4 In-house production for native origin wild flowers from DLF In order to meet with the increasing demand for conservation mixtures, DLF have formulated a range of high-quality wild flower mixtures, each designed to recreate a particular habitat – including wetland or dry grassland mixtures, and mixtures composed specifically for acid soils, coastal areas and shaded spots. With many years of experience in the production of grasses and wild flower seeds, DLF have expanded their production, recently acquiring an additional 21 hectares of land dedicated to the production of wild flowers at Hailes Farm. In addition DLF have invested in specialised harvesting and cleaning equipment to meet the needs of the expanding production. Overseeing the in-house production facility is Wild Flower Production Manager, Klaas Vincent Broersma. “After additional investment we knew we had the correct resources and equipment at our disposal to increase production,” explains Klaas. “To ensure the total traceability of our seed we have focused on developing our own ‘seed library’, ensuring true, native origin wild flowers are at the heart of our production here at Hailes Farm for decades to come.” “We have been working closely alongside a number of governing bodies and trusts including Natural England to source plants of interest. Over the last three seasons, through the trial planting of different species and analysing our PROFlora success, we can ensure the highest quality and maximum efficiency before we scale up production. It’s work that has to be conducted carefully to ensure we don’t impact on selfsustaining populations. We’re now successfully growing a variety of different species, knowing the exact location of the land they originated from!” Pro Flora Mixtures are designed with specific environments in mind, composed of native origin wild flowers and low maintenance grass species which help the wild flowers to flourish while keeping more aggressive weeds at bay. Klaas concludes, “To really bring benefit to nature, we are working with species and subspecies that have the genetic variability to thrive – recovering spaces sustainably, supporting biodiversity and ecology.” For more information, DLF’s experienced team is on hand to provide advice on mixture selection, and for larger projects, site visits and written reports are available.
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