Wildflower work completed at Green Farm

We’re delighted to reveal that our wildflower enhancement work is now complete at Green Farm in Surrey – and we can’t wait to see the results! 

Thanks to funding from Buglife as part of the Surrey B-Lines project, our team has been hand-broadcasting yellow-rattle seeds onto rotovated patches within the orchard.  

Buglife funded a day of brushcutting to clear bramble in December and also provided us with the yellow-rattle seed. 

A big shout out also goes to the Godalming Flower Company, our tenant at Green Farm too, who kindly gave their time last week to rotovate the one metre wide strips between the fruit trees. 

Yellow-rattle, also called ‘meadow-maker’ is semi-parasitic to grasses, reducing their vigour and speed of development, so this allows other wildflowers to compete in the spring for light and space. 

Primrose on cleared slope at Green Farm.

FiPL funded Ryetec cut and collect machine in the yard and attached to CRT tractor.

Helena Darragh, our CRT Head of Conservation, said: “Yellow-rattle does need a prolonged period of chilling to germinate and so we’re hoping that, although spring is on its way, a few more weeks of cold weather will get them going!  

“The orchard has already got some wildflower species, such as knapweed, sorrel and cranesbills, so we’re looking forward to seeing what occurs naturally in the soils this summer as a result of this work. We will keep you updated.” 

Thanks to the FiPL programme with the Surrey Hills National Landscape, we have been able to buy a mini cut and collect machine, which will enable us to manage the meadow going forward to further improve the orchard for wildflowers and meadow grasses.  

Broadcasting yellow rattle

Broadcasting yellow rattle

“It’s also been really lovely to see snowdrops, lesser celandine, primroses and lords-and-ladies now appearing on the recently cleared slope, which were previously smothered by bramble,” added Helena. 

“We are very grateful for the support we've had to date for this project and we are looking forward to watching this habitat develop in the coming years.”  

More ways to support us 

If you want to help us protect local wildlife and habitats in other ways you can join as a CRT Friend, attend our in-person and online events and volunteer on one of our farms. You can also sign-up to our monthly newsletter 'CRT News' for regular updates from our farms, straight to your inbox. 

Published: February 2025