wildflower seeds

I also love the wild flowers and last Autumn planted the bottom of my lawn up with several packets of seeds. As well as the usual corn flowers and like I planted some snakes head fritilliaries and cow slips in parts which should do quite well in our clay soil I hope? I will probably need to add some more seeds to top up in spring?

Not having spent too much time getting to know butterflies I am looking forward to this area growing up and flowering, I shall then see what butterflies and other wildlife are attracted here.

My wild flower area will (hopefully) lead into an area which I have been trying to create some log piles and woodland paths which in turn will lead out to the open countryside. I am keeping all fingers and toes crossed that it will grow and flower and help attract more wildlife into the rest of the garden! 

KatTai said:

Because if they don't eat they don't get nice and juicy for the thrushes and blackbirds?

But the blasted bellyfeet DO eat, KatTai, usually your precious (expensive) seedlings and prized bought in plants that cost a fortune, the least they can do is leave the wild flowers alone.

Unknown said:

POPPY'S !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just love them,

Me too Big Robbo - I love to plant loads in large pots, corn marigolds in others, ox eye daisies in others and cornflowers in yet more, maybe a few pots of red campion and then group them altogether to make a fab show. That way they all have ample space, no competition from each other or weeds and they cheer this old heart - plus I can collect their seed for next years pots with ease.

 

Kezsmum said:

Because if they don't eat they don't get nice and juicy for the thrushes and blackbirds?

But the blasted bellyfeet DO eat, KatTai, usually your precious (expensive) seedlings and prized bought in plants that cost a fortune, the least they can do is leave the wild flowers alone.

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This is why I never buy expensive plants lol  At least the wildflowers are relatively cheep to replace!

 

Millie & Fly the Border Collies

I love your enthusiasm. I too have bought a load of seed and hoping to plant the majority tomorrow. They are all wildflowers and like Ratty, I bought from Chiltern seeds as they are very near to where I live. I can't remember them all but list includes cornflowers, marigolds, scabious, daisies (to put in my new lawn) poppies, etc.

I am growing most as plug plants to put in a new meadow area. It is exciting, I just hope most germinate. We will all have to put photos on here in the summer. and compare notes LOL

The big juicy slugs tend not be the main culprits when it comes to eating precious veggies and plants, they tend to prefer plant matter that's already dead, its the keel slugs, the tiny little black, brownish or grey jobbies that eat your lettuces or whatever.  Thrushes/blackbirds can't get at keels because they live underground during the day and probably wouldn't trouble if they could get at 'em, they're not much of a beak full. A nice idea for providing big, fat juicies for birds is a slug hotel - make it in a shaded, dampish area, provide nooks and crannies between piled up stones, bricks, broken terracotta pots etc, put in some nice stalks, eaves and so on and, so the theory goes, it'll attract the bellyfeet, both slug and snail and also those who love to eat them. Thought I'd try it this year. Doesn't solve the keel slug problem though - nematodes do but yet again, expensive - deep sigh! And meanwhile, as KatTai says, wildflowers are cheap to replace, seed being plentiful but that doesn't help with your lettuces, beans etc.,sadly

Arthur N said:

I am growing most as plug plants to put in a new meadow area. It is exciting, I just hope most germinate. We will all have to put photos on here in the summer. and compare notes LOL

Good idea about the plug plants and as to the photographs, maybe I can get Himself to help (he has the camera and the techno skills:-)

 

Unknown said:

re wildflower seeds...i have found a packet of rspb wildflower seeds i didnt know i,d got. this year i intend to leave the bottom 10m of lawn to grow wild as its always full of dandelions, the question is can i just sow the seeds on the lawn?

 

The first year I tried it it worked ok but not brilliant.  I raked the grass quite hard to thin it out.  It hasn't been as good in the years since so I am going to start afresh this year and buid a raised wild flower lawn. I've just started a new thread on this - woops!

 

Best wishes

 

Stoat

Hi Doggie,

Depends on the wildflower seeds, if they are meadow seeds they don't like rich soil so it takes a while to get your grass area poor enough, you have to rake up all the cut grass and keep doing it until the area is poor in nutrients - the quickest way to get plants established is probably to plant them in plugs, in seed compost, which is light on nutrients, bring them on then plant them in the grass but when you mow, after flowering and seed setting you MUST rake up the cut grass. It's best to mow just 2 times a year, early and after the plants have set seed and ripened, then the wildflower seeds self seed in the grass - hopefully:-) Wildflower meadows can be very difficult to get established, it takes lots of patience

Corn field wildflowers like a rich soil and don't like competition, so its best to clear the ground of grass and unwanted weeds and then sow your cornflowers, field poppies, corn marigold and so on. Again, when they set seed leave them to ripen then spread em about.

Hope that helps:-)