0:00:01 > 0:00:05Our bees, butterflies and pollinating insects are dying out.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09This giant insect workforce pollinate our crops
0:00:09 > 0:00:13and if they disappear, most of our favourite foods will vanish too.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19It's a complex crisis, but poor nutrition is leaving
0:00:19 > 0:00:24our insect pollinators vulnerable to pesticides and parasites.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26'I'm Sarah Raven,
0:00:26 > 0:00:30'and I'm on a campaign to wake people up and show everyone
0:00:30 > 0:00:35'the simple steps we can all take to stop this quiet catastrophe.'
0:00:36 > 0:00:40The thing is, if we all make a conscious decision to plant
0:00:40 > 0:00:43pollen and nectar-rich plants throughout the country,
0:00:43 > 0:00:47together, we can get Britain buzzing again!
0:01:02 > 0:01:06In previous programmes, I've been campaigning in our countryside and our towns,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10and I've shown how we could make our rural landscapes and our gardens
0:01:10 > 0:01:15and flower displays more friendly for our bees and pollinators.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20But in Britain today, over 90% of us live in cities
0:01:20 > 0:01:24and, believe it or not, that figure is rising.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Concrete and control is the name of the game and that approach
0:01:28 > 0:01:31might suit us and our everyday hectic lives,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33but huge areas of our urban jungles are little help
0:01:33 > 0:01:36to our struggling insect pollinators.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39The trouble is, with a lot of our cities,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42is that what you see is close mown grass,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45almost everywhere, with the occasional splotches of colour
0:01:45 > 0:01:47from our bedding plants.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Really pretty useless for our bees and pollinating insects.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52I mean, they don't provide much food
0:01:52 > 0:01:55and they don't provide them with a habitat.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59But the plants we put in our city landscapes are becoming
0:01:59 > 0:02:01more important than ever,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04as our countryside has changed so massively.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08We've intensified farming to meet our demands for food,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11increased our dependence on pesticides and herbicides,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and now our insect pollinators are in crisis.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18But without them, many of our favourite five-a-day foods
0:02:18 > 0:02:21could disappear from the supermarket shelves.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Now, many scientists believe that the fundamental problem is
0:02:25 > 0:02:28that there's simply not enough food and habitat left.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42'For centuries, our wildflower meadows helped to feed
0:02:42 > 0:02:43'and support our insect pollinators.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46'But, sadly, it's estimated
0:02:46 > 0:02:51'that 98% of these landscapes have disappeared.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54'And now, they're a sight that's seldom seen.'
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Sitting in the middle of a flower meadow is just
0:03:02 > 0:03:05the most incredibly uplifting thing.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09The exuberance, the abundance, the colour, everything,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13you can't not feel jolly in the midst of it.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16And I think, on so many levels,
0:03:16 > 0:03:19it feels like a really, really lovely and good place to be.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24'But I'm not in the middle of the countryside.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'I'm right next to the heart of Leeds city centre.'
0:03:27 > 0:03:30And in this programme, I'm campaigning to bring
0:03:30 > 0:03:33modern meadows like this to our cities and urban parks
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and prove that they can support our insect pollinators,
0:03:36 > 0:03:41contribute to our health and well being, and can save us money too.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52This modern city meadow I'm surrounded by
0:03:52 > 0:03:57was designed by horticulturalist Professor Nigel Dunnett.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00He's spent the past two decades proving that,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02with the right kind of urban planting,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05you can have colourful displays that are also
0:04:05 > 0:04:10a magnet for bees, butterflies and all sorts of pollinating insects.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13In Sheffield, we've really developed a whole new approach,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15a new wave to public planting, if you like,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19mixing in non-natives and natives together
0:04:19 > 0:04:21to really heighten the visual display.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22That idea crosses boundaries.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25We can say all sorts of things about how wonderful for the environment it is,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27how great for wildlife it is,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31and that's all true, but for people it's the sheer and utter beauty.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Ecologically, I would say it's as good as any wildflower meadow
0:04:35 > 0:04:38you'd find in the countryside for supporting insects.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41In fact, it's probably better because it will flower for much longer.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44There's much more food resources for insects.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47And Nigel is as passionate as I am about bringing
0:04:47 > 0:04:51these landscapes to our cities, to support both our pollinators
0:04:51 > 0:04:54and increase our sense of well being.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55People say to me,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57"This is not the right place to put meadows like this,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00"they should be in the countryside, not the city,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03"and they'll just get damaged and people will just disrespect them."
0:05:03 > 0:05:06In fact, I can think of no better place to put them
0:05:06 > 0:05:09because there's a desperate need to have meadows like this.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12We need to get our bees back into cities.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15But, in a way, I think people in cities appreciate these far more
0:05:15 > 0:05:18than maybe in the countryside, because they are so desperately needed
0:05:18 > 0:05:23and they provide such a contrast to the everyday built surroundings.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28I've asked Nigel to help me on my campaign
0:05:28 > 0:05:31to support our struggling pollinators
0:05:31 > 0:05:33by bringing meadows right bang into the middle
0:05:33 > 0:05:35of all our cities across Britain.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40But my first hurdle is to win over the people
0:05:40 > 0:05:42who hold the purse-strings
0:05:42 > 0:05:45and make the decisions about how our urban landscapes look -
0:05:45 > 0:05:48the city council park departments.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53'To start, I've decided to take on Britain's
0:05:53 > 0:05:55'second biggest urban jungle,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57'with a reputation for concrete.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59'Birmingham.'
0:05:59 > 0:06:05Maybe we can persuade the guys here in Birmingham
0:06:05 > 0:06:08to get rid of endless grass, which is quite high-maintenance,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11and put in some really beautiful things.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15It would be much better for insect life.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19At the moment, Birmingham spends a whopping £19 million a year
0:06:19 > 0:06:22making all the city's green spaces and parks look nice.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25That means constant mowing of endless grass verges,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28the growing of over two million bedding plants a year,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32and employing contractors to water them all summer long.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36I'm here to try and convince you
0:06:36 > 0:06:38to take part in something that I think is one of the most
0:06:38 > 0:06:41exciting things I've ever been involved with.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44'Assembled before me are key members of the Birmingham Parks department
0:06:44 > 0:06:47'and sitting up front is Darren Share,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50'the acting Head of Parks, and the man I need to get on side.'
0:06:50 > 0:06:55If we could actually introduce these flowering plants,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58we'll get amazing wow factor and, on top of that,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01it's fantastically good for insects and biodiversity.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04'Everyone's listening to my enthusiasm politely,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07'but I'm not sure they're going to be keen to join in.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11'That's where I'm hoping that Nigel's expertise will help.'
0:07:11 > 0:07:13OK. Well, I'm going to show some pictures
0:07:13 > 0:07:15of our experience in Sheffield.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18We think we've really got it pretty much fail safe, pretty dependable.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22It's enhanced nature, which really gives you long term colour
0:07:22 > 0:07:26from the same space without you having to water it, or deadhead it
0:07:26 > 0:07:29or weed it or fertilize it or do anything for a whole season.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33'To help our pollinating insects, what I've come to propose
0:07:33 > 0:07:37'to Birmingham is that they replace some of the acres of mown grass
0:07:37 > 0:07:40'around the city with modern nectar-rich meadows
0:07:40 > 0:07:43'and that they change from highly bred bedding plants
0:07:43 > 0:07:45to nectar and pollen-rich flowers.'
0:07:45 > 0:07:49If we look at high profile city centre locations,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52you know, in Birmingham here, I'm not sure if it's still there,
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Birmingham Welcomes The World, but this is a few years ago.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Can we carry on doing this everywhere,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01as what we see as the height of horticultural craft
0:08:01 > 0:08:03in the public landscape?
