THE haymaking diet keeps Harry and Kate King in good shape as they cut their two-acre Martley orchard by hand to preserve thousands of orchids and other wild flowers.

Now their dedication has won them a special award from English Nature.

The Kings, who are in their 70s, bought a former farm cottage in Pudford Lane and three acres of orchard and meadow, in 1973.

After noticing the first few orchids they took advice from experts and Mr King began cutting the hay with a scythe.

"We resisted the advice to plough it up and plant potatoes," said Mr King.

"On two acres we now have around 10,000 orchids of four varieties as well as 132 other species. Plus I lose 10lbs in weight every time we do the haymaking."

Mrs King said the floor of the old apple orchard is covered in a pink blush in June and July, when the orchids are in bloom.

"We also have a yellow

flush early in the season, with cottage daffodils, cowslips, primroses and

ox-eye daisies," she said.

The orchard is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and yesterday the Kings were among 19 owners and occupiers of SSSIs honoured by English Nature for preserving some of England's most important wildlife sites.

David and Christine Troth, of Himbleton, near Worcester, also received an award for making Salt Meadow SSSI one of the top two neutral grasslands in Worcestershire.

"It was a shock to find the land we had bought for our cows was an site of special scientific interest. But we worked with English Nature and they helped us by providing a shelter and grazing land. The meadow looks wonderful now," said Mr Troth.

In thanking the winners of the "green Oscars" at yesterday's London award ceremony, English Nature's chairman, Sir Martin Doughty, said the awards represented heartfelt thanks to a handful of outstanding owners and managers of SSSIs.

"People are key to conserving our array of wildlife and natural resources," he said.