There has been the perception of late that the Management Plan for Sidmouth Cemetery still isn’t working – as shown by photos over the summer months of large areas of brown across the site. However, there have been efforts in managing the Cemetery’s grass for flowers – and this may well be paying off at last, boding well for the consideration of next year’s Management Plan.
The following photographs were taken on 18th August by Cherishing Sidmouth’s Cemeteries working party member Mick Street.
They seem to suggest that the new management routine agreed to at the beginning of the season might well be bearing fruit – as this could be a win-win for all parties.
Firstly, the policy of cutting a third of the area every two weeks means the Streetscene team doesn’t have to mow the whole area every fortnight.
And secondly, we are actually seeing areas of indigenous wild flowers returning – in a relatively healthy green sward – as opposed to the options of either over-long grass not touched for a very long time or over-short grass with dead cuttings strewn across the area.
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Resting Common blue butterfly when the area is not cut for 6 to 8 weeks
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Birds foot trefoil just before cutting at 7 weeks in area 2
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Yarrow in flower in area 1 before cutting after 6 weeks.
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