0:08:03 > 0:08:06Putting bedding plants in where we have to feed them and fertilise them
0:08:06 > 0:08:09and deadhead them and grow them
0:08:09 > 0:08:13is extremely expensive and to use, you know, the modern terminology,
0:08:13 > 0:08:14it's not sustainable.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17'I'm sure that breaking away from their current tradition
0:08:17 > 0:08:19'of close mown grass
0:08:19 > 0:08:22'and bedding plants around the city is not going to happen overnight.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25'But overall, Darren Share, the acting Head of Parks,
0:08:25 > 0:08:27'seems open to change.'
0:08:27 > 0:08:29I think the biggest challenge is going to be
0:08:29 > 0:08:32shifting the cultural change in communities views
0:08:32 > 0:08:34of what we are actually doing,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and that's all about education and bringing them along with us.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40If we can convince Birmingham to do it in certain key places,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43you know, like down the middle of a dual carriageway,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47and what we think of as the countryside coming into the middle of an inner city.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49That's the thing that's so exciting.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Changing traditional attitudes towards city landscaping
0:08:52 > 0:08:54is not going to be an easy task.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57And getting cities to put the needs of our pollinators to the fore
0:08:57 > 0:09:00is a huge sea change.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04But I hope Darren will take a punt and back my campaign,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06as Nigel's meadows really work for pollinators and people alike
0:09:06 > 0:09:10and he and his colleagues have received world-wide acclaim
0:09:10 > 0:09:15for their meadows, winning them the ultimate, high-profile prize.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24At the 2012 Olympic Park in London, the whole approach to landscaping
0:09:24 > 0:09:27is coming from a completely different point of view.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32It's the largest city park to be built in over a century
0:09:32 > 0:09:36and will bring together all sorts of wildlife-friendly landscapes
0:09:36 > 0:09:39that will be seen by four billion people around the globe.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43I'm meeting up with John Hopkins, who's the guy in charge.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46I want to see if the Olympics could be the blueprint
0:09:46 > 0:09:49for the way we plant our cities in the future.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52This is about the challenges of the 21st century.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55We have climate change, we have resource depletion.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56We have all these challenges,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58we have to learn how to live differently.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00So sustainability is really at the heart of this park.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02So this is a working landscape that is not only
0:10:02 > 0:10:05great for people to come and enjoy
0:10:05 > 0:10:08in the traditional Victorian values of recreation and education,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10all of those, but particularly wildlife.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13We're really embedding wildlife as part of this park.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17So it's a complete creation of a natural environment,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19but totally artificially.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Totally artificially, and it's the biggest
0:10:21 > 0:10:24that's ever been created anywhere in the country.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27To tie in with the naturalistic feel of the Park,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29the Sheffield team are planning to sow
0:10:29 > 0:10:33over ten thousand square metres of annual and perennial meadows
0:10:33 > 0:10:35on what used to be industrial wasteland.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39We're in 2010 now, and the Games are not till 2012.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40The annuals, once you sow them,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42they should start to flower within two or three months,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45will finish flowering at the end of the summer and then will start again
0:10:45 > 0:10:47the following year and the year after that.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49So we're really able to use this year
0:10:49 > 0:10:54and next year as experiments to see how things do.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Creating a scheme that performs for people AND wildlife
0:10:58 > 0:11:02AND has a long flowering period is no easy task.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Most British wildflowers bloom early in the year,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08so Nigel has included foreign flower species which bloom later.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11So his display will last until the end of summer,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15and our native British pollinators will go wild for it.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19'But his colleague James has been set arguably the tougher challenge
0:11:19 > 0:11:22'of creating long term permanent meadows
0:11:22 > 0:11:25'using just British perennial wildflowers.'
0:11:25 > 0:11:29These are all perennials rather than annuals.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Yes, I mean, there's a few things
0:11:31 > 0:11:32just beginning to flower,
0:11:32 > 0:11:33but I mean, they'll flower
0:11:33 > 0:11:35pretty fantastically next year,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39so second year nearly everything flowers in a perennial meadow,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41but the first year is normally fairly sad, actually.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44And then, the year of the Olympics,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47well, we all hope, massive wow factor.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Oh, yeah. I mean, I...I, from what's here,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53all being well, I mean, this is going to look fantastic.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57'The perennial meadows will last for years long after the Games are over,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01'and be a fantastic habitat to support pollinating insects.'
0:12:01 > 0:12:05But most perennials take a year to establish and flower the year after,
0:12:05 > 0:12:11so I'll need to return in 12 months time to see its full impact.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13I can't think of anywhere else in the world
0:12:13 > 0:12:16where something like this is being done on such a big scale.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19For such a prominent high profile site to treat the main landscape
0:12:19 > 0:12:22with meadows like this is really innovative.
0:12:22 > 0:12:23And I think it should, we hope,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26lead the way forward to a whole new field of park design,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30which really is much more sustainable and exciting, I think.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35If it's good enough for the Olympics,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37it should be good enough for all of us.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39And it's this approach that I want to take to cities
0:12:39 > 0:12:43right across the country.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46But for now, back in Birmingham, I have my first big win.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48The council have given me the thumbs up,
0:12:48 > 0:12:53so we're off on a tour around the city to identify potential sites.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59Like many city centres, Birmingham's got its share of scrubby grassland
0:12:59 > 0:13:04tucked between ring-roads, walkways and dual carriageways.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Little for insect pollinators and little to look at.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Darren will be backing a one-year trial of my campaign
0:13:10 > 0:13:14to see if it can work pleasing people and insects alike.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17And these places are top of his hit list.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19In just a few months, these could be the sites
0:13:19 > 0:13:23for new areas of modern pollinator-friendly meadow planting.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25This is one of the main areas into Birmingham.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29We've got about 331 of these baskets, all the way up there.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32If everyone loves it, then maybe we can even get rid of the hanging baskets.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36We are doing it in conjunction this year, but next year it'll be maintenance money
0:13:36 > 0:13:39that would decide on the top baskets or would fund a further expansion.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40With lots of other...
0:13:40 > 0:13:44I mean, I think to have something more naturalistic will work really, really well.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- So I think you've chosen very good spots for us.- That's good!
0:13:47 > 0:13:50So when can we start?
0:13:50 > 0:13:54But as well as introducing areas of pollinator-friendly meadows,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56I also want to challenge Darren about the types of plants
0:13:56 > 0:13:59he uses across the city in his flower displays.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02What comes after the polyanthus for the summer bedding here?
0:14:02 > 0:14:05A lot of geraniums and begonias,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08traditional high colour, high impact.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11OK, because begonias and geraniums,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13much as people love them,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16- the insects don't, sadly. - No, they don't.- No.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- They're great in a drought though! That's what I like.- Ha-ha-ha!
0:14:21 > 0:14:24The problem with many of our bedding plants is that
0:14:24 > 0:14:26through years of breeding and development,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28we've concentrated on showiness and colour
0:14:28 > 0:14:31at the expense of the stuff the insects need,
0:14:31 > 0:14:33which is nectar and pollen.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Begonias and bedding geraniums might look colourful,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41but they contain precious little food for pollinating insects.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45This garden is a little bit of a jewel in the city centre...crown, really.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49You've got a mix of formal and informal planting throughout,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and the idea is that we look at one of these beds,
0:14:52 > 0:14:53and we offer that to you.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Well, that's great!
0:14:55 > 0:14:57- A bit of a plant off.- Good.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01'This really is a brilliant boost for my campaign.'
0:15:01 > 0:15:03As well as a trial of meadow planting,
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Darren is letting me loose in the City Centre Gardens,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10to see if I can come up with a pollinator-friendly display
0:15:10 > 0:15:13that pleases both people and insects alike.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Which bed is the one that I can get my hands on?
0:15:15 > 0:15:16You can pick either one,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19but whether you want this one that's in full sun, and...
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Oh, yeah, I'd like the better one, please.
0:15:22 > 0:15:23Yeah, well, we'll do that!
0:15:23 > 0:15:24I don't want trees in mine!
