1: How would you describe your meadow, e.g. stand alone, part of a smallholding, part of a farm, managed lawn?

Part of a smallholding. 

2: How would you best describe your management of the meadow, and what are your priorities for the meadow e.g. commercial farm, hobby farmer/smallholder, purely managing the meadow on its own for its wildflowers/biodiversity?

Hobby farmers – interested in developing the diversity of the various meadows on our land. 

3: Roughly how big is/are the meadow(s)?

Overall smallholding about 18 acres – most interesting (oldest/unimproved) meadow is about 2.5 acres,  developing meadow is about 6 acres, wet bottom field about 3 acres.  also lots of woodland.

4: Roughly how high above sea level?

Absolutely no idea! 

5: How long have you been managing the meadow for wild flowers?

2.5  years. 

6: Do you know when the meadow was last ploughed/reseeded?

The best meadow – not in living memory.  

7: Do you know when the meadow last received fertiliser or farm yard manure?

 Not in living memory.

8: What do the field boundaries consist of, e.g. laid/regularly flailed hedges, banks with no hedges, fence only, mature hedges, mature trees?

 Ditch, bank, mature hedge and trees. 

9: Is the meadow ever grazed by stock, and if so by what, and roughly when?

 No – but open to suggestions.

10: Is the meadow regularly cut, or burned and if so, when? And is the material removed and used as hay or bedding, or left on the field?

The big meadow is bailed in April and in July/August. The oldest meadow is scythed in September/October.

11: Has the meadow ever received any herbicide treatment, and if so, what, and when?

 No.

12: Have you ever imported or scattered any flower seed or hay from other sources in the meadow?

Yes, yellow rattle in the new field.  

13: Is the meadow flat, or sloping, and is it hillside/valley bottom?

 The top of a hill – ‘gently sloping’ and flat bits.

14: Do you know roughly what the soil ph is?

Sorry, no idea.

15: Have you ever had a botanical survey carried on the meadow, and if not would you be interested in having this done?

 Yes – a quick one on the oldest meadow. 

16: Would you be happy for your meadow, and the above data to feature in the Gallery section of the CMG website?

Yes.

17: Would you be interested in help from a contractor in managing any aspect of meadow maintenance, and if so what help would be useful to you?

I think we’re ok now. 

 Uploaded to the gallery in March 2016.

______________________________

If you own or manage a meadow in Carmarthenshire which you would like to add to these gallery pages, please email Rachel Barber, the current website administrator, at

website@carmarthenshiremeadows.com

Thanks for reading.