by Councillor Iain McLaren

We need to find the right balance between mown areas for people to use, and biodiversity areas to make sure we’re doing right by the environment.

We’ve had a period where this balance hasn’t yet been found. We are starting to see a better long-term “best of both” now, and we should shortly see the delayed perennial flowers arriving.

Daffodils have now died back enough to be cut without weakening them – apparently the plant takes strength back from the dying leaves, storing it in the bulb for next year’s flowers.

Experts now say that unless we do more to link habitats together so that species can move between them to survive rapid climate change, the consequences – even in our lifetimes – could be catastrophic.

Even mainstream scientists are talking about “total food web collapse”. This is where all food chains quickly die off from the bottom up. They report that 75 per cent of flying insects – pollinators of one third of all human food – have disappeared in 27 years.

A recent combined report from 50 conservation and research organisations reports that 40 per cent of British species are in moderate or steep decline. Even numbers of hardy generalists such as the common rabbit are falling, and we all know their reputation for reproducing.

In short, experts are telling us that verges, gardens and parks have become the last refuge of much of Scotland’s wildlife. If every inch of these is mown regularly, they may as well be made of plastic for all the use they are to wildlife. Even grasses are flowering plants, but only if unmown. We need to ensure that unmown areas have paths around them or through them for us though, and I will keep pushing for this despite my hayfever.

It can take a few seasons for unmown areas to look truly pretty to the human eye, but the reward for our patience will be beautiful and will help to protect our futures.