0:15:24 > 0:15:27- I want annuals, they like lots of sun.- Absolutely.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Oh, well, that's very exciting.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Will you help me?
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- I'm going to measure it, I think, and draw it.- OK. All right.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35- Here we go.- Thank you.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38'We're going to compare two beds right in the heart of Birmingham,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41'in a park seen by hundreds of people everyday.'
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Darren will design one bed using his traditional bedding plants
0:15:47 > 0:15:48and I'll design the other
0:15:48 > 0:15:52using a colourful range of pollinator-friendly flowers.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56'I want to prove to Darren that a bedding display can look
0:15:56 > 0:16:00'colourful and exciting but can also support bees, butterflies
0:16:00 > 0:16:04'and pollinating insects if you choose the right flowers.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05'And then, in a few months time,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08we'll put them both to a public vote.'
0:16:14 > 0:16:18The changes I'm proposing across Birmingham will test
0:16:18 > 0:16:21the traditional outlook of both Darren and his team.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25He's in charge of 400 groundsmen, 20 nursery staff, and a staggering
0:16:25 > 0:16:3129 million square metres of grass that needs mowing every fortnight.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33- Are you all right, Steve?- Yeah, not bad.- Great.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35How is it going with this new piece of equipment?
0:16:35 > 0:16:38A lot better than the older machines.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41'It's taken me 25 years to get to this position.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44'It gives an opportunity to try things different,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46'to be a bit more creative
0:16:46 > 0:16:48'and actually make a mark on the service.'
0:16:48 > 0:16:52And to be Head of that service is pinnacle of the career, really.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00My first priority is to make sure I've got Darren on board,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04so he can then encourage change amongst his team.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07To get some inspiration, I'm sending Darren to Sheffield
0:17:07 > 0:17:12to see some of the modern annual meadows that Nigel originally developed
0:17:12 > 0:17:15and have been sown successively every year for a decade.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21OK, Darren, so here we are. What do you think?
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Wow, what can I say? It's fantastic, isn't it?
0:17:23 > 0:17:26What a difference. You can see where the mowing is being done all the way there.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29And then, you've got this riot of colour right in the middle of a housing estate.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Exactly, what a difference from the sort of lifelessness of the mown grass.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36This is full of insects and bees, I mean, it's buzzing.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38That's the first thing that hit me, really,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40the actual wildlife, the bees, cos I've never seen
0:17:40 > 0:17:43so many bees in such a very small space.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46It looks fantastic now. It's been flowering for about six weeks,
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and again, if you look closer, there's lots of seed heads of things which are finished.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52There's lots of poppies in here, for example.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54So three or four weeks ago,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57this would have been pink and red, and a bit of white.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59And now, it's blue and white.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01And we've got a lot of other things coming through
0:18:01 > 0:18:04for later in the summer - rebeccias and coreopsis.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08So for an end of April sowing, this is just left alone, pretty much,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10till, really, till the winter, and it just does its own thing.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13It looks fantastic and there's plenty of places that we can,
0:18:13 > 0:18:15we can replicate this in Birmingham,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18exactly the same type of land that we've got,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22that we traditionally don't know really what to do with,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and we've either left it alone or tried to close mow it.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Well, presumably, you know, if you're having to mow this
0:18:28 > 0:18:30once every one, two, three weeks,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34that's a lot of effort, a lot of energy, a lot of money.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Whereas, if you take it all out of being mown,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39it's great looking, but also it's got all the wildlife, I mean.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Well, we'll have a go and see what we can do.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46It's late spring, and the trials are under way,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49and Darren's team are preparing to
0:18:49 > 0:18:54transform dull verges into corridors for insect-friendly flowers.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57All of the modern-meadow seed will produce easy-maintenance plants
0:18:57 > 0:19:01that won't need to be deadheaded or watered through the summer.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03And if done on a large scale across the city,
0:19:03 > 0:19:07it could help to save some of the £19 million
0:19:07 > 0:19:09that Darren currently spends every year
0:19:09 > 0:19:11on Birmingham's parks and green spaces.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19'So whilst the Birmingham team wait for their urban meadows to grow,
0:19:19 > 0:19:23'I'm going to try out a range of colourful pollinator-friendly meadow mixes at home
0:19:23 > 0:19:28'and discover just how easy it is to grow and establish them for myself.'
0:19:28 > 0:19:30We've got two annual mixes,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33one is sort of delicious, lovely, soft floaty colours,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and corn poppies
0:19:35 > 0:19:37and bishop's flower and things like that, so that's that one.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40And then, I've got a really kind of sweetie,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43old-fashioned sweetie colour mix, which is called the Candy Mix.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46And it is, it's got pinks and yellows and blues,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49and purples, it's a really, really colourful one.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52And then, I've got two perennials as well,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55one is a woodland edge mix, and that's going to go...
0:19:55 > 0:19:59there's just one bit of the garden that's a bit shady under an oak tree,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02so I thought that would be ideal for that, and then I've got purple haze.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05They're both perennial, so they won't do as much, of course,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07as the annuals this year.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10These are going to give me absolute wow factor this summer,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12but these will give me a bit this summer,
0:20:12 > 0:20:14but then loads and loads next summer.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18These meadow seed mixes have been carefully developed
0:20:18 > 0:20:20using British cornfield wildflowers
0:20:20 > 0:20:25combined with wild flowers from around the world that flower much later.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27This results in a meadow with a much longer flowering season,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30and provides insect pollinators with a pollen and nectar flow
0:20:30 > 0:20:32from spring right through to autumn.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35They aren't an exact science and the great thing is
0:20:35 > 0:20:38you can experiment yourself and make your own
0:20:38 > 0:20:41by mixing seed packets from the garden centre.
0:20:41 > 0:20:47Just for the sake of completeness, I want to have a control.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49And so, what I did yesterday is
0:20:49 > 0:20:51I just went to the garden centre and I picked up
0:20:51 > 0:20:55genuine British native wildflowers, cos these aren't.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58These are Nigel's, sort of, in a way, rather evolved,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01refined, non-native,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04but meadow-esque flowers.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07But the control is just all these delicious things,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09corn poppies, corn marigold, corncockle.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14And my theory and his is that this will go over quickly,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17but this will give me a fantastic show for twice as long,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and this will give me a bit of show this year and more show next year.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26All of the seeds are equally fiddly to handle,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30so the easiest way to sow them is to mix them with something.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34I've used two grams of seed to a jam jar of sand,
0:21:34 > 0:21:38and that amount should cover one square metre of ground.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45I've just taken the turf off these four strips.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48One strip is going to be down to perennials,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50the three other strips are going to be each of the annual mixes.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54I've just rotivated with a bit of sand, grit and compost
0:21:54 > 0:21:57because you need a fine tilth to get an even germination,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00and on my heavy soil that's really quite important.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03And now, I'm just raking it over and then literally now,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06I'm ready to sow, so I'm just going to get going.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08It's a beautiful day, couldn't be better.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20All going well, it erm...
0:22:20 > 0:22:24should be in full bloom ten weeks, I think, I'm hoping.
0:22:24 > 0:22:25And erm...
0:22:25 > 0:22:29And will then bloom for many, many, many, many weeks,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32if not months.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35'But as well as the benefits to pollinating insects,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38'recent studies suggest that when sown in urban areas,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42'modern meadows can help to encourage civic pride
0:22:42 > 0:22:46'and can also have a positive effect on anti-social behaviour.'
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Darren wants to see whether he can help enhance a community
0:22:53 > 0:22:56by sowing modern meadows around a collection of tower blocks
0:22:56 > 0:22:58in Birmingham's city centre.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Thanks for coming out tonight. They idea of today
0:23:01 > 0:23:04is just to tell you about a project that we're involved with at the moment,
0:23:04 > 0:23:09and our aim is to try and get more insect-loving plants right into the heart of the city.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13And when we was looking at various sites around the city centre,
0:23:13 > 0:23:14this is an ideal spot.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18What we need to do is identify the plants that you're interested in,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22and work with you as a group to actually make something that you want.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26I'm really encouraged by how enthused Darren is about the meadows.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31Jean Varney is the chairwoman of the all important residents association
0:23:31 > 0:23:35and a pivotal force for Darren to get on board.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38And she seems to be picking up on his enthusiasm.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41We could have a butterfly farm as well!
