The Stream Lawn started life at Winterbourne as an orchard, planted in 1904. Since then, it has been home to a small nursery, before later becoming a wetland with flowering shrub borders, filled with magnolia and viburnum. Most recently, our Horticultural Supervisor, Will Hunt, has been working to transform the stream lawn into a wildflower meadow, filled with English native wildflower species that bloom from mid-spring through to late summer.

Reimagining the stream lawn 

The lawn stays wet underfoot all year round thanks to several underground springs. However, in the past 122 years, climate change has caused the land to become even wetter, making it hard to imagine the original orchard planted by the Nettlefold family surviving.

Around five years ago, the team decided that it was time to rethink what was planted in the stream lawn and work more closely with the natural wetland conditions. This has resulted in the development of a beautiful wildflower meadow that blooms with a diverse range of native English wildflowers. There are also several young Cyprus trees, metasequoias and other deciduous trees that we’ve planted in the lawn to help soak up excess moisture from the ground. In decades to come, as these trees mature, they will create an awe-inspiring arboretum.

Creating the wildflower meadow

Back in 2021, Horticultural Supervisor Will, who was then a trainee at Winterbourne, began working on a long-term project to reimagine the stream lawn. The idea was to work with the lawn’s natural conditions to create a beautiful, biodiverse wildflower meadow.

Since then, Will has been planting a carefully curated selection of native English wildflower seeds alongside the young deciduous trees to create a showstopping wildflower display, which visitors can now see bursting into bloom for spring and summer. He used the phrase ‘organised yet natural planting’ to describe the meadow’s design. The combination of over 10 different wildflowers creates a vibrant, colourful landscape with varying heights and textures throughout spring and summer.

Supporting biodiversity

Since the 1930s, when John Nicolson was living here at Winterbourne, over 97% of the country’s wildflower meadows have been lost. As well as providing a tranquil haven for our visitors, the development of Winterbourne’s wildflower meadow is helping us to support biodiversity here in Birmingham.

In the process of planting and growing the wildflower meadow in the stream lawn, Will has also created a playground for all sorts of wildlife to enjoy. If you visit during the summer months, you’ll spot various butterfly species fluttering through the lawn. Thousands of insects enjoy feeding on the wildflowers each year, helping them to self-seed and grow more each year. On an early morning walk around the garden, Will has even spotted deer munching on the sweet flowers growing across the lawn. If you look carefully, you can often spot their tracks running underfoot.

The future of the stream lawn

In just five years, the stream lawn has become one of the most loved spots in the garden for thousands of Winterbourne’s visitors. Desire paths have already begun to form throughout the meadow as the beautiful display of wildflowers draws people in to explore the beauty up close.

We hope to one day add a boardwalk winding through the meadow, following the tracks of these desire paths. In decades to come, the young trees will mature and continue to change the landscape.

Find out what’s in bloom this month