Friends of The Heart of Wessex Line to sow wild seeds at lines stations

Pen Mill Wild Flowers 1 2014

Friends of The Heart of Wessex Railway Line spent Thursday (30 April) afternoon learning how to sow wild seeds in an attempt to help tidy up the look of the lines railway stations.

Volunteers from the various stations along the Wessex railway line assembled at Yeovil Pen Mill Station with Catherine Phillips, Rail Partnership Officer, to listen to a presentation by Steve Fox, South Somerset District Council’s (SSDC) Principal Horticultural Officer.

The presentation taught the volunteers how to sow wild flower seeds so that they space correctly and also how to prepare the ground. The volunteers were also invited to sow the seeds at Pen Mill Station with help from the Yeovil in Bloom staff at SSDC.

Wild Seed Planting 1 - 30 04 15

Speaking about the project, Catherine said, “The Yeovil in Bloom team created this semi wild garden for us last year, and the result was stunning. Rail customers, arriving visitors and local residents just loved it. Steve and his team went even further with today’s event, so that we could all participate in creating this year’s garden and also learn how to replicate the idea at other stations along the line. Steve really took our gardening skills onto a new level!”

Steve Fox added, “It was a pleasure to work with such an enthusiastic group of people today who genuinely want to help make their local railway station look more attractive to users and visitors.

“Our Yeovil in Bloom team are always looking to work with communities to help make any area look more attractive.

“Wild flowers help attract wildlife and also look beautiful once they have bloomed. I really hope all the stations look as lovely as Yeovil Pen Mill did last year”.

The Yeovil in Bloom initiative is managed and funded by Yeovil Town Council, and delivered with the support of South Somerset District Council. In 2014, Yeovil in Bloom was awarded Gold at the annual South West in Bloom competition. The judging date for this year’s awards is yet to be announced.

 

About The Heart of Wessex Line

The “Heart of Wessex” Line follows a beautiful 87 mile route through Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Bath and Bristol, with about half of the trains also running through to Gloucester.

Find out more about the Heart of Wessex Line: www.heartofwessex.org.uk.