0:23:41 > 0:23:42HE LAUGHS
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Now I'm getting ridiculous.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Whilst Darren's busy enthusing the residents of Civic Close,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50it's time for me to plan my pollinator-friendly flower bed
0:23:50 > 0:23:54for the city park, and I've got a lot to prove.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59'I'm designing my display to compete with Darren's traditional bedding.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02'It's got to have real wow factor,'
0:24:02 > 0:24:05but also mine has got to look good for ages,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07and that's a big challenge because the bedding does,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11but most importantly, mine's got to be insect-interesting.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16So one of the main things that I thought that I would add
0:24:16 > 0:24:19are some tepees, with some lovely climbers.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21The height extends out into the bed,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24so you've got a second dimension.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26But I've put a banker for insects in which is a runner bean.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30And I hope you see that Darren won't have thought of climbers.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32So, you see, I might be one up on him on that.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36And then, the other plants that I'm going for in the display
0:24:36 > 0:24:39are a lot of single dahlias.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41You know, if you don't get a frost,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43they can flower into December in an urban situation.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46And then, I thought really complimentary to that
0:24:46 > 0:24:51is the most lovely cosmos, and I know the insects love cosmos too.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Then I just need to balance that a bit with a bit of green,
0:24:54 > 0:24:55so I've got zinnia envy.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58I often see butterflies on zinnias here.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01And what I thought is, if I sort of thread a river
0:25:01 > 0:25:03right the way through,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06the bed of verbena bonariensis and the insects love it,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10it's always, always covered in butterflies.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14So I think that's visually and biodiversity wise,
0:25:14 > 0:25:15I reckon,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17I reckon I'm onto a winner here.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Darren has agreed to grow my new range of plants
0:25:26 > 0:25:28in the nursery in Birmingham,
0:25:28 > 0:25:30so I've put the final list with packets of seed and tubers
0:25:30 > 0:25:32in a box and sent it to him.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38And whilst he and his team get their heads round
0:25:38 > 0:25:41growing my selection of pollinator-friendly plants,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44I'm lending a helping hand with the Civic Close meadow project
0:25:44 > 0:25:46by sending Jean and her residents committee
0:25:46 > 0:25:49to visit some city meadows in Liverpool.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54I hope this will encourage them
0:25:54 > 0:26:00to agree to his suggestion of sowing a modern meadow around their homes.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Much better to look at that than look at grass and get depressed,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05looking at the same green grass all the time.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Oh, yeah, and this does change at different periods of the year.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Yeah.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Keith Hassle, a local resident, was involved at the very beginning
0:26:13 > 0:26:15in getting the project off the ground,
0:26:15 > 0:26:16and I'm hoping he'll persuade Jean
0:26:16 > 0:26:18that meadows in Birmingham could look amazing,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21attract lots of beautiful insects
0:26:21 > 0:26:24AND even help to calm anti-social behaviour.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28But it's lovely with the erm...cornflowers,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30the way they pop up because
0:26:30 > 0:26:32they really do make a difference.
0:26:32 > 0:26:33I think if you've got a mixture,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36it makes a difference and the wildlife actually come to it.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38If you look as you're walking round,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40if you look at the amount of bees here,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43there's supposed to be a shortage of bees in this country.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46With these thistles, these are ideal for butterflies as well.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Do you get a lot of butterflies?
0:26:48 > 0:26:52The difference now is that everyone has got involved and it's the wildlife,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56but the amount of butterflies that come in here now is unbelievable.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59- Is that a peacock butterfly. Oh, wow!- Oh, a peacock!
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- Isn't that beautiful? - Absolutely fantastic, that.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04It's so impressive, the colours on it.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- It is, isn't it. - Well spotted.- Beautiful.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09That just proves a point of what you can get if you put the likes of this
0:27:09 > 0:27:12in a local community.
0:27:12 > 0:27:13I mean, you take the countryside
0:27:13 > 0:27:17out of the country and plonk it into the middle of a housing estate.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21It's the local residents who plant this meadow every year.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23The charity Landlife invites them to come along and help
0:27:23 > 0:27:25sow the seeds in early spring,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28so the whole community feels deeply involved.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Did you have any resistance from people when you first set it up?
0:27:35 > 0:27:36We did have a few people saying,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38"What the hell is the point of it?"
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Well, ours is we need to deal with anti-social behaviour!
0:27:40 > 0:27:43That's more important than gardens.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Anti-social behaviour, that brings you to the fact that
0:27:45 > 0:27:48if you're on board in the community and they're out here doing something
0:27:48 > 0:27:50and they're not out vandalising things and stuff like that.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54The likes of this, you're educating the kids from a young age, you see.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57But can something as simple as sowing wild flower meadows
0:27:57 > 0:28:00really inspire community spirit in inner city Birmingham,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04or is Jean going to have a real battle on her hands?
0:28:04 > 0:28:08It's time for a catch up to find out how things are progressing.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10- Hello!- Hello, lovely to see you.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Gosh, it's so lovely.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16From the people that are totally committed, great,
0:28:16 > 0:28:18but there're other people saying,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21"Why don't you get something done about the anti-social behaviour?
0:28:21 > 0:28:24"Forget about the gardens, that's a waste of time."
0:28:24 > 0:28:28But in Liverpool, they said that some of the anti-social problems
0:28:28 > 0:28:33had been quite reduced because there are more people out,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35looking and walking around the flowers.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38I really learned a lot from the Liverpool experience.
0:28:38 > 0:28:39Oh, did you?
0:28:39 > 0:28:42I didn't know what to expect.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46It was so lovely to see that huge mass.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50It was almost an acre of corn marigold with the odd
0:28:50 > 0:28:53little blue cornflower.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55Well, I'd love to give you some help,
0:28:55 > 0:28:58and I'd love to come back next year and see how you're getting on.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01- Oh, I hope you will.- Is that possible?- I hope you will.- Good.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05And I hope that when you do come back, it will be a show.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07All singing, all dancing wildflowers.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10'The visit to Liverpool really paid off,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13'and Jean and the Civic Close residents committee are now totally on board.'
0:29:13 > 0:29:15And Darren and his team have agreed to sow some meadows
0:29:15 > 0:29:18around the tower blocks next spring,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22another great win for my campaign in Birmingham.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24But over at the Council nurseries,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27the amount of plants being grown for my pollinator-friendly display
0:29:27 > 0:29:29is beginning to cause some worry.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34My main concern is still the number of plants.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36Our bed...which is the opposite side,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39which is relatively the same size,
0:29:39 > 0:29:40we're putting 25 plants per square metre,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44so we're looking at just over a thousand geraniums.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46She's putting, I think it's three per square metre,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51so you're in the low couple of hundreds rather than the thousands.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54But that's just my point.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58I'm sure there are enough plants for the pollinator-friendly display to work,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01and using fewer plants per bed across the city
0:30:01 > 0:30:02could save thousands of pounds
0:30:02 > 0:30:06and support thousands of pollinators too.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Four weeks later, and I'm glad I held my nerve.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Things are looking up,
0:30:15 > 0:30:20my bee and butterfly-friendly plants have filled out and romped away,
0:30:20 > 0:30:21and are ready to be planted out now
0:30:21 > 0:30:25and get established before the public vote.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29As we've tried to do it we've kept it very,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32very traditional, so we've got mixed geraniums,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36pinks, reds and salmons, really.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Cineraria 'silver dust' going round the edge,
0:30:39 > 0:30:42and, er, we've inter planted it with verbena
0:30:42 > 0:30:44cos that's the thing that we do traditional,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47And then, to try and solve the problems with the pines,
0:30:47 > 0:30:49we've put some small dicksonia in.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53And we've got some dot plants of cannas going through,
0:30:53 > 0:30:55so it's very low level,
0:30:55 > 0:30:59but something you'd find in most of the parks in Birmingham.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Darren's gone for a familiar bedding scheme
0:31:01 > 0:31:04that guarantees instant impact.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07In contrast, I've used plants of different heights
0:31:07 > 0:31:11and I've given the team the task of planting them up
0:31:11 > 0:31:13with a bit of help from my three-dimensional plan.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15It's very elaborate.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19We don't normally deal with this...
