Summer is a great time to plant up some wildflowers to give the bees some extra pollen… Here’s how we’d suggest planting up a mini wildflower meadow.
Choosing a plot for your wildflowers
You can go for whatever size you like, but it’s definitely easier to start small. You can easily grow a mini wildflower meadow in a pot or container, or in a dedicated patch of the garden. The flowers will need plenty of sunshine, ideally 4-5 hours a day minimum.
Can I plant wildflowers into grass?
Yes, although of course the flowers will have to compete with the grass for sunlight, water and nutrients so you may find the results are not quite as pleasing! Cut the grass as short as possible before planting, and make sure you remove the clippings. It’s best to plant into grassland when the soil is moist, so wait for rainfall if it’s been very dry. Use a trowel or dibber to make homes to push the wildflower plugs into the soil and firm in well. Try not to mow again until after the wildflowers are over for the season. There is more advice on planting wildflowers into grass in the post featured below.
Which wildflowers are in the plug plant collection?
Each wildflower plug contains a lucky dip seedling mix from over 100 different wildflowers, from the list below (as well as several more, but these are the key flowers that most people will recognise!) There are multiple varieties in a single plug, and you don’t need to thin them out.
Agrimony
Buttercup
Clover
Campion
Columbine
Cornflower
Cowslip
Cow Parsley
Daisy
Forget-me-not
Foxglove
Cranesbill
Poppy
Primrose
Ragged Robin
Teasel
Yarrow
Wild Marjoram
Vetch
How many plug plants do I need?
We would recommend 25 plugs to a 50cm-100cm wide planter (or for one of our traditional crate planters ) or 50 per square metre if planting in beds/borders
How close together should I plant them?
For best results, plant the plugs quite close together, about 10cm apart.
Should I thin out the seedlings?
No, each plug contains multiple seedlings as explained above. Just plant them as they come, no thinning out, for an authentic meadow look.
What compost should I use?
A multipurpose compost in your pots will be fine.
How long will they flower for?
This really depends on the season, but you can expect flowers until early autumn.The various different plants flower at slightly different times of year, so you may not see some until next spring, whereas others will flower in the next few weeks.
Will the wildflowers come back next year?
If you allow the flowers to form seed heads they should self-seed readily so that your wildflower meadow comes back to life again next spring. You can encourage this by giving the seedheads a little shake from time to time to encourage the seeds to sprinkle
How do I look after wildflowers?
Just keep them watered during dry spells – if you are growing them in pots and containers, water 2-3 times a week unless it rains. For pot-grown wildflowers, a feed will help in late summer as they quickly deplete the pot of nutrients. You shouldn’t need to give them feed this season if they are growing in beds, but a wormcast tea feed next spring will give them a good boost. Don’t feed wildflowers that are growing in grass – the grass will use all the nutrients and crowd out the wildflowers!
