The importance of roadside verges

When I was small we, as a family, used to go hunting for wild flowers in the hedgerows and verges - not so much traffic in those days - and press them. It was fun. How things change - and not always for the better.

Selling dug out flowers? From the public lands and verges? What next.

I heard something about this on the radio at lunchtime.
Not just roadside verges, but other locations eg banks of streams etc. People are digging up pretty wildflowers , taking them home and planting them in their gardens. Some are even selling them for a high price.
I check out what's growing in the verges here and was worried last week as it seemed that even the nettles and brambles were dying of some dread disease. But it turned out it was probably due to a few hard night frosts we had had.
Though some nettles are already curling up with infestations of peacock butterfly larvae.
www.alamy.com/stock-photo-caterpillar-of-peacock-butterfly-inachis-io-on-nettles-england-uk-33856304.html