The route, when first planned the choice of motorway route, brought the road into areas of both acidic bedrock and glacial till and overlaying alkaline soils, it emerged that there was very little quality topsoil available and that the substrata/ base soil if without topsoil was ideal for wildflowers. So in the early planning years we were asked to provide advice and species suitability lists and propose a range of suitable mixtures for the works. DBN then explained in our report that this very important geological roadside landscape, offered a unique opportunity for some globally serious conservation, biodiversity enhancement and landscape improvement through a highly scenic region.

So wildflowers were chosen as no top soil was available. In 2007-2008 when road was first completed, following the initial bank stabilisation, 10% of the total flora required ere applied as a test and for stabilisation, grass and other specie were also sown. 5 years later those wildflowers have grown, all be it, very slowly on the nutrient poor soil.

This case study includes Survey & Local Seed Collection details as well as new sowing and bio-engineering techniques applied 2011 - 2013,. The project will be followed by ongoing 'Germination reports to spring 2017 with twice yearly germination supervision, this road will get a 15 year guarantee, provided the gorse, willow and any invasive species are kept at bay.
This is a very difficult contract. the landscape expectations, require that we green these roads up in 3 years, or else? This Bare alkaline but granite based soils, extreme drought, stress, wind and soil erosion at micro level, extremes of heat, noise, dust, nutrients, traffic, roadside management, fires. and much more make any germination and growth a success, but more is the point, we have to make it flower,

Our experience on Eskers in Co Offaly suggests that it will take at least 3 years to even see the early flowering perennial species, as on extraemly low fertility sites, what grows grows slow and small and rarely stays green for more than 5 months

luckily the road already has it share of sown wild native, which are already spreading and a few imported species.

Can we do it? If I don't I might as well give up doing what I think I am good at doing. It will take many years for the road to fully flower, but it will be interesting journey on many levels...