Wildflower plantings to reduce the management costs of urban gardens and roadsides

Public green areas represent a heavy burden for local Councils and they are often neglected due to a lack of resources. In fact traditional horticulture requires a large amount of agronomical and economical input to succeed. Since the 1970s in northern Europe and USA it has been common practice to manage roadsides, roundabouts and derelict urban areas with mixed plantings of annual and perennial wildflowers with a consequent large reduction in input (water and chemicals). In the Mediterranean regions very few studies have been carried out on this subject, in spite of the more serious water shortage. The Agency for the Development and Innovation in Agriculture and Forestry (ARSIA) of Tuscany, Italy, has financed the project "Production and strategic employment of wildflowers for the beautification and environmental regeneration of derelict, urban and peri-urban areas". Its aim was to study the ecology of some wildflowers and their suitability for naturalistic plantings and to promote a more sustainable urban horticulture. Twelve plantings were set up in different areas of Tuscany in cooperation with town councils, schools and motorway companies. Soils were sampled to determine their physical and chemical characteristics. The plantings were monitored up until the flowering period and sustainable management was employed. Most of the species thrived, while the soils turned out to be unsuitable for traditional ornamental plantings. Most of the species flowered in the first and second year. The use of local wildflowers in naturalistic plantings proved to be a low-cost technique for managing green areas, contributing to biodiversity, and a useful tool for the conservation of species.