Craigmore seafront

A little opportunism!   For whatever reason, the Council haven’t cut most of the roadside sward on the Rothesay seafront for well over a month.  Local opinion is divided;  some people are delighted to see this blossoming of wildflowers and grasses while others regard the lack of maintenance as a disgrace in a town that has been noted for its well-maintained gardens for over 150 years.

Those parts of the seafront that are never cut have always provided an interesting range of plants, though increasingly dominated by the sprawling, yellow Sea Radish.  But, this year, the grassy sward that is normally mown is also providing an array of colour and a delightful display of grasses in flower.

Cat's-ear and Ribwort Plantain

The distance covered by this walk is a mere 500 yards, starting at the Craigmore pier (GR NS104655) and moving eastwards.  Take your time and you can find over 70 species, nearly all of them now in flower.  They are the usual species that are likely to be found on a coastal stretch such as this, but their impact this year is exceptional.

SelfhealI can well understand the view that a grassy sward that is left uncut, with Docks and Sorrell starting to make their presence felt, is a sign of neglect and, unquestionably, the area will become unsightly if the ‘hay crop’ is not picked up after it has eventually been mown.  But there is a solution which, if implemented in future years, would surely be acceptable to most people:  mow part of the sward regularly, perhaps creating pathways, and leave the rest to flower.  Such an approach clearly indicates that the area is not simply being neglected and, provided the uncut area is tidied up after eventually being mown, it could well become an annual attraction in its own right.

Heading east

Anyway, here’s what I saw today – it averages out at one new species for every seven yards of travel and shows that you don’t always need to go far to enjoy a diverse range of species!