I AM always sorry when people call for every piece of green space to be "tidied" as though it were a formal public park.

In spring, Janet Kitchen enjoyed seeing daffodils in the Malton Road verges but now complains about the wild plants that have taken their place (Letters, September 28).

Wild vegetation has its charms and its value too, and I hope that soon she will thrill to the sight of goldfinches feeding on the seed heads of the docks and thistles and that next summer her heart will lift as she sees her first Red Admiral butterfly, whose caterpillars fed on the nettles.

Carefully and knowledgeably managed, roadside verges can be effective linear nature reserves, providing valuable habitat for wildlife and bringing joy into the lives of people who appreciate nature.

Some local authorities, in East Anglia for example, know this very well and their highways and wildlife officers have worked together to devise verge management schedules based on ecological surveys and tailored to the ecological characteristics of individual locations.

The result, at minimal cost, is verges that display breathtaking floral and wildlife diversity including everything from the more rampant plants Janet Kitchen dislikes, to profusions of the most delicate and beautiful wild orchids.

The York Natural Environment Trust has for several years advocated this enlightened approach to City of York Council and some of its more progressive officers have expressed interest. Perhaps therefore we may one day see York's roadside verges being deliberately managed for the wildlife that can bring so much interest, beauty and excitement into peoples daily lives.

Barry Potter,

Knapton Lane,

York.

Updated: 09:22 Thursday, October 13, 2005