Geoff Robinson Photography

Wildflower meadow at iconic King’s College Cambridge harvested for hay

Picture June 2020 shows the wildflower meadow at King’s College Cambridge in full flower before it was harvested today (Aug 11).

The grounds of iconic King’s College in Cambridge looked more like a FARM this morning (Wed) as a tractor cut down the new wildflower meadow so it can be harvested for hay.
The lawn at the world-renowned Cambridge University college which has been neatly manicured for 300 years was transformed into a magnificent two-acre wildflower meadow this Spring to support biodiversity.
Now the blooms, including harebells, buttercups, poppies, have finished flowering and head gardener Steve Coghill and his team are turning them into hay bales which will be distributed to other university colleges so they can grow their own wildflowers next year.
He said: “A tractor is cutting down the flowers and grass with a sythe, then we will follow behind it and use wooden rakes to make windrows, which can then be turned into bales. It’s a very traditional method which has been used on farmland for centuries.”
The process is expected to take four gardeners several days and they will use a mini baler borrowed from Trinity College.
He added: “The bales of hay will be full of wildflower seed so we will give them to the other university colleges so they can grow their own flowers. We’ll also give some to the city council to create wild areas.
“This has been a lovely project as it has brought all the gardeners from the colleges together and I think more of them will now make their own meadows. There has certainly been a lot of interest.”
He said that next year they hoped to make the farming of the meadow even more traditional by using shire horses to help cut the flowers.
“There is enough seed in the ground for the flowers to come up again next year, we sowed a lot of perennials, so they will keep coming back. It’s the gift which keeps on giving,” he added.
“The meadow has been great for wildlife and it has attracted lots of rare species, inc

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Picture June 2020 shows the wildflower meadow at King’s College Cambridge in full flower before it was harvested today (Aug 11).<br />
<br />
The grounds of iconic King’s College in Cambridge looked more like a FARM this morning (Wed) as a tractor cut down the new wildflower meadow so it can be harvested for hay.<br />
The lawn at the world-renowned Cambridge University college which has been neatly manicured for 300 years was transformed into a magnificent two-acre wildflower meadow this Spring to support biodiversity.<br />
Now the blooms, including harebells, buttercups, poppies, have finished flowering and head gardener Steve Coghill and his team are turning them into hay bales which will be distributed to other university colleges so they can grow their own wildflowers next year.<br />
He said: “A tractor is cutting down the flowers and grass with a sythe, then we will follow behind it and use wooden rakes to make windrows, which can then be turned into bales. It’s a very traditional method which has been used on farmland for centuries.”<br />
The process is expected to take four gardeners several days and they will use a mini baler borrowed from Trinity College.<br />
He added: “The bales of hay will be full of wildflower seed so we will give them to the other university colleges so they can grow their own flowers. We’ll also give some to the city council to create wild areas.<br />
“This has been a lovely project as it has brought all the gardeners from the colleges together and I think more of them will now make their own meadows. There has certainly been a lot of interest.”<br />
He said that next year they hoped to make the farming of the meadow even more traditional by using shire horses to help cut the flowers.<br />
“There is enough seed in the ground for the flowers to come up again next year, we sowed a lot of perennials, so they will keep coming back. It’s the gift which keeps on giving,” he added.<br />
“The meadow has been great for wildlife and it has attracted lots of rare species, inc