Work to city park will help wildflowers thrive

A green space in Nottingham city centre is due to have its annual "cut-and-lift" to prepare for next year's wildflowers.

The Green Heart, which opened in October 2024, is an area of flowers, ponds, trees and seating on part of the site of the old Broadmarsh shopping centre.

The work on Thursday will focus on removing the season's growth to help maintain the award-winning green space.

Council bosses say it is an essential part of meadow management.

They say removing the cut vegetation keeps soil nutrient levels low, preventing grasses from taking over and allowing a wider variety of wildflowers to thrive.

The Green Heart won a national award for the UK's best landscape and public space project at the Architects' Journal Architect Awards 2025.

The site may look bare after the work is completed, but residents are being reassured that the meadow will return next spring.

Jemma Maguire, the council's biodiversity and greenspace policy officer, says the end-of-season cutback makes sure soil fertility remains low for wildflowers.

"It was a three-lane road that's turned into a park, with a pond in the heart of the city, and it just got green flag status this year as well.

"It's a really valuable piece of green space for the public and for wildlife in the city, so we've got to ensure that we are managing it correctly."

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