more verges across the village. We’ll be part of a nationwide network of villages and towns helping to support wild habitats.

From small seeds great things grow, we hope!