0:31:19 > 0:31:20this level of detail,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23which is great, as you can see,
0:31:23 > 0:31:27we're quite 'chuck it in the ground', really.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29But in the end, it will be a question
0:31:29 > 0:31:32of whether people prefer the classic carpet bedding effect,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35or a mixture of flowering plants which also support bees,
0:31:35 > 0:31:40butterflies and pollinating insects that changes through the season.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46I hope she's happy with what we've done.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Darren and I are in friendly competition
0:31:48 > 0:31:51with our two flower beds in the city centre.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54But in other projects around the town
0:31:54 > 0:31:56he's taking a punt and following my lead.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58And I'm hoping, if successful,
0:31:58 > 0:32:02these projects might help secure his future.
0:32:02 > 0:32:07'My secondment, it officially runs out in July,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11'so it will either end in July and I'll revert to my old job
0:32:11 > 0:32:13'or I'll carry on acting.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15'That decision hasn't been made yet.'
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Making a success of this project helps!
0:32:20 > 0:32:22But the trial meadow areas around the city may not be
0:32:22 > 0:32:25top of his achievements this season.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30It's been two months since the Parks Department
0:32:30 > 0:32:32started their meadow trials,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35but despite their best efforts, the elements have been against them.
0:32:35 > 0:32:40An early drought in spring brought germination of the flower seed to a standstill,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42and on an area of steep bank,
0:32:42 > 0:32:46the seed was then washed away by flash downpours.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49On top of that, there's been an invasion of weed seedlings
0:32:49 > 0:32:53which have completely taken over in a number of the meadow areas.
0:32:53 > 0:32:58So, at the moment, it looks like it could be a total disaster.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04But, thankfully, I've been luckier back at home.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09I've sown two different modern meadows, which are called
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Pastel Annual mix and Candy Annual mix,
0:33:11 > 0:33:13and I'm comparing them to a more traditional mixture
0:33:13 > 0:33:16of purely British cornfield wildflowers.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19I want to see which of them have the longest display,
0:33:19 > 0:33:22and which our pollinating insects love the most.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28To be honest, about a month ago we had a drought
0:33:28 > 0:33:31and it was a really difficult year.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33But since, we've had drenching rain for a few days,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36they've really come on and they look lovely.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53All three, as I'm sitting here,
0:33:53 > 0:33:57are completely teeming with pollinating insects.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59I mean, there are so many hoverflies here,
0:33:59 > 0:34:03there are honeybees, there are bumblebees.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05You know, everywhere I look is alive,
0:34:05 > 0:34:09as soon as the sun comes out, with flying insects.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12It really is fantastic.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24What is really noticeable is the ones that we bought,
0:34:24 > 0:34:27which were native wildflowers from the garden centre,
0:34:27 > 0:34:30have done really well in the end.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33They took longer to get going, but they now look lovely.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36But I'd say there's not much bud there.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38So I guess, what I sort of expected,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41which is our native British wildflowers,
0:34:41 > 0:34:44quite a lot of them don't have a long season.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47This pastel annual mix is definitely my favourite.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51The first flush of flowers comes from the ammi,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54the corn poppies and the cornflowers,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57and they've looked fantastic for weeks,
0:34:57 > 0:35:00but really crucially there's lots of cosmos coming through now,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03and that I know is going to give me lots, lots more weeks,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06even months of flowering.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08The one behind that, which is the Candy annual mix,
0:35:08 > 0:35:10is brighter and zingey-er,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13and has got some toadflax in there,
0:35:13 > 0:35:15which I know is going to give me length of flowering.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17So you do get the impact
0:35:17 > 0:35:20and you do get the longevity.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22So they definitely win my vote.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26And it looks like they get the vote from our pollinating insects too,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29so this really is something I'd encourage everyone to do,
0:35:29 > 0:35:33even in just a corner of a garden, or in a window box.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38But at the other end of the scale,
0:35:38 > 0:35:42the extensive annual flower meadow trial
0:35:42 > 0:35:44is also coming into bloom at the Olympic park.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46So I'm meeting up with Nigel Dunnet
0:35:46 > 0:35:48to see how his specially formulated Olympic mix
0:35:48 > 0:35:51will look in the run up to the Games.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58Is this the annual mix that you're kind of refining to have
0:35:58 > 0:36:00absolutely perfect for the Olympics?
0:36:00 > 0:36:02It is, I mean, we've got the chance to really experiment with this
0:36:02 > 0:36:05and, as we walk along, we're really looking at time travel,
0:36:05 > 0:36:07because these were sown at different times.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11So we can get a feeling for what it's going to look like throughout the Games.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14So this area here was sown the last in early June,
0:36:14 > 0:36:18so we're actually getting a sense of what is going to look like really before the Games open.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20And things are just starting to come into flower.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22The main point is that it will change colour,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25so it's got to look good maybe for two or three weeks before the Games,
0:36:25 > 0:36:27when there will be a lot visitors.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30- It's got to look special on opening day.- Yes.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33And it's got to last for two weeks while the Games are on,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36but then when the Paralympics are on afterwards, it's still got to look good.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39And it's very, very dense the planting, you know the sowing, isn't it?
0:36:39 > 0:36:42It's much more dense than you'd ever plant in the garden,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44but that's the whole point for the meadow-like look,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46in that the traditional way of planting your annuals
0:36:46 > 0:36:49is at equal distances so each one will produce lots of flowers.
0:36:49 > 0:36:50Yes.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53- Whereas here, we're probably getting one or two flowers off each plant. - OK.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55We've got hundreds of them in the same space,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58so we're still getting probably more flower power
0:36:58 > 0:37:00- from the same amount of space by doing it this way.- Yeah.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06'It's hard to judge exactly from the time line'
0:37:06 > 0:37:09what the overall effect will be in the run up to the Games.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13But the final bed has a real surprise in store.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21This test area was one of the first to be sown,
0:37:21 > 0:37:26and so now represents what all the Olympic annual meadows will look like
0:37:26 > 0:37:29as the Games come to a close.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Oh, my God! That is just incredible!
0:37:32 > 0:37:35I can't believe it, I'm absolutely stunned and flabbergasted
0:37:35 > 0:37:38because this is exactly how I wanted it to look.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41I was expecting to see it looking great,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44but this exceeds everything I could have imagined. It's absolutely amazing.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47It really is truly amazing.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51And so, this is how it will look at which particular moment?
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Well, it will actually look like this at the end of the Games,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57because we're looking at it now at the equivalent in two years time
0:37:57 > 0:37:59of when the Games will be finishing on the Final Day.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02So the closing ceremony, all the awards and everything,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05this how it will be, and it's exactly what I wanted it to be,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08but, you know, it's been looking great from the opening day,
0:38:08 > 0:38:12from two weeks ago it looked like this, and so this is total success.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16Well, it really is, and it's the same seed mix as the one we've just looked at.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Yes, I mean, this is the amazing thing about the way this is formulated.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22- It changes, it develops, it evolves.- Yeah.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24It gets better and better and better.
