Lilley Brook GC revels in wildflower colours and diversity

By Alistair May 23, 2019 06:11 Updated

Scrub areas at Cheltenham’s Lilley Brook Golf Club have been rejuvenated thanks to wildflower mixtures from DLF Seeds. In a quest to improve the visual appearance and ecological qualities of waste land around the site, course manager Nigel Thompson has found success with DLF’s Colour Boost mix.

Situated on the edge of the Cotswolds, the picturesque 18-hole mature parkland course keeps Nigel and his team of five greenkeepers very busy. “I’ve been looking at ways of adding colour and diversity to areas around the course that don’t tend to get a lot of maintenance” explains Nigel. “We earmarked a scrub area between the second and third hole to trial a wildflower plot last year. Ian Barnett of DLF came in to explain the various options available, and we settled on an annuals mixture, Colour Boost 1, which we sowed last May.”

“Despite the warm and dry conditions, it popped up Mid-June and provided outstanding colour right through until the late autumn. Not only that, but it provided a habitat for insects to thrive in, in particular we noticed an increase in bees, in and around the wildflowers.” The Colour Boost mixtures incorporate both wild flower and garden flowering species, that establish rapidly to deliver a colourful display throughout the whole year. Sown directly onto the final recipient site, they require little irrigation, fertiliser / chemical application or maintenance throughout the season.

Following the success here, Nigel is now planning to introduce some more wildflowers, this time native perennials, around the perimeter of the course. “As part of our ongoing drive to introduce wildlife initiatives, we’re going to use the DLF Pro Flora 9 mixture around teeing-off areas to create habitats for a variety of species. It’s great to think we can do our bit to support pollinators, and at the same time, improve the look of the lesser-used areas of the course. It’s a win-win!”