Plant up Roundabouts

Roundabouts – did you know there are more than 25,000 of them in the UK? Apparently that’s the most in the world as a proportion of road space.

So think how many wildlife habitats that would equate to if they were all planted with pollinator-friendly plants.

We like the ones in Westbury, Wiltshire where the local town council operates a roundabout sponsorship scheme. Here, businesses can adopt a plot in front of one of the directional signs on the roundabout and have it planted up alongside a plaque saying who it’s been sponsored by. Eye catching publicity for the business; eye catching forage for bees.

Why not approach your local council and see if a similar programme could be set up on your patch. On grass covered roundabouts, it simply involves digging out a small rectangular bed in front of each sign then inviting a local gardener or team of volunteers to plant them up with the likes of marigolds, scabius and crocuses. A small sponsorship fee should do the trick when it comes to covering the cost of plants and accompanying signage.

No roundabouts where you live? Think about installing planters at your town’s entry and exit signs, or offering beds within grass verges, or even planting bee-friendly trees at a local park or recreational space – with each tree sponsored by a different business. Opt for fruit trees, which always go down a treat with pollinators and have the added benefit of providing forage for residents.