BEGINNING in France, and now spreading to this country, wild flowers at the side of pavements or adjacent to buildings are having their names written in chalk beside them.
In 2017, France banned the use of herbicides in public places, followed by a ban on their use in gardens.
This stimulated an interest in urban wild flowers.
In Britain, it is illegal to write on the pavement, but not to spray it with poison.
Sixty per cent of wildlife in Britain has declined over the last 50 years. Reversing this trend is long overdue.
In Arnside, a quad-bike armed with a lance, sprayed herbicide on Danish scurvy-grass and sandwort along the promenade; these are annuals and will grow again from seed.
Along the edge of the saltmarsh sea-radish has been spot-sprayed.
In future years it is to be hoped that in these plants will be left to bring pleasure, at the same time saving the public purse.
Stephen Ward
Arnside
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