Astley Ainslie Nature Ranger – Autumn Round Up

Wildflower Meadows at the Astley Ainslie

Feedback about the newly created meadows has been great. Staff frequently described the plots as “splendid” and “lovely.” One staff member commented on the quick transformation: “I just wanted to say how lush the wildflower meadows are looking after the rain the last few weeks, really beautiful to see, so thanks!”

Scything Festival

There was a great turnout at the scything festival from NHS Lothian staff and volunteers to learn more about traditional meadow management and have a go themselves. The REH Grounds and Gardens team got hands-on training from scything experts while volunteers from NHS Lothian and TCV tackled the wider areas.

Working with a scything expert from The Conservation Volunteers, we are now following this up with an “aftermath” scythe which helps restore balance in meadow plant communities. After the main summer hay cut studies have shown that the late summer/autumn aftermath management has the next biggest influence on the long-term structure and diversity of the sward.