Much of my day job at the moment is spent in the offices of organisations other than the RSPB and in particular the County Hall of West Sussex County Council.
As I arrive, I pass by the manicured lawns and rose beds that front the building, and head into whatever meeting I'm attending that day. But the bit I love the most is a rather tucked away corner, outside and around the back.
What the Council has done is abandon the very formal, and instead they've sown wildflower seeds.
It's a little haven of Wild Carrot, Fleabane, knapweeds and other species.
I think it is fantastic. There are bees and hoverflies and who knows what else in amongst the shelter and microclimates of all those stems and leaves. It is one giant wildlife salad.
I think it also brightens up this rather dull corner.
It cuts down the carbon footprint of all the mower work needed elsewhere. And it even is probably even kind of the purses of the folk of West Sussex because it doesn't need daily tending.
So a big thumbs up from me - it's definitely a big step in the right direction. And I look forward to the day when the Council - and society - feel that this wouldn't be out of place on the front lawn either!
If you want to drop by my RSPB wildlife gardening blog, it is updated every Friday, and I'd love to see you there - www.rspb.org.uk/community/blogs/hfw
Our council is getting a lot better with leaving areas for wild flowers, the verges have been a picture this year. They could have stumbled across the fact that it is a lot cheaper to let nature have her way. There are no expensive weed killers and the cost of mowing is drastically reduced if it doesn’t happen as often.
We recently drove from Devon to Yorkshire, what a difference we noticed along the way. Some councils are doing beautifully and their verges are a true delight, full of wild flowers and colour, while others are still hanging onto sterile, neat, short grass.
I discovered a new Bee plant this year, Phacelia tanacetifolia, it’s a green manure with the added bonus of having very pretty flowers which are real bee magnets.
Build it and they will come.