0:38:24 > 0:38:25And actually, as I look into here,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28there's probably still a month left for this to carry on.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29There's much more to come.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32'The Olympic meadow trials are well on track,
0:38:32 > 0:38:37'but I wonder if the same can be said for the projects in Birmingham.'
0:38:37 > 0:38:40It's been a few months since I sent Darren the seeds
0:38:40 > 0:38:42and the plan for my pollinator-friendly bed,
0:38:42 > 0:38:46but I'm excited by the prospect of what it could look like now.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48I haven't seen it in reality at all.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51So that's, that's something I'm really looking forward to.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54But also, of course, I want to win.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59And I want to beat the Council, so that then, hopefully,
0:38:59 > 0:39:01they'll listen to me about
0:39:01 > 0:39:05some other tweaks and changes that we might get in place for next year
0:39:05 > 0:39:08in the types of plants that they're choosing.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11So it's a really...it's really important, I think,
0:39:11 > 0:39:13because if we can get Birmingham to change their attitude,
0:39:13 > 0:39:18then we can get loads of other big cities too.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21It's decision-day, and Darren and I will be asking the public
0:39:21 > 0:39:26to cast their votes for their favourite flower bed.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Will they prefer Darren's traditional bright bed of bedding pelargoniums,
0:39:32 > 0:39:36or THIS BED, my alternative bee and butterfly-friendly display.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43That's fantastic, I love the contrast
0:39:43 > 0:39:46of the feathery foliage
0:39:46 > 0:39:49of the cosmos with the darker foliage of the dahlias,
0:39:49 > 0:39:51that looks fantastic.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53And I love the heights of the beans.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58And so, maintenance wise, has it been more expensive or more tricky or...?
0:39:58 > 0:39:59It's been a bit more tricky.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02We've had people go through it,
0:40:02 > 0:40:04but actually where people have gone through
0:40:04 > 0:40:08and you can see what walkways through, it doesn't look too bad at all.
0:40:08 > 0:40:09- It doesn't look too bad, does it? - No.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Good! Well, can we look at yours?
0:40:11 > 0:40:12Yeah, OK.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Well, I can see it from here. It's very colourful!
0:40:15 > 0:40:17Completely different,
0:40:17 > 0:40:20this is traditional mixed geraniums,
0:40:20 > 0:40:22we've got verbenas running through,
0:40:22 > 0:40:24cineraria silver dust around the edge,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27and we've tried even to put ferns underneath the pines,
0:40:27 > 0:40:31but even them, they've been struggling with that.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34And is this what you've done year in year out, sort of thing?
0:40:34 > 0:40:40Yes, this is what we do year in year out throughout the city, really.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42'We'll be asking lunchtime visitors
0:40:42 > 0:40:44'which flower bed they prefer and why.'
0:40:44 > 0:40:45- Hello!- Hello!
0:40:45 > 0:40:47- Hello!- Hello!
0:40:47 > 0:40:50'And I'm really interested to see if anyone spots that my display
0:40:50 > 0:40:54'is much more attractive to insect pollinators.'
0:40:54 > 0:40:56We've done two different planting schemes.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00We want to take you to them and just see which one you prefer.
0:41:00 > 0:41:01This is the first bed, on your right.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04And this is bed two, down here.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07This seems to me like a wild garden.
0:41:07 > 0:41:08It's much more informal.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11This is much more structured.
0:41:11 > 0:41:12This is the one I prefer.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Yes!
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Yes, I've seen several beds like this.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21- Oh, it's got bees on it.- Don't you like bees?- You don't like bees.- No.
0:41:21 > 0:41:22I'm not sure.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24I think I prefer that one,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26because it's like different to the ones that you usually see.
0:41:26 > 0:41:27That one is very common.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29I prefer that one,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31cos it's got more colour in it.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34We think we're going to get a male-female divide slightly.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36We need some more males!
0:41:36 > 0:41:37THEY LAUGH
0:41:37 > 0:41:39You need to go into the streets and find some more men.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41So you'd give a vote to both.
0:41:41 > 0:41:42- I would. Yes.- And what about you?
0:41:42 > 0:41:44I think I'll go for this one.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48It's not my personal taste, it's too formal for me.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52I mean, this is very nice, but probably pricey.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54It's probably easy to maintain, but no.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56Oh, it's not looking good for you.
0:41:56 > 0:41:57You better go and get some men.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00It looks a little bit weedy and not that nice,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02compared to the other one, it's more attractive.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05With the colours and everything, I think it's a bit more vibrant.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07- This is getting more interesting. - Yeah.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11- It is definitely a male/female... - It is, isn't it?
0:42:12 > 0:42:14This is much more interesting.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16I'd see something like that on a roundabout.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20- What would you say?- I think this one is nice, cos I like the fact that there are lots of different colours.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21I prefer this one as well.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24- What about you?- I like this one.
0:42:24 > 0:42:25Do you? Why?
0:42:25 > 0:42:27Cos it's PINK!
0:42:28 > 0:42:31So the visitors seem to be choosing my selection of plants.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34But has anyone spotted that my flower bed
0:42:34 > 0:42:37is alive with pollinators,
0:42:37 > 0:42:38whereas the traditional carpet bedding
0:42:38 > 0:42:40has almost no insect visitors at all?
0:42:40 > 0:42:42I like the other one!
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- So you think there more bees on that one than this one?- Yeah.
0:42:45 > 0:42:46Do you think there are more or less?
0:42:46 > 0:42:48More bees on this one than on that one.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50I think there's more on that bed.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52That's a big fat bee.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Definitely, there's more bees on the other one.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Well, that's three more for me and only one more for you.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04Yeah, but mine was very...very passionate about my bed.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06He was, he really loved your bed.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08So much so that even though this bed
0:43:08 > 0:43:11was absolutely humming with a thousand bees,
0:43:11 > 0:43:13wasps and hoverflies, he wasn't having any of it!
0:43:13 > 0:43:16He wasn't, no. We need some more like that.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23I'm really pleased that my pollinator-friendly flower bed
0:43:23 > 0:43:25has won the public vote.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27And although it's clear to me that my plants are far more
0:43:27 > 0:43:31attractive to pollinators than Darren's bedding pelargoniums,
0:43:31 > 0:43:34at the University of Sussex, a new research project
0:43:34 > 0:43:36aims to compare the attractiveness
0:43:36 > 0:43:41of a varied range of popular flowering plants to our pollinators.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45So what we've got here is, we're comparing 32 different varieties
0:43:45 > 0:43:47of summer flowering garden plants
0:43:47 > 0:43:50to see how good they are for bees and other insects.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52And the reason why we're studying summer flowering varieties
0:43:52 > 0:43:56is our other work decoding the honeybee dances shows that
0:43:56 > 0:43:59summer is a tough time for bees to find flowers.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01And the general idea is not to compare every variety.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03We could never do that.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05But to see the general variation which exists.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09And indeed, there's at least a hundred-fold variation
0:44:09 > 0:44:14among species and varieties and how good they are at attracting insects.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17Prof Ratneiks' team have found that in the months of July and August,
0:44:17 > 0:44:20when most of our crops and wildflowers have finished flowering,
0:44:20 > 0:44:24our honeybees are foraging further into our towns and cities to find food,
0:44:24 > 0:44:28but some plants are much more useful to them than others.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31If we take this plant, which I'm sure you're familiar with, pelargonium,
0:44:31 > 0:44:34it's a very attractive garden plant.
0:44:34 > 0:44:35But the bees hardly visit it.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39- So you could say that it's practically devoid of interest to insects.- I can see.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42- Whereas here, we've got a variety of lavender.- Yes.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44And this would be a hundred times more attractive.
0:44:44 > 0:44:49And how do you actually measure insect visits?
0:44:49 > 0:44:53Well, we walk around these patches and we stop at a patch
0:44:53 > 0:44:54and we take a snapshot,
0:44:54 > 0:44:58so we sort of instantaneously count how many insects.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01- So, on this patch, there might be, I can see, two hoverflies at the moment.- Right.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05And we just repeat that literally hundreds of times.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07- And then you average them out. - Exactly.
