On the face of it, it is a really nice idea that the Environment Agency, in conjunction with the City Council and an organisation called 'Every Action Helps', have come up with a plan to cover the city's open spaces with carpets of wild flowers. Free packets of the aforesaid seeds can be found at -First Point - Sheff' Wildlife Trust - libraries and a few other places.

BUT - a few years ago an area near our home was assessed for its range of 'bio-diversity', by our local 'friends' group, when developers turned their greedy gaze upon it.

A consultant was hired to list the species of flora and fauna living on the meadow sites, and his conclusion was that there were many species, some rare and many delicate, that made the site of special scientific interest.

The point I'm making is that he was horrified when a member of the group, who was acting as his 'guide', suggested planting various wild flowers in the area; to give the place 'a helping hand'.
He made it very clear that such actions can endanger eco systems. Introducing non indiginous species to an area can impact the whole system, from frail wildflowers, to insects, to birds and mammals.

By planting wildflowers in our area, would we have eventually lost the meadowland its designation as an SSSI, and consequently given developers a free hand to bid for the land?

Is this a deliberate plan to rip out our green spaces after turning them into boggy scragland populated only by poppies and nettles!!??

Or are these seeds really the spawn of an alien nation - Triffidus Triffidus back for another attempt at world conquest!!
I'm going to plant our freebies in tubs - just in case:D:

I think the idea is to encourage you to give over part of your garden to wildflowers and wildlife, not randomly seed open spaces. I sowed mine in the one bit of soil I have apart from pots, our raised bed (not fed, wildflowers prefer not to have too rich a soil.) They should also have been chosen to be a mix native to Sheffield, so shouldn't be harmful.

BTW, I'm afraid there are no more at Sheffield Wildlife Trust - very popular. Heeley City Farm still had some this weekend. The Centre in the Park should have some, and local libraries, too. But they are popular and going fast.

You have to watch them for giving you free trees to plant and then turning up a few months to cut down trees that have lined streets for years and to give them access to prime building plots.

Anyone who goes on shire green lane take a look at the trees they took down there accross from concord sports centre on the steel city club grounds. Just wait a few months or next year for the dozers to move in and knock up some housing or something :(

The Seeds are still available at Highfield Library, and the mix has been chosen to suit local conditions. I think it's a great idea and look forward to seeing patches of flowers spring up all over the place :)

My daughter went on a walk in school yesterday
and they were handed some

I think the idea is to encourage you to give over part of your garden to wildflowers and wildlife, not randomly seed open spaces.
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You may not have read the advice on the packet cosywolf but it does say on the pack to plant them (amongst other places), in open spaces.

Though I was being a wee bit tongue in cheek in the O.P, the introduction of 'new' flora and fauna can cause problems for resident wildlife even on small 'islands' of undeveloped space.

I'm told meadowland needs careful management to remain intact. Even too much mowing or too little mowing can destroy it. Meadows were formerly managed by browsing wildlife most of which is no longer around (which is why many farmers have been more than happy to take over the highly lucrative 'setaside' schemes).

I imagine that the council mean well with this initiative but less subtle and devious methods of developing public land have been used in the past.

You're right, supertyke, I didn't read the back; but honestly, there's very little in the way of super-sensitive meadowland in urban Sheffield that you are going to disturb by throwing a few seeds over it. (These seeds are also not 'new', i.e. introduced species, but native plants.) If in doubt, contact the Council or Wildlife Trust to check up on the status of the area you are thinking of sowing in.

When most of our grassed spaces consist of 'green desert' - cut lawn - you are likely to do more good than harm...though in spaces like that, the likelihood of the seeds growing is fairly small.

We are also not talking huge amounts of seeds...what is actually in each pack would hardly seed a postage stamp, lol.

So all in all, I wouldn't lose sleep over it. If it is really worrying you, phone Sheffield Wildife Trust on 2634335 and tell them your concerns. I'm sure there will be someone who can answer them better than I can.

I probably am being over protective cosywolf - although I think you will find that Sheff is riddled with sensitive meadowland sites along with the impoverished soil; but the guy I mentioned earlier who assessed our 'bit' was concerned that quite small changes in a habitat can domino into quite large ones. I don't know the exact quantities of seeds for distribution but Frechville library have two boxes of them the size of washing machines.
At the plant level, insects are quite specialised feeders and new plants may compete with resident food plants in specific areas to the detriment of the insects. I know that you know the rest - how a change in insect population and type can affect the small mammals and birds of an area - which in turn affects the larger mammals and so on.
I know you are not intending to trivialise my worries any more than I am trying to over state them but it does get tedious doesn't it, how we hiumans, often with good intentions, continue to screw the planet.

Planting in tubs and enclosed gardens would still seem to be the best course imo, at least, as they escape and spread as they surely will areas may have a little more time to adapt.

No, you're right, I am not trying to trivialise your worries at all. That is why I suggested you contact SWT or the ecology unit to find out what they think about it.

I will try and remember (I have a ditzy memory, lol, which is why I suggested you do it) to ask for you.

Cheers cosywolf. :thumbsup:

Well, all the ecologists were conspicuous by their absence today. I spoke with another colleague, who feels that the number of seeds and the fact that most are likely to be dumped in the less sensitive bits of grassland (green desert, etc) will therefore benefit wildlife more on balance than damage it. Also that being annuals, they will self seed to some extent, but probably not in any large or damaging way, i.e. not enough to cause long term damage to a sensitive site. Also that if we need to worry about damage to sensitive plant sites, we would be better screaming about invasive garden escapes.

I will still try and speak to an ecologist for you. I'm mostly impressed I remembered to ask someone, lol.