At the approach to the picturesque village of Glenarm lie some derelict buildings. Situated next to the marina, they are, I guess, prime real estate and would make the perfect venue for a restaurant or a small hotel even. Yet, so far, they remain undeveloped. And left to its own devices, the space has become a wildflower wasteland, a quietly chaotic and unruly haven for beautiful wildflowers (or ugly weeds, depending on your point of view !).
Buddleia growing on the wall of an old building in Glenarm
Hidden beauty
Admittedly, not everyone might appreciate this wildflower wasteland, but a short wander through it reveals a beauty that is not immediately obvious. And though it seems a neglected and abandoned space, it’s actually buzzing with life. It’s a haven for bees, butterflies and all sorts of insects.
Scenes from a wildflower wasteland. Queen Anne’s lace and valerian flower prolifically
Buddleia which seems to grow just about anywhere !
One of my favourites – rosebay willowherb
A wasteland to help climate change
As we become more and more aware of the state of our climate, it got me thinking that we need to embrace, indeed encourage these spaces more, to allow nature space and time to reclaim what it has lost. This presents a challenge no doubt for councils, town planners and developers and to our own ideas of what makes an attractive space. We typically want to see tidy, manicured spaces but perhaps these wildflower wastelands are really the way forward.
What’s your take on this ? I would love to hear what you think on this subject so feel free to leave a comment below.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these photographs. If photography has taught me anything, it’s that there is beauty to be found everywhere. You just need to stop for a second and observe it.
Thanks for stopping by,
Paula
Nature’s own flat lay
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What stunning photographs! I love abandoned industrial sites being taken over by nature. You may have seen it already, but if not you may enjoy an item which was featured on Friday’s Gardener’s World about a huge (400 acre) former heavy industry park in Germany which has been turned into the most wonderful public park and nature reserve. I would love to go there!
Thank you for your lovely comment. I quite like these photos too. No I haven’t seen GW this week but will be sitting down shortly to watch it on catch up with my tea and toast. Thanks for the tip !!!
I’m trying to identify the pink flowers and wondering if they could be valerian, though I’m not sure. They are beautiful whatever they are. I love your last picture , it looks like embroidery. There is some wasteland near where I live ( I think it will be built on soon) and for now nature has reclaimed the land. Lots of thistles but more unusually, there are a few poppies, cornflowers and borage. It’s like someone tipped a packet of wildflower seeds in there. Maybe they did! The butterfles and bees are loving it. X
Oh I will Google valerian and compare it to some of the other pictures I took. I should really bring a book or something with me when I’m out and about !! And yes that last picture does look like embroidery now that you mention it 🙂
Lovely…
Thank you 🙂
These are absolutely stunning photographs. I find old buildings like this one, attractive. Its too bad they couldn’t keep some of the old but still make it into useable space. So beautiful.
Thank you Lisa….yes I like these type of spaces too 🙂
Hi, I’m here by accident. The pottery wasn’t real, but invented for the film A Christmas Star. I painted the sign in 2015 and was meant to also remove it. but the owners of the place decided they want to keep it. I’m glad its still convincing though 🙂
Well, you learn something new everyday lol…thanks for sharing!