Field of greens - and reds, yellows and blues.
The poppy-pocked landscape which was common in rural Britain before the Second World War may be starting to reemerge, according to wildflower experts.Government advisory group English Nature says reports of vibrant fields of poppies brightening the countryside are growing as more arable farmers leave fields unsown for spells in return for European Union grants.
Dr Jill Sutcliffe, botanical manager at English Nature, said news of increasing numbers of poppies was encouraging.
She also hoped that the once common blue cornflower and golden corn marigold wildflowers might also become a regular sight. 'We have been getting more reports of fields of poppies in the last couple of years,' she said. 'I suspect it's because more farmers are taking advantage of set-aside grants and either leaving whole fields uncultivated for a year or leaving uncultivated swathes in fields.' She added: 'We tend to think of the English countryside being a rich green. But in days gone by the countryside would have been a much duller green, brightened by natural wildflowers such as the red poppy and the blue cornflower.
'Things really changed after the Second World War because of the development of farming and pesticides. But the more natural colour is a duller green decorated by red and blue and yellow.
'For example, had the First World War been fought in England we would probably talk of the poppy fields of Kent or Sussex instead of Flanders, because poppies were as common in England at that time as in France. It could be that some areas are starting to move back to that sort of landscape and hopefully those blue and yellow colours will also start to re-emerge along with the poppies.'
CAPTION(S):
Millie Farmer, aged eight, playing in a field of poppies at Foxton, near Cambridge
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| Publication: | The Birmingham Post (England) |
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| Date: | Jun 23, 2003 |
| Words: | 297 |
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