The Green Gym were out last weekend digging up thistles from the newly created wild flowers area in the Abbey Meadows.
They came with thick gloves to uproot the prickly thistles.
Thousands of thistles were taken down and disposed of.
The Green Gym will be promoting their activities at Fun in The Park next weekend, then tackling Himalayan Balsam for most of the rest of June. Their website and full programme is available here.
…I’m curious to understand what it is I am missing, about digging up wild flowers from a wild flower area? Or is it just certain wild flowers allowed in that area?
Good question. Perhaps it’s non-native species and racist ? I would hate to think that it is a reaction against the Scots vote and their National emblem.
(Tongue very firmly in-cheek but I hesitate to divine the thinking of others)
I think you will find they are the species Creeping thistle, which is a “Notifiable weed” and Himalayan Balsam is a “Non-native invasive species”.
https://www.gov.uk/prevent-the-spread-of-harmful-invasive-and-non-native-plants
If I known I wish I had brought my ever useful trolley to transport weeds to car and a garden fork (Large) not hand.