Patchwork Meadow

The charity Plantlife are asking people to submit individual squares of patchwork inspired by Britain’s wild plants and flowers, to help create a giant patchwork ‘meadow’ celebrating our extraordinary floral heritage.  Here at YDMT we’re passionate about protecting and restoring the scarce upland wildflower hay meadows of the Yorkshire Dales, ensuring a brighter future for the rare plant species and threatened wildlife communities that they support.  So we were delighted to be involved in the Patchwork Meadow project – here’s our patch, made by YDMT fundraiser Sarah Brewer…

In the UK around 97% of meadows have been lost in the last 50 years. These complex habitats are teaming with up to 120 species of wildlife per field.  YDMT are working hard to protect and restore these precious meadows.  We’ve tackled almost 300 hectares so far!

Wood crane’s-bill is one of the special plants found in the upland hay meadows of the Yorkshire Dales.  This tufted, hairy plant has mauve five-petalled flowers in June and July, followed by seed heads that end in a long pointed ‘beak’, hence the name ‘crane’s-bill’.  The square has been embroidered by hand using straight/running stiches and French knots.

If you’d like to submit a patch, you can find out more about the Patchwork Meadow here: http://wildflowereurope.org/patches/

If you’d like to help us save our precious meadows, please make a donation to our Hay Time Appeal.

£10 = plant pots and compost for school children to grow meadow plants

£50 = one day of manual seed collection

£1,000 (or £100 per month for 10 months) = implement and monitor one meadow restoration scheme

Visit www.ydmt.org/haytimeappeal or call us on 015242 51002.  Thank you.