Wild flower garden - first attempt
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Soldato
Yeah it has been dry but we did have some rain last week.
No idea. I did a small area because I know it's better to remove the grass. And I didn't want the effort of doing more.
Will double the size this winter by putting the same carpet over the next patch of grass.
Soldato
Wildflowers can't compete well with established grasses as the grasses can easily outcompete them.
Once the wildflowers are established, it's a little different. Always a good idea to sow some Yellow Rattle as well. Yellow Rattle is parasitic to grass as its roots latch onto grass roots and pull nutrition from there which weakens grasses.
Yellow Rattle does need stratification to get started - a period of frost to break the seed. So sow in Autumn or, if in Spring, put in the fridge for a week or so to emulate low temps.
Once the wildflowers are established, it's a little different. Always a good idea to sow some Yellow Rattle as well. Yellow Rattle is parasitic to grass as its roots latch onto grass roots and pull nutrition from there which weakens grasses.
Yellow Rattle does need stratification to get started - a period of frost to break the seed. So sow in Autumn or, if in Spring, put in the fridge for a week or so to emulate low temps.
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Yeah that's what I heard. I preferred to do a small. Area. Properly than a bigger area and be disappointed
Soldato
Same here. It's about 10m².
Hadn't taken off spectacularly this year but the weather has, overall, been crap. I expect it's 2nd year to be better.
Even with that, I have a few things pop up and some have even flowered:
Meadow Buttercup
Bulbous Buttercup
Ribwort Plantain
Willowherb
Pansy
And a few others that's haven't flowered yet so no idea what they are. I didn't even sow the last willowherb or pansy so must have came in on a bird.
I may sow some in trays at the start of next year and then transplant into bare bits as plugs to get them started better.
Mines grown like crazy.
Got corn flowers flowering now.
I'll probably get same mix again when I expand.
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emptied a box of meadow seeds into one of the veg beds in spring and theyve turned out ok
That's amazing!
Many pollinators visit?
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Soldato
That looks fantastic, hope to do something similar for next year.
Soldato
Looks awesome - love it !
Buzzin!
I hope a few others are encouraged to plant too. Balance out some of the artificial grass laying going on.
Mini update. Poppies have emerged.
Soldato
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Needs to be regular not just now and again (its bone dry here so watering is the order of the day)
emptied a box of meadow seeds into one of the veg beds in spring and theyve turned out ok
That's great! Can you share any info on the cost of the box and how much of an area it covers?
Soldato
I appear to have a poppy as well even though I didn't plant any (same as the pansy)
It's coming along ok. I have pulled out a few non-desirables like thistle, dock and redshank.
Willowherb (2nd pic) is quite spread so I may thin them out if they start taking over in the next couple of years. Plenty of Meadow Buttercup and Bulbous Buttercup too.
Buttercup (Meadow and Bulbous)
Willowherb
Ribwort Plantain
Common Poppy
Yeah. Willow herb can completely dominate. It looks so nice in thick clumps out in the wild. But it does dominate.
Oh i need to get a pic of all the cinnebar! I have 100s of cinnebar now on the ragwort patch I leave each year!
Got about 10 stalks like that!
Oh i need to get a pic of all the cinnebar! I have 100s of cinnebar now on the ragwort patch I leave each year!
Got about 10 stalks like that!
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Soldato
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I appear to have a poppy as well even though I didn't plant any (same as the pansy)
It's coming along ok. I have pulled out a few non-desirables like thistle, dock and redshank.
Willowherb (2nd pic) is quite spread so I may thin them out if they start taking over in the next couple of years. Plenty of Meadow Buttercup and Bulbous Buttercup too.
You've got creeping buttercup too as well as broad leaved willowherb gardeners typically regard those as common weeds! They will repidly take over the bed if not controlled buttercup especially which will take over the lawn too. Common/field poppies are nice though.
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Soldato
It's Meadow Buttercup and Bulbous Buttercup as the leaves are different (creeping buttercup has 3 leaves but the middle leaf has its own stalk whereas Meadow is 3 leaves joined together)
Don't get me wrong, there has been a couple of creeping buttercups in there but I have pulled them out.
I plan on removing a few willowherb plants as well.
Edit.
Creeping Buttercup leaf - it the centre leaf has its own stalk
Meadow Buttercup - all leaved are joined together at their bases
I just dug that Creeping Buttercup out. They are easy to find due to the stolons it throws out enabling you to trace it back to the parent plant.
Here's the little bugger in full:
I checked the other 5 or 6 Buttercup plants and they are all growing from the one "base" i.e. no creeping stolons.
Also - I planted Meadow and Bulbous Buttercup so I know certain ones are meant to be there.
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Soldato
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Thats the one. Meadow buttercups are taller and are rather nice