School pupils and community groups are seeing the results of the planting they carried out with our Greenspace team earlier in the year.

In eight town parks and five community sites, poppies, cornflowers, ox eye daisies, orchids and other species are flowering, creating a beautiful display and helping to improve the local biodiversity.

At Strathclyde and Palacerigg Country Parks and locations in Motherwell and Shotts, wildflowers, bulbs and plug plants in areas of grassland have been planted as part of the Mega Flora project which aims to create diverse and healthy greenspaces for local people to enjoy.

Signs at these sites show details of the planting, and wooden sculptures are being installed. The council is keen to hear from residents about the Mega Flora project by completing a survey on the web site: Mega flora wildflower project | North Lanarkshire Council

“It’s wonderful to see the wildflowers in full bloom in our communities this summer, creating bright patches of colour and scent,” said Councillor Helen Loughran, Convener of the Environment and Climate Change Committee.

“They are also adding an important element to the local biodiversity, attracting pollinators like birds, bees and butterflies, and reducing the impacts of climate change by capturing carbon and reducing flooding.”

All the wildflower projects contribute to the council’s Biodiversity Action Plan, and funding has been received from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund and the 2023 Levelling Up Parks Grant from Greenspace Scotland, on behalf of the Scottish Government.

The town parks where planting was carried out are: Central and Centenary Parks, Airdrie; Glenboig Village Park; Burngreen in Kilsyth; Westend Park, Coatbridge; Belhaven, Wishaw; and Duchess Park and the Dalzell Estate, Motherwell. The five community sites are Chryston, Caldercruix, Dykehead, Allanton and Torbothie.