East Keswick Wildlife Trust regularly collect seed from uncommon wildflower seeds in and around the parish. The seeds are germinated and then nurtured in the wildflower nursery for around 3 years before being plug planted onto appropriate sites on our reserves.

At the entrance to the Ellikers reserve, Magnesian Limestone chippings were laid to form a substrate for a wildflower project to improve the variety of native flora. Greater Knapweed, Dyers Greenwood, Marjoram, Restharrow, Ladies Bedstraw, Rock Rose and White and Bladder Campion from the nursery were then plug planted into the area. In the woodland, Woodsage, Stitchwort, Aquilegia, Bugle and Wood Anemone have been introduced, again grown from seeds of local parish provenance.

In Ox Close Wood an area of woodland pasture has been created. Numerous wildflowers from the nursery have been plug planted as well as 12 different species of grass.

Plug planting wildflowers and grasses in Ox Close Wood

Other wildlife groups have contacted the Trust to learn from our experience of growing wildflowers from seed. We have worked with Menston Area Native Trust, the Wood Meadows Trust at Escrick and York City Council Community Woodland.