So many of us were keen to experiment with wild-flower meadow areas in our gardens this year; allowing the grasses to grow long, sewing wild flower seeds, or seedlings ... but many of these areas are now past their best. In late summer, these wilder areas evolve to look somewhat brown and scraggly rather than fresh and vibrant! If like me, you still have some wild flowers blooming, it can feel a bit contradictory to cut the lot down when pollinators are still buzzing around the pops of colour amongst the flopping and fading vegetation.
Marbled White Butterfly: Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
At Flatford Wildlife Garden, we cut areas down here and there to keep some of that habitat and available, it's done in stages rather than all at once. There are tips here on how to Manage a wildflower meadow from the Sussex Wildlife Trust where they encourage leaving long grasses around the edges, and this video with Monty Don shows his tips on Mowing a wildflower meadow in late summer.
August and September are ideal months to start cutting back to stop tough grasses completely taking over and to allow light and air in for propagation where wildflowers have set seed.
Adrian Thomas is a Project Manager for the RSPB with years or conservation and wildlife gardening experience. He has written books including RSPB Guide to Birdsong and Gardening for Wildlife plus a regular Gardening for Wildlife blog. In his informative post: "Make hay while the sun shines", he advises on both when and how to cut your meadow area in a way to be most beneficial to wildlife.
Adrian Thomas talking to John Gould at a wild flower meadow, created thanks to the enthusiasm and energy of 86 year old John who liaised with local landowners and the various utility companies, co-ordinated with the Parish Council, successfully inviting 3 local farmers to perform the large scale work, Dorset, August 2017. Photo: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
...and what about when it's all cut and gone? Well, there will be more growth throughout autumn so to get the best looking spring growth next year, give it another couple of cuts before Christmas to let the light and rain in and to keep it tidy. It's all part of putting the garden to sleep and preparing for next year, even though there's still so much still blooming in other areas of the garden through late summer, September and Autumn.