Chickendoodle Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 After seeing various things on TV about wildflowers helping our insects we have decided we would like to grow some. There is an area of very mossy lawn that we will use - only about 6ft square but better than nothing I am a complete gardening numpty. I have looked at various sites and the recommendations seem to vary from laying seeds directly onto soil, not growing them at all within an existing lawn to planting young plants within a lawn. Can anyone help. We don't want to spend loads and we are not good on maintenance. Also don't really want it to look like an area of weeds. I guess we will have to put some form of barrier between the wildflowers and the existing lawn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 You can buy packets of mixed wildflower seeds in Sainsburys (other supermarkets are available ) which aren't expensive. I have bought but not sure how good they are as the chickens usually dig them up before they have a chance to germinate. If you are thinking along the lines of a meadow like area, then you just mow up to the edge of the wild bit. If you are looking for more along the line of actual shrubs, then plants like Buddleia, lavender, and I have one which I don't know the name of but its about 2 ft tall with tiny bluey purple flowers which the bees love are really good for bees and butterflies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millie Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I love Borage, it is blue flowering (lots of) and re-seeds itself, plus the hens seem to leave it, bees love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne2 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Grass is really srong growing, hence a lot of seeds will fail to germinate if planted in grass. But you say the area is mossy - is it shady? If so, then you need to get wildflower mix that like shade /semi-shade, otherwise they won't do well. I think it's a lovely idea. Where I've seen wildflower lawns etc before, I thinkn the msot effective is where a path is mown very neatly through it, or very neatly clipped around it - to me it makes it look well-kept and flowery, rather than like a patch of flowering weeds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinning Top Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I have one which I don't know the name of but its about 2 ft tall with tiny bluey purple flowers which the bees love are really good for bees and butterflies. Scabious??? Have you looked at the Naturescape website? It's a wildlife plant nursery near Nottingham which my parents have receommended and I'm planning a trip when they open in April. They do seeds and plants by mail order and while I was looking this morning, I saw a collection of plug plants that are OK to mow fairly short specifically to go in lawns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickendoodle Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Thanks - will have a look at Naturescape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Get yourself to Poundland! I've bought a box of fragrant Wild flower seed for £1. You just sprinkle, then rake! It will cover 15 square metres. I am going to spread mine on the hillocks, that the tractor can't mow, to pretty them up. I know these are nice, as a friend of my mums had a box of this seed last year. Mum said it was lovely & had poppies, cornflowers & other unusual looking lovely flowers. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Ooooh! £1 land here I come! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Whatever you plant has to go on soil so rake off the moss and get as much grass out as possible. Plant a perennial annual mix so you get the annual flowers giving you blooms in the first year before the perennials kick in. Hubby and I have done this with half the garden and it has worked really well. We leave it completely uncut till the autumn which gives the annuals time to self seed. You must take the cuttings away to keep the soil as poor as possible. Plant crocus snowdrop and aconite (the last two naturalise easily and are available "in the green" just now) and these will come up before the flowers and are a valuable source of early pollen to all sorts of bees,bumbles,hoverflies and wasps. Have a look here http://www.meadowmania.co.uk/default.cfm/loaddoc.60 for insect friendly shade loving plants. Could I take this opportunity to stress that using insecticides in the garden does immense harm, whatever "friendly" plants you put in. Neonicotinoid pesticides have been linked to drastic collapse in bee numbers. Check your bug stuff and if it has acetamiprid, imidacloprid, thiacloprid or thiamethoxam in it throw it away.........please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I'm just watching this http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01cktgq and it has a really interesting bit about wild flower planting. Below is a list of some of the flowers used Cosmos ‘Antiquity’ Dahlia ‘Bishop of Auckland’ Dahlia ‘Juliet’ Zinnia ‘Envy’ Moluccella laevis - Bells of Ireland Verbena bonariensis Verbena rigida Mina lobata Runner Bean ‘Painted Lady’ Eccremocarpus ‘Tresco’ Thunbergia alata ‘Blushing Susie’ Nasturtium ‘Alaska’ I'm going to write them down and see if I can get some. I have a perfect area (subject to strict fencing off from chickens) which is a shady slope and would look amazing with meadow like flowers on it EDIT to add: No its not Scabious I have. I'll see if the label is still there and let you know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 You can buy wild flower mixes and individual seed packets by mail order direct from Sarah Raven if you have any problems although most of the plants are quite common. She can be a tad on the pricey side for some items but from memory most seeds are £1.95, although the mixes are more. She does provide good quality though You use any one of the single flowered cosmos, I had a packet of the single white 'Purity' from her last year and it flowered its socks off - you couldn't count the blooms there were so many. Ditto beans - there are many varieties to choose from! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I was just going to ask this myself.........having watched Sarah Raven's programme last night. I can't wait to do this in my garden and hear all those lovely insects buzzing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I got some lovely Lush bath bombs yesterday,& noticed earlier that the tag is studded with wild flower seeds. There are planting instructions too. If you buy loose seed I seem to remember that mixing the seed with a little potting compost makes it go further Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Thank you Daphne. I was hoping the BBC site would have details, but sadly it didn't I shall have a look and see what she has in each collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Whatever you plant has to go on soil so rake off the moss and get as much grass out as possible.Plant a perennial annual mix so you get the annual flowers giving you blooms in the first year before the perennials kick in. Hubby and I have done this with half the garden and it has worked really well. We leave it completely uncut till the autumn which gives the annuals time to self seed. You must take the cuttings away to keep the soil as poor as possible. Plant crocus snowdrop and aconite (the last two naturalise easily and are available "in the green" just now) and these will come up before the flowers and are a valuable source of early pollen to all sorts of bees,bumbles,hoverflies and wasps. Have a look here http://www.meadowmania.co.uk/default.cfm/loaddoc.60 for insect friendly shade loving plants. Could I take this opportunity to stress that using insecticides in the garden does immense harm, whatever "friendly" plants you put in. Thank you O S H I have ordered 25g packet. Neonicotinoid pesticides have been linked to drastic collapse in bee numbers. Check your bug stuff and if it has acetamiprid, imidacloprid, thiacloprid or thiamethoxam in it throw it away.........please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickendoodle Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 Thanks OSH - I have ordered some seeds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne2 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Has anyone tried seeds from Pictorial Meadows? They aren't native wildflower mixtures, they're summer-long insect freindly mixture (sounds like same as on Sarah Raven prog?). I quite fancy trying them out though they're a but ££ as you buy in bulk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I am going to get some and split with a neighbour; maybe you could do the same? By a process of cunning deduction I think I have worked out that they are the same seeds SR used in her trial beds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stehaggan Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 If you go onto the co-op website and look at their "plan bee" campaign you can email them to request some free wild flower seeds. I did this last year and got sent about 6 packets from them and planted some around my apiary and on neighbouring allotment plots. The bees loved them - there was a huge variety of plants and best of all they were FREE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Could it be Comfrey (see below)? It comes in all colours and the insects love it. Wiggly Wigglers do lovely packs of wildflower seeds and plants too. I often walk the dogs through an organically managed estate; at the end of the summer the verges were covered with seeding wildflowers so I collected some seedheads and have just scattered them on the flower beds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
