FOTD – Flowers & Meadows

Happy Friday everyone. I was looking through my camera roll and realised I have so, so many flower photos that have never been showcased. Therefore, I thought it would be nice to show a few today from one of my favourite places in Northern Ireland, Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. Not only do they have hundreds of different flower species but they also have lots of meadows too.

You may ask, what is a meadow? Well, a meadow is an open area of grassland where grasses and wildflowers are allowed to grow naturally, often creating a beautiful field full of colour, particularly during spring and summer.

Meadows have been part of the British farming landscape for over 1,000 years. Traditionally, farmers allowed the grass and flowers to grow throughout spring and summer, then cut the grass to make hay to feed livestock over winter.

Traditional wildflower meadows were once a common sight across the British countryside, but over the years many have disappeared due to intensive farming, development and changes in land use. Sadly, Britain has lost around 97% of its traditional wildflower-rich meadows since the Second World War.

Their decline has made the remaining meadows even more special, with growing efforts to protect and restore them. Perhaps that’s why they’re so popular today, they represent a beautiful, nostalgic part of the British countryside that people do not want to lose.