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National
Transport and Wildlife Corridors-Roadside Wildflora-Using
Native Irish Wildflowers
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Wildflowers
for Irish Roadsides:
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Claremorris By Pass, Co Roscommon
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Sowing and Design commenced 5th-05-2001. (last updated
30-08-2001)
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| This case study will be up dated following each photo shot - visit to
the by pass. |
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here to go to updated pages : 30th August, 2001 |
| This photograph was
taken on 28th August 2001. |
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The site is made ready for sowing, a technique of shuddering, using
the Hymac bucket to roughen the soil is employed. Do not allow
contractors to smooth or compact the final 50-150mm of soil.
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Prior to sowing, Design By Nature use lime or yellow marker paint to
lay out the areas for sowing different floras and mixtures. We sow the
wildflowers making slight changes according to the local site specific conditions
and the landscape contractor sows the special grass mix according to
instructions. The wildflower seed and grasses are raked in at the same
time.
CASE STUDY: The upper section on the Claremorris Bypass was sown with
Salix (Willow) Cutting in mid May (very late for cuttings) due to the
non availability of trees because of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth
Disease in 2001. By the end of May the cuttings had struck, but we are
not very hopeful, as it was so late, to compensate we sowed 9 cuttings
to get one good shrub ( 3 cuttings 250mm apart in groups 75 cm apart)
This is the first time this planting strategy has ever been used. A unique DBN
solution.
We even tried and tested cuttings of Elderberry (Sambucus nigra),
these suffered in the drought that followed but elder grows from
cuttings and we are hopeful.
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Note the irregular layout to reflect the surrounding countryside, no
straight lines on a DBN roadside planting, just what the west of Ireland
deserves. The left hand photograph shows poured concrete around the base
of a lamppost, this was sown extra heavily with species that require
very little soil. I hope it grows to cover a difficult spot.
The roadside engineer Ann Sweeny and landscape designer Shane O'Neill
took a big risk, but they had little choice as the roadside cuttings
were slipping due to springs in the soil. Our task is to establish
flora, any flora and fast.
We choose clump forming grasses, sown at very low rates for high root
zone activity, we mixed in our specialist mixtures of wildflowers and Salix.
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Hand sowing and raking was chosen instead of hydraseeding, this gave
us a chance to put the right species in the right place.
Note: The right hand photo shows stored top soil for spreading on
roadsides, this soil requires special attention. Claremorris Update
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Please Click here
for a detailed photograph showing marked areas for development
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Top
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DBN (Ire)
- Irish Native Origin Wildflower Growers - Working on the Wildside
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