0:45:07 > 0:45:12And we have to do it from the whole blooming season of each variety here,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15- for example, you can see a dahlia which is in the form of a pompom. - Yes.
0:45:15 > 0:45:20- And that won't be as attractive as this dahlia here which has a more open flower.- Yes.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22Because, in breeding this shape,
0:45:22 > 0:45:25unfortunately they bred out what the insects are looking for,
0:45:25 > 0:45:28which, of course, it's the central parts of the flower.
0:45:28 > 0:45:33- Which contain the nectaries and the nectar.- Nectar and pollen, yes.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35'This research is in its early stages,
0:45:35 > 0:45:38'but I think it will prove that if we change the bedding displays in our cities,
0:45:38 > 0:45:40'just like I've done in Birmingham,
0:45:40 > 0:45:42'there's potential to make them
0:45:42 > 0:45:45'a hundred times more friendly to pollinators.'
0:45:48 > 0:45:49But Back in Birmingham,
0:45:49 > 0:45:52as well as changing the plants in the bedding displays,
0:45:52 > 0:45:56I want to bring pollinator-friendly meadows to the city.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59But this year the seed beds have struggled to perform.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02Best of the bunch, is an area of central reservation
0:46:02 > 0:46:04managing a modest show.
0:46:04 > 0:46:08- This side shows there's true potential in what we're doing.- Yeah, definitely.
0:46:08 > 0:46:13The first issue was we were late sowing, didn't get sown till the 6th of June,
0:46:13 > 0:46:15and then straight after the 6th of June,
0:46:15 > 0:46:18we probably had the best sun we've had for a long time.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20We had a drought.
0:46:20 > 0:46:21We had a big drought.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24We brought the baskets out the same time,
0:46:24 > 0:46:26we always bring the baskets out that time,
0:46:26 > 0:46:30and so we start watering the baskets and trying to water the seed as well.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33And the actual central reservation has got a natural camber,
0:46:33 > 0:46:36so I think, while we are watering the baskets, because we tend to water going down,
0:46:36 > 0:46:38we washed the majority of our seed off.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40So a really big learning curve.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42Yeah, definitely, it shows there's true potential in it,
0:46:42 > 0:46:45the plants are giving the colour, giving the colour.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47They're not flopping about,
0:46:47 > 0:46:50they're holding their own in a very hostile environment.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53And so, will you do it in more places next year?
0:46:53 > 0:46:57Yeah, yeah. We're going to try and do it in bigger areas.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02Although Darren seems keen, when I see the roadside meadow,
0:47:02 > 0:47:05it looks like a no man's land between the old and the new.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07A short timid strip of modern meadow
0:47:07 > 0:47:10with the traditional bedding above it.
0:47:10 > 0:47:11I think he's torn between the two,
0:47:11 > 0:47:15and it feels like my campaign is in the balance in Birmingham.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19So to encourage Darren and his team not to lose heart,
0:47:19 > 0:47:22I've sent them to Leeds, to see some meadows sown on a grand scale.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25I really hope this will inspire them
0:47:25 > 0:47:29to be bold with their meadow planting next year.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31I didn't realise it'd look at nice as this.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34Well, this is...really colourful.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40If you take a close look at that bed over there,
0:47:40 > 0:47:45the amount different bees in it is fantastic. Every other flower has a bee on it.
0:47:45 > 0:47:51I've never seen so many different varieties of bees and insects around.
0:47:51 > 0:47:56I mean, that must be a good thing, cos of the shortage of bees at the moment.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00That colour over there is fantastic.
0:48:00 > 0:48:01It's lovely and vibrant.
0:48:01 > 0:48:06It's nice on its own, but seeing the wildlife, yeah, it's great.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10I'm hopeful now that they've seen this huge expanse of beauty
0:48:10 > 0:48:12and the benefits to pollinators,
0:48:12 > 0:48:15that bigger changes will happen in Birmingham next year.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22It's now spring 2011,
0:48:22 > 0:48:25and the second year of my campaign.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29I now want to see how a couple of the projects I've been working with have been progressing.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32Inspired by their Leeds visit, Birmingham Parks Department
0:48:32 > 0:48:36has started to prepare areas for meadow planting around Civic Close.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39Jean, the head of the residents committee,
0:48:39 > 0:48:41is clearly excited about the project.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44This morning, when we got up, half past seven,
0:48:44 > 0:48:48looked at, my word, they were digging already!
0:48:48 > 0:48:52And I'm looking forward very much to the seeds
0:48:52 > 0:48:57producing some lovely coloured flowers.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59People are talking more to each other.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02"What's happening?" "What are you doing here?"
0:49:02 > 0:49:08And that will, to some extent, perhaps help a little more with community spirit.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11I can only hope that these new areas of meadow planting
0:49:11 > 0:49:13amongst the tower blocks
0:49:13 > 0:49:16will continue to get the residents talking,
0:49:16 > 0:49:20and maybe they'll encourage a real sense of community.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23Back at home, I'm now enjoying the perennial meadow mixes
0:49:23 > 0:49:26I sowed a year ago.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29I sowed three annual mixes, and they were great.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32But I also sowed this strip of perennials,
0:49:32 > 0:49:35which is actually divided into two different mixes.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38One for shade, which is a woodland edge mix,
0:49:38 > 0:49:41and one sort of whites and mauves.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45There's been already white and purple honesty.
0:49:45 > 0:49:46And now I've got red campion,
0:49:46 > 0:49:48I've got sweet rocket,
0:49:48 > 0:49:52the hesperis, it looks like there's oxeye daisy coming through.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54So there're lots of things and, you know,
0:49:54 > 0:49:57it's already looked good, perhaps for six weeks.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00And the great thing about it is because it's perennials,
0:50:00 > 0:50:03it's going to come up year after year.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06It makes total sense in terms of low-maintenance colour.
0:50:06 > 0:50:07I've loved looking at it.
0:50:07 > 0:50:12And, of course, it's fabulous for the insects.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15But it's not just my perennial meadows that are coming into flower.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19At the Olympic Park, the trial of British native perennial meadows
0:50:19 > 0:50:22are already at their floral climax.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24I'm catching up with Professor James Hitchmough
0:50:24 > 0:50:27to discover just how he's going to make sure
0:50:27 > 0:50:29that his perennial wildflower meadows
0:50:29 > 0:50:31will flower on time for the Games.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35Most of these species would naturally have more or less finished flowering
0:50:35 > 0:50:37by late July, early August in Southern England.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40So, what we're doing is we've been conducting
0:50:40 > 0:50:42a series of trials and experiments
0:50:42 > 0:50:45in the North Park on these meadow mixes.
0:50:45 > 0:50:46And what we're doing is
0:50:46 > 0:50:49we're looking at whether we can delay their flowering
0:50:49 > 0:50:52by cutting everything, sort of a number of weeks before the Games.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Removing all the canopy, regrowing the canopy
0:50:55 > 0:50:58and getting them to flower spot on.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00And so, that looks at the moment as if
0:51:00 > 0:51:04eight to ten weeks before the Games will pretty much do it.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07And making that decision is going to be a little bit terrifying,
0:51:07 > 0:51:11even with the information we're gaining this year.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13If James gets it right,
0:51:13 > 0:51:17next year these meadows of native British wildflowers
0:51:17 > 0:51:19will flower bang on time for the Games in August.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23What fantastic inspiration for cities across the UK
0:51:23 > 0:51:27to integrate our pollinators right into our city landscapes.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30As you walk through it, it's absolutely buzzing,
0:51:30 > 0:51:32as soon as the sun comes out,
0:51:32 > 0:51:34with bees and butterflies.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37So it just seems to me the most incredibly exciting way
0:51:37 > 0:51:40of dealing with big urban areas.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Yeah. The question is, "Why aren't we doing more then?"
