Verges will be in full bloom next year

Mouchel, working on behalf of Shropshire Council, have been working hard strewing hay collected from a field near Shrewsbury on Bage Way.

The road has recently been redeveloped under the Shrewsbury Integrated Transport Package which saw the closure of the Reabrook roundabout.

The banks of the road have been remodelled and the grass verges covered in hay which contains the seedpods of a number of native plants found in Shropshire including common knapweed, yellow rattle, sweet vernal grass and marsh orchid.

The hay was supplied by Bishop’s Castle firm Access and Habitat Management.

Dan Wrench, Shropshire Council’s biodiversity officer said: "Seeds in the hay will drop and help create a species-rich meadow of local provenance. This replaces the use of a seed mix which can include plants not typically found in Shropshire.

"Yellow Rattle seed cases are a good sign.

"This species suppresses grasses allowing more flowering plants to thrive. It's also good for pollinators.

"Common Knapweed is a typical meadow flower whose purple flowers are loved by hoverflies and bumblebees.

"Sweet Vernal-grass is another traditional meadow plant which has wonderfully scented leaves. The hay even has a seed-head of a marsh orchid of some kind. It is unlikely that orchids will appear but we can cross our fingers and hope.

"Bird's-foot Trefoil has also been found in the hay and it is a real favourite of butterflies and the foodplant for the Common Blue Butterfly. There is research suggesting the UK variety of Bird's-foot Trefoil is preferred by butterflies over the kind often included in seed mixes.

"A real benefit of this technique is that it supports the farmers who own species-rich meadows. It turns them into an economically useful resource.

"I can't wait until 2018 to see what appears. Let's hope Mouchel and Shropshire Council use this technique on more road schemes."

Gareth Profitt, spokesman for Shropshire Council said: "Restoring species-rich grassland using green hay was specified and carried out in line with best practice for the development of the site at Reabrook.

"It’s a quick and effective way of finishing off what was a development site, in a way that improves the appearance of the site, recreates wildflower grasslands and enhances local biodiversity.

"Identification of a suitable donor site was important. Hay and wildflowers were identified from a site in Shropshire and provided and spread by a local specialist."