However, we are fortunate enough to have a very important collection of green-winged orchids, as well as a host of other wildflowers such as Yellow Rattle, Common Knapweed and Ox-eye Daisies that we're keen to encourage to thrive, and that involves leaving the grass to grow long during the summer months.
By managing the terraces and many other areas of the garden as an ancient hay meadow, we're also attracting plenty of wildlife into the garden. These meadows are a haven for insects and small mammals such as field mice, a wide host of butterflies such as the common blue and meadow brown, and in turn attract birds such as kestrels and buzzards.
What do green-winged orchids look like?
Green-winged orchids (Anacamptis morio) flower from late April to June and produces flower spikes in various colours, mainly purple but ranging from white, through pink, to deep purple. They produce 5 to 25 helmet-shaped flowers grow in a loose, linear bunch at the top of the single stalk, reaching a height of around 25cm. The upper two leaves occasionally have purple veins that extend laterally like "wings", giving the orchid its name, then lower down the stem the leaves are pale in the centre with dark spots. The green-winged orchids are very similar in appearance to the early purple orchid which flowers at the same time of year.