How Rotherham’s floral River of Colour became a bloomin’ viral smash

But did you know its collection of more than 30 floral species — a feast of flavours for bees — is proving an internet sensation?

The annual summer scene is familiar to Rotherham folk, having been launched five years ago and attracted compliments from around the world.

But its fame has reached a new level this summer — photos posted to the Wildlife Gardening Forum Facebook page have been shared more than 63,000 times.

The gardening team behind the eye-catching, six-mile display from the town centre to Hellaby has now spoken about the care, planning and slick sowing process that goes into bringing it to life every year.

Sheffield-based Pictorial Meadows spent four nights in May transforming the A630’s central reservation and turning it into Britain’s longest urban meadow.

A team of six working with staff from Rotherham Borough Council, who also co-ordinate rolling lane closures, spread 100kg along the ribbon of road between the M1 and the M18.

A spokesman for the company said: “Across the UK, meadows are disappearing at an alarming rate, with over 97 per cent of the wildflower meadows that were around 100 years ago no longer existing. 

“Meadow landscapes are not only beautiful, but provide an important resource for our bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

“The River of Colour project serves as a shining example of how meadows can be used to bring benefits for both people and nature in towns and cities.”

Rotherham’s “river” was specially developed by Pictorial Meadows for urban areas and contains over 30 different flowering species, carefully balanced to offer beautiful changing colours across the season while also ensuring improved pollen and nectar availability for wildlife. 

Creating such a large meadow in an urban setting is not without its challenges, as Dan Cornwell, Landscapes Director at Pictorial Meadows, explained: “Establishing a traditional native meadow requires some very specific growing conditions, and can often need extensive soil conditioning works. 

“This can make it unfeasible for many locations. 

“The specialist mix of species we have developed for this project is perfectly tailored for an urban environment, and requires significantly less investment than a standard meadow.”

Pictorial Meadows has previously worked at sites such as the Olympic Stadium, Windsor Royal Parks and the Gothenburg or Madrid botanical gardens. 

The spokesman revealed more than 200 councils use the company’s products and many have their own wildflower packed strips of roadside verge.

But he added: “Rotherham was the first do this and has taken it further than anywhere else.” 

The project has not been without its controversy, though — in 2016, there were complaints after sections were cut back  to improve visibility at busy junctions, tackle weeds and encourage regrowth.

And in 2015, two mystery women took the shears to the flowers growing at the Tanyard in Wickersley following concerns they were blocking the view of turning drivers.