British & Irish Botany 2(4): 377-406, 2020 Galeopsis speciosa (Lamiaceae): an Open Vegetation seed bank community at Worsley in Salford (v.c.59), revealed during construction of the new Royal Horticultural Society Garden at Bridgewater Michael J. Crawley Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, SL5 7PY Corresponding author:
[email protected] This pdf constitutes the Version of Record published on 7th December 2020 Abstract This paper provides a baseline flora for the site of the new garden of the Royal Horticultural Society at Worsley New Hall in Salford (v.c.59). During construction, 35,000 m3 of top-soil, sub-soil and spoil were stripped and stored onsite; species recruiting from these seed banks were monitored 2017-2020, leading to the description of a new Galeopsis speciosa Open Vegetation plant community. Four commercial wildflower mixes were used during post-construction landscaping in 2019, and their establishment was assessed in 2020. It will be interesting to follow the survival of these introduced species, many of which are not native to the site. Keywords: landscaping; seed bank; RHS; introduced species; establishment; wildflower seed mix Introduction Francis Egerton (1736-1803), 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, made a fortune in the mid- 18th century from coal mines at Worsley in Lancashire. Known as a pioneer of canal construction, he is regarded as the father of British inland navigation. He commissioned the Bridgewater Canal to service the coal mines, the first true canal in the modern world, which was built for him by his agent John Gilbert with advice from the engineer James Brindley.