0:51:43 > 0:51:45And hopefully, this will contribute to actually
0:51:45 > 0:51:48changing perspectives on this in the future.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55So finally, after two years,
0:51:55 > 0:51:58my mission to bring modern meadows to our cities is nearing a close.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01I want to see how the projects I've been involved with have fared
0:52:01 > 0:52:04and what their plans are for the future.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07'I'm back in Birmingham, and wonder if Darren's been able to continue
0:52:07 > 0:52:11'with all the changes I've been championing across the city.'
0:52:11 > 0:52:14So how has it been since I was here a year ago?
0:52:14 > 0:52:16Oh, it's all changing, Birmingham Park.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19- I've been made permanent...- Oh, that's very good.- Which is good for me, yeah.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23But we've also been going through some major changes
0:52:23 > 0:52:26with some of the budget pressures that we've got.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29We had 1.3 million to save last year,
0:52:29 > 0:52:33and we've got just over a million this year to save as well, so...
0:52:33 > 0:52:36- So big cuts.- Big cuts, difficult times.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39- But it just means we've got to do things in a slightly different way. - Yeah.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42And how is this all being going down within that
0:52:42 > 0:52:45sort of environment of cutbacks?
0:52:45 > 0:52:47- This is starting to win.- Is it, really?
0:52:47 > 0:52:50- Yeah, cos...- That's such good news.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53Once it's sown, and you've got the initial expense of the seed,
0:52:53 > 0:52:56it's relatively... Well, we don't do anything,
0:52:56 > 0:52:59so it's actually producing savings.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02And er... we've now, we've got twelve parks now
0:53:02 > 0:53:04that have got large meadows,
0:53:04 > 0:53:06where we used to just close mow it, so...
0:53:06 > 0:53:10Oh, that's fabulous. So, really good for pollinators and cost saving too.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12Yeah, definitely.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21This is a great result and a strong step in the right direction.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23Darren and his team have sown areas of meadows
0:53:23 > 0:53:27to brighten up a number of neglected areas around the city centre,
0:53:27 > 0:53:30and clearly the pollinators are loving it.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36Not only that, in 12 of the city's parks,
0:53:36 > 0:53:40large areas of pollinator-friendly meadows have been sown too.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46Well, it's wonderful to see such a huge sweep of it.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49I mean, this is on a completely different scale to the other things we've been looking at.
0:53:49 > 0:53:53Absolutely. This is a lot more...a lot larger, a lot more impact.
0:53:53 > 0:53:57This is completely, you know, on the back of the scheme that we've been trying in the city centre.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59A lot of the staff I've got are really enthused.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01This is a completely different mix.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05It's one of the trials, so it's from a different company.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07So we've got different meadows, in different parks
0:54:07 > 0:54:11with different mixes and we can then see what really works, really.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13That's the idea of the project.
0:54:13 > 0:54:17And have you had any feedback about, I mean, not just this one, but all round from the public?
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Loads of feedback, loads of feedback. It's all been positive.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22There's been no negative comments whatsoever.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24Everybody loves them. It all brings back childhood memories.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28And in the recent disturbances that we've had in Birmingham,
0:54:28 > 0:54:31not a single one of our meadows or any of our flower beds
0:54:31 > 0:54:34were actually touched or damaged in any way.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37Oh, that is such a positive thing.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39And then, on the sort of cost aspect of it,
0:54:39 > 0:54:42I mean, this is obviously annual, so it is a little bit more costly
0:54:42 > 0:54:44to prepare every year.
0:54:44 > 0:54:48So have you thought about moving towards more of the perennial mixes,
0:54:48 > 0:54:50so that you put them in and then, that's it.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54Absolutely. What we want to do is have a mix and match.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57This is fantastic, and this is what a lot of the public like.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00- It's a problem with the perennials, that they do take a little bit longer to establish.- Yeah.
0:55:00 > 0:55:04But we are looking to try some perennials next year,
0:55:04 > 0:55:06so in some of the parks we'll have perennials,
0:55:06 > 0:55:09and in some other parks we'll will carry on with the annual meadows.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12Fabulous! So, I mean, it really has been a win-win.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18In the City Centre Gardens, a version of my pollinator-friendly scheme
0:55:18 > 0:55:20has been re-planted this year,
0:55:20 > 0:55:23but I'm disappointed that due to budget cuts,
0:55:23 > 0:55:25it hasn't been extended across the city.
0:55:31 > 0:55:35'But what I'm dying to see are the new meadow areas around Civic Close.'
0:55:35 > 0:55:38How has it been?
0:55:38 > 0:55:42All of the wildflower areas look fabulous.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46This one here was the most admired, I think.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50One elderly guy, I was outside,
0:55:50 > 0:55:52the flowers were in full bloom and he said,
0:55:52 > 0:55:55"You know, walking past here makes me feel happy."
0:55:55 > 0:55:58- Oh, that's so great.- And that's lovely, isn't it?
0:55:58 > 0:56:01We were hoping that it might have an effect on anti-social behaviour.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03And what do you feel about that?
0:56:03 > 0:56:06I think the residents now are seeing
0:56:06 > 0:56:11that this is making our site look much more colourful.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15And they're going to be up in arms if...
0:56:15 > 0:56:18people do anti-social things.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21So it gives everyone a sort of sense of pride in their place?
0:56:21 > 0:56:25Well, yes. I'm sure, I'm sure it does,
0:56:25 > 0:56:29because of the number of people that have commented.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32Normally, your comments are,
0:56:32 > 0:56:34"What have you done that for?" "What a mess!"
0:56:34 > 0:56:36No, this is lovely.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39And I hope that the bees and the rest of the insects
0:56:39 > 0:56:42have enjoyed themselves as well.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47I'm confident that Darren can see how popular the meadows have been,
0:56:47 > 0:56:50and that they can help save money,
0:56:50 > 0:56:54and make the city more welcoming to pollinator insects too.
0:56:54 > 0:57:00So I know now he'll be continuing with even more areas in the future.
0:57:00 > 0:57:05Back at home, my new meadow project is also reaching its full potential.
0:57:05 > 0:57:10Of all the modern meadow mixes I've tried at Perch Hill over the last 18 months,
0:57:10 > 0:57:13there is no doubt in my mind that the annual mixes have won the day for me.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17Particularly this one, which is a pastel mix.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20And I just can't tell you how easy it's been to grow it.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23I just chucked in the seed into some clear ground in April.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26It was very dry, so I watered it a couple of times.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28Up it came, germinated perfectly.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31'No staking, no maintenance whatsoever since.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34'And it just bowls me over every time I walk down in here.'
0:57:37 > 0:57:40The insects, the pollinators, are deafening.
0:57:40 > 0:57:44There are so many of them - bees, butterflies, hoverflies, the lot.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46It is incredibly teeming.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54You know, for people like Darren in Birmingham and all our cities,
0:57:54 > 0:57:58this could be the most wonderful landscaping answer
0:57:58 > 0:58:02for those scrappy corners or those areas of boring mown grass
0:58:02 > 0:58:04that really aren't doing very much for anybody.
0:58:04 > 0:58:06This is the thing to do.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12'It's a wonderful place for us to be.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14'It's a fabulous place for the pollinators.'
0:58:14 > 0:58:17And it's saving money too.
0:58:20 > 0:58:25'Over the past 18 months, I've met so many inspiring people,
0:58:25 > 0:58:28'and seen such enthusiasm to help our pollinating insects
0:58:28 > 0:58:31'that I'm completely convinced that if everyone does their bit,
0:58:31 > 0:58:35'not only in our cities, but in our towns, our gardens,
0:58:35 > 0:58:39'our villages and across our farmland,
0:58:39 > 0:58:42'together we really can solve this crisis
0:58:42 > 0:58:45'and get our nation buzzing again.'
0:59:10 > 0:59:13Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd