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Grass verges - Ian (26th May 2022 - 21:53:09) Can anyone tell me when the grass verges are likely to be cut? They look a mess and are dangerous, as you can't always see when the road is safe to cross.

Re: Grass verges - D (27th May 2022 - 08:35:39) Probably the morning after this hazard to road safety causes an accident.

Re: Grass verges - AF (27th May 2022 - 08:53:34) Are the verges now over 6ft tall, or are you very short, if neither are the case i don't see how uncut verges are a danger to crossing the road. It may be untidy but the eco crazies love them.

Re: Grass verges - PR (27th May 2022 - 12:17:48) You will probably find that most local authorities are participating in Blue Heart ~ No Mow May www.bluecampaignhub.com And good for them !!!

Re: Grass verges - Ali G (27th May 2022 - 12:19:29) Is you very small - like only three inches tall ?

Re: Grass verges - D (27th May 2022 - 12:30:12) Do I really have to explain, AF? Obscured vision and sightlines when pulling out from a side road, etc. Given your constant whining about the railways I assume you don't drive.

Re: Grass verges - Pete (27th May 2022 - 12:57:09) Each to their own but I think they look great and if you cant see over them I can only assume you are Driving a very low slung Ferrari or such-like as I have no problem in a tiny Corsa.

Re: Grass verges - Helen (27th May 2022 - 13:41:04) Please don’t cut the verges, leave them as they are!

Re: Grass verges - Life resident (27th May 2022 - 17:24:31) Totally agree with Ian the village looks a mess . Such a shame with the Queens Jubilee coming up . LiB do a fantastic job with the flower beds and more. The village used to look so smart every one took a pride in their little area. Some of the shops have weeds growing up outside why can’t they be like old DON COOK the cobbler swept the pavement every morning. The station shops don’t seem to do anything. Just gone from Alton to Winchester all the verges are being cut long grass left at the back sensible idea. Long grass in the right place.Come one everyone let’s smarten the place up.

Re: Grass verges - Jean (28th May 2022 - 13:17:55) I don’t think Norse have been out to cut the grass in Liphook this year yet.

Re: Grass verges - Ian (29th May 2022 - 17:41:19) Thank you Life resident, this was the exact point I was trying to get across the village, apart from Liphook in bloom looks a mess!

Re: Grass verges - C (30th May 2022 - 11:13:05) To 'Life resident' and 'Ian'. Quite contrary to your statements about Liphook 'looking a mess' - have you been anywhere else outside this village recently? We have a village to be proud of, with many shop fronts beautifully decorated, flower beds neatly tended to and lovely wildflower patches. Plus, to criticise the VOLUNTARY organisation Liphook in Bloom who do their work entirely without obligation is in pretty poor taste. Perhaps if you're not happy with the way things look, go out and do some gardening yourselves!!!

Re: Grass verges - Anon (30th May 2022 - 12:16:54) It’s very easy to misread posts on talkback, nobody has criticised Liphook in bloom on this thread, unless I’ve misread! I’m all for allowing grass to do it’s own thing but a selective approach might work better in a village rather than a blanket policy. It’s achievable to get a balance of safety and havens for wildlife .

Re: Grass verges - D (30th May 2022 - 12:25:08) I don't think anybody criticised Liphook in Bloom. The point being made is that Liphook in Bloom is being let down by the uncut, untidy grass verges. It's a grass verge not a nature reserve, cut it.

Re: Grass verges - Life resident (30th May 2022 - 13:33:19) Thanks D and Anon for pointing out that Ian and myself support LIB . I have been volunteering with them from the start 25 years ago. Our point is when they do get round to cutting the grass it will be more of a mess blocking the drains etc. There should be a compromise like I said cut the verging and around the village and keep things tidy that would be supportive of LIB . Some of the shops are very good but some don’t seem to see outside their doors . You only have to walk around the shops at the station LiB painted the tree guards and cleaned up the road edges and are creating a new shrub bed but they can only do so much with a limited work force. Just saying all this because I love liphook Fantastic place to live.

Re: Grass verges - Jen (30th May 2022 - 14:34:38) @D, on the contrary, roadside verges are an important part of the natural habitat and support hundreds of different types of wildflowers, which in turn provide food and habitat for insects.. wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/managing-land-wildlife/managing-road-verges-wildlife

Re: Grass verges - Mandy (30th May 2022 - 16:41:01) I think there's a difference between leaving cutting a grass verge alongside a road outside of a built up area and not cutting grass that is inside a village/town/built up area that is alongside a 30mph road and/or footpath. Jens link to the website suggesting why not to and when to cut verges seems to mirror that opinion. The first thing I read was: "Cutting at the wrong time – for example, from early spring – can cause considerable harm to the wildlife in verges, as many wildflowers will not have a chance to flower or set seed and habitats are destroyed in the process. However, many verges are choked with lush, tall-growing grasses and tall, competitive plants like thistles, hogweed, cow parsley, docks and nettles which leave no room for anything else. As a general rule, where growth is not lush, tall and limited to just a few common plants, delay the cutting until later in the year, ideally from August onwards. This allows wildflowers the chance to grow and set their seed, and gives wildlife time to make the most of the habitat." From what I can see the vast majority of the grass verges that have not been cut come under the "......... However, many verges are choked with lush, tall-growing grasses and tall, competitive plants like thistles, hogweed, cow parsley, docks and nettles which leave no room for anything else........." so I believe they should be being cut for safety, aesthetics and to encourage other plants to grow? Where there are large areas of grass that is full of wild flowers then I fully agree leave it until the flowers have gone to seed but please lets get everything else cut!

Re: Grass verges - Penny Williamson (30th May 2022 - 18:23:01) Mandy Very well said - good, balanced and informative post. Thank you.

Re: Grass verges - Tm (30th May 2022 - 20:41:44) We are all missing one salient point, in Mother Nature's design, grass was never left uncut, it was cut judiciously by the teeth of large herds of animals that we no longer permit to roam her lands. The vegetation they ate and their manure beds favoured the seedlings of some of our best loved traditional wildfowers. Hence, if modern woman won't cut the grass, having exterminated most large wildlife, thank men for that, we create an artificial scenario where instead of attracting beautiful wildflowers, the unpredated grasslands are overtaken by large dominant weeds such as we see along the edges of motorways, to create traditional wildflower verges or meadows without traditional large herbivores requires greater effort that I doubt our hard pressed labourers are funded for, especially in these cash strapped times, despite good intentions, we seem doomed to yo yo between artificially twee cut verges almost barren of wildlife beyond worms and ants or unruly weedlands, fertile yet brutal, the modern human paradox😱

Re: Grass verges - dj (31st May 2022 - 14:20:00) songs to play on radio as you drive through LIphook Welcome to the jungle Whispering grass any other suggestions for the ramshackled , disgusting , un cared for verges

Re: Grass verges - Pete (31st May 2022 - 15:52:17) "You are so beautiful"

Re: Grass verges - Anon (31st May 2022 - 22:30:20) "Green green grass of home"

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