Composition in the Park

Our design brings back to life a composer, Dorothy Howell who in 1919 against a backdrop of Women's Suffrage and virtually no female role models shot to fame with her musical composition played at the "Proms", Royal Albert Hall, London. We will create a wildlife garden that closely imitates the undulating landscape of Wollescote park, which at that time was the countryside surrounding Dorothy's family home and reflects her early pianofortes; Mouse Dance, The Shower and Will o' the Wisp The naturalistic scheme combines native trees, plants and a meandering stream and seeks to capture the natural soundscape of birdsong, trickling water and rustling mammals evocative of the music. The stream is flanked by cascading ferns and under the trees are shade-tolerant ground covering plants. As the light increases, the colourful and scented flowers attract pollinators, seed-heads are left for invertebrate habitats and winter-interest. Bordering the scheme, meadow grasses are uncut until the seed heads have dropped for natural reseeding. Alongside the stream moss-covered rocks offer refuge for mammals and the decaying log adds beneficial biomatter to the soil in the marshy area surrounded by moisture-loving plants.