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Illustrating the floral diversity of
the traditional wheat field before the intensification in
agricultural production methods
Sponsored by English Nature
At the end of the Syon Vista and the Lake, a field has been
sown with wheat, corn flowers, corn cockles, corn marigolds,
corn poppies and crimson clover, which will flower throughout
the summer months to make a subtle but beautiful display.
A margin of wildflowers will also be sown to demonstrate field
margin management and conservation. The field will take on
a new character in September, when the wheat is harvested
and made into traditional stoops. Majestic Suffolk Punch horses
with traditional horse-drawn equipment will harvest the crop.
Modern agricultural methods, pesticides and herbicides have
created uniform fields of wheat, replacing the rich mixture
of flowers and wild plants of 70 years ago. Kew’s traditional
wheat field shows how fields looked in the past and how they
supported a greater diversity of insect life and wild flowers.
• English Nature - www.english-nature.org.uk
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