Meadows (photos)
Both fields have a pH of around 6.5 and are thus classified as mesotrophic grassland (ecologist-speak for neither very acid nor very alkaline).
Bloomer's Field
This was sheep pasture for many years. When we took it over, the main ground vegetation was a mixture of grasses, including Perennial Ryegrass, Common Bent, Timothy and Yorkshire Fog, with some Docks, Meadow Buttercup and Yarrow. Dürer's painting, right, is a fair depiction of what we found. Click on it for a larger version, and some notes about the artist.
To allow other plants to thrive and the 'seed bank' in the soil to produce viable growth, we have had to reduce the grasses' dominance. Therefore, unlike the sheep, we do not fertilize either field. Also, we take away the cuttings whenever we mow. This we do once a year, in late summer, after flower seeds have fallen.
The result is a steady increase in the variety and number of annual meadow plants ('forbs') present. They include Common and Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil, various Clovers, Common Knapweed and Tufted Vetch. These are all important food plants for insects such as butterflies and moths. Insects are, in turn, food for birds and small mammals, both of which are also growing in number. (See the species lists for plants, moths and butterflies, and birds).
Except when creating or repairing hedges or woods, we do not plant or sow in the meadow or other grassed areas.
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This shows what can happen when you let the plants in a seed bank reassert themselves. This Common Spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) made its presence known in June 2002. Others will probably appear in future years.
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Jenner's Field
Jenner's Field is managed differently. Because the centre of it is a public recreation area, it is mowed frequently by the District Council, producing a smooth surface for ball games and similar recreational activities.
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This picture, taken in August 1995, shows the view north into Jenner's Field from the Vicarage Gate avenue.
The thoroughly urban tarmac path on the right, complete with lamp-post, was not of our doing. We nicknamed it "The M1".
Our handiwork starts with the more natural-looking path that curves off to the trees on the left. In this picture, it has just been completed.
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Work in progress. One of the neighbours stands in the turning circle. This allows wheeled traffic to turn round or to pass another pushchair or wheelchair. (Picture by Anne Richards.)
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And in this picture by Anne are the young volunteers who made the path. They had come over from Germany to work on conservation projects through the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV).
They did a magnificent job, in one of the hottest summers of recent record.
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All three pictures above show how short the grass was at the time. We have since taken over the management of the perimeter of Jenner's Field, leaving the centre as a closely mown play area. The part we manage consists of a wide strip of grass around most of the field, the hedges to the west and north, and the stream. We mow the margin yearly, at the same time as Bloomer's Field.
Ground species now commonly seen in it include Cow Parsley, Common Knapweed, Cuckoo Flower, Meadowsweet and Self-heal. Red Bartsia (Odontites verna), a common plant semi-parasitical on grass, was first seen in the field margin in August 2002.