GREENKEEPING
DLF delivers carnival of colour at Chipping Sodbury Golf Club
he green , green grass
T of Chipping Sodbury Golf Club in Bristol is now complimented with a carnival of colours including reds , pinks and purples thanks to the introduction of wildflower seed from DLF . The project is now into its third year and was the brainchild of Deputy Head Greenkeeper Craig Swindells who , together with support from the membership , has successfully introduced 800sq . M of outstanding visual impact together with all-important food and habitat for pollinators and wildlife .
Craig has been at the 18-hole parkland course , situated on the outskirts of the Cotswolds , for the last 12 years and works as part of a greens team of seven including one trainee and two member volunteers . He explains , “ While the trees add great definition to the course , it means we ’ re very ‘ green ’ so I presented the idea of planting two new wildflower areas to the committee and they gave us their full support . One member in particular , Geoff McFarland , who shares my passion for ecology was generous enough to fund the project .”
The first seed went into the ground in May 2021 – a combination of Pro Flora 8 , comprising of 80 % grasses and 20 % robust wild flowering species , and Colour Boost 1 ( Carnival ) for hight-impact annuals . “ The weather hadn ’ t been kind up to that point , but we went from seed to full bloom in under two months and what a bloom we had ! Bold bright colours and an abundance of bees and butterflies enjoying the rich food source it provided . We had a wealth of lovely messages and members of the public coming in to have a look .”
“ At the end of the first season , we cut back and hand-picked unwanted growth as and when we saw it . Year two we left the areas alone and found we achieved great uptake with the perennials and , as you ’ d expect , fewer annuals though some did self-seed . It still looked good but like most plants , struggled with the ground being so dry through the summer of 2022 . Now , we ’ re going into year three and we ’ re overseeding again , this time with Colour Boost ’ s Biodiversity mix to introduce a wide range of flowering varieties .” www . dlf . co . uk
38 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | July / August 2023