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| Sector |
Public realm |
| Services provided |
Product / system manufacture Product / system supply |
| Year completed |
Revisited 2016 (completed 2011/12) |
| Project location |
North East England |
| Client |
The Land Trust / Northumberland Wildlife Trust / Banks Group |
| Products used |
MicroClover grass seed |
Northumberlandia, the Lady of the North was created in 2011/12 in a joint venture between Banks Group and the Blagdon Estate. Five years on DLF revisited the project to review the success of the seed mixture developed for the project which contained MicroClover from DLF.
This imposing earth sculpture is managed by The Land Trust in partnership with Northumberland Wildlife Trust, with the Banks Group currently overseeing grass cutting operations.
The establishment has been really successful, the areas had covered over well and with excellent levels of persistence despite the challenging soil and site conditions.
The landform is currently under a ‘long grass management programme’, it is mown once a year around the middle of July. Low centre of gravity mowers are used and all arising cuttings returned to the sward. Due to the non-productive nature of the seed mixture used, this works really well as there is little vigorous top growth.
The inclusion of MicroClover helped massively in the establishment of the grass sward. The ability of the clover to grow low in the sward and fix nitrogen for the grass species makes it an ideal component part of the mixture.
Richard Hutchinson for Banks Group commented: "The MicroClover has persisted well on the path edges that are subject to more regular mowing and wear".
