As people voice frustrations on rewilded road verges, this Dundee gardening expert prefers keeping things “messy”.
Kevin Frediani is the curator for the Dundee Botanic Gardens, where gardeners have adopted rewilding – in simple terms, letting nature do its thing.
In light of recent backlash regarding rewilded public areas, Kevin said that these individuals must “get over” their concerns for roadside “messiness”.
He said: “I find it a real challenge because this neat and tidy mindset has come through from a shifting baseline of what’s acceptable.
“These are just perceptions and quite frankly, they are psychological perceptions that people have got to get over.”
Rewilding doubters have ‘psychological challenge to overcome’
Rewilding caused a stir in Perthshire recently, when 76 locals signed a petition urging Perth and Kinross council to reconsider their rewilding policy.
The council refused and voted to continue its “no-mow” strategy.
Kevin calls for more acceptance of rewilding within public spaces.
“When we look at the perception of weeds, those are simply wild flowers growing in the wrong place.
“But who decides it’s a wrong place?
“Is that the council looking after the interests of the majority or is it an individual who’s got a psychological challenge to overcome which is in their own mind?”
Dundee rewilding encourages thriving wildlife
Kevin says that rewilding at the Dundee Botanic Gardens has had a great impact.
The gardens have been undergoing a “transition” since 2020. Back then, they were a source of carbon, using tractor-mounted mowers and strimmers to maintain the landscape and were using weed killer and petrochemicals.
Since then, they have switched things up and become a carbon sink. They have left weedkillers and mowers behind and he has seen an impact on the biodiversity at the gardens.
“For the first time in our 50 year history, we have kingfishers on our water bodies,” Kevin said.
“Here we are in the west end of Dundee, a city of 40,000 people. And we’ve got red squirrels and sparrowhawks.
“We even have the occasional deer coming through.
“So these are all pointing to the landscape bouncing back from 50 years of cultural abuse, even though we were enjoying a nice and tidy garden.
“What we’ve got now is a conservation garden and a rich biodiversity resource.”
To anyone who sees rewilded spaces as messy or unclean, Kevin said: “Our relationship with nature is out of balance.
“I would ask them rather than judge, take time to engage with nearby nature.
“They will not only begin the knowledge journey, but they will also potentially rewild their mind.”
Conversation