Wonders of Our Garden - Bringing the Wildflower Back
With 97% of our native wildflowers disappearing since the 1930s¹, now appears the perfect — and potentially only — opportunity to bring the Wildflower back into our gardens. After all, who doesn’t want to see a beautiful mass of wildflower colours evolve throughout the summer season, abuzz with pollinators?
Likely very few of us will single-handedly restore the 7.5 million acres² lost through development, intensive farming, and other environmental factors, but considering a single square metre can contain up to 40 species of flowers, even the smallest patch within our own spaces can cumulatively make a huge difference.
There’s no need to list a series of species. Suffice it to say, if you’ve passed a spot which is bursting with colour in the middle of nowhere and thought ‘that’s pretty’, it was probably wildflowers: from the broad Ox-Eye Daisy, to the miniature trumpets of ‘Yellow Rattle ’, to the ‘Wild Carrot’ which curls into a distinctive ‘bird's nest’ shape as it goes to seed. The benefit I see, as a commercial contractor who maintains wildflower areas, is that they’re so adaptable; one of the few plants which, paradoxically, thrives in nutrient-poor soil where there’s little competition from grass or other weeds. Naturally, this makes Wildflowers (and there are plenty of variations for soil type and shade) a prime candidate for areas of the garden which otherwise look rather drab and are overtaken with weeds — and you never have to invest in pH-changing compost or feeds to see them thrive.
Costly? Not at all — there are plenty of organisations offering native seed packs and ‘pollinator boosters’ which are free or very low cost. Perennials tend to be a higher initial cost but lower long-term maintenance, whereas the annuals (particularly the vibrant cornflower mixes) have a lower initial cost but take a few years of ‘topping up’ with seed to provide a sufficient seed bank within the soil for consistent long-term colour. The RHS³ has a brilliant, detailed how-to, but the main takeaway is that an established wildflower area requires very little in terms of maintenance: the odd pulling of invasive weeds and grass, and a scythe and rake cut to disperse the seeds. Compared to bedding plants or formal borders, they really are as low maintenance as it gets, with the added benefit that there is so much diversity you’re rarely undone by the weather; some years certain species will do better than others, but you’ll never be left with (expensive) crispy or slug-nibbled bedding plants.
Creating a wildflower area really is as simple as it gets horticulturally; pick a sunny spot, scrape until bare, fine soil and sprinkle the seeds on top. There’s no need to buy fertiliser — in fact, wildflowers struggle to outcompete grasses and other weeds which thrive in fertile soil, so the more nutrient deficient, the better chance of the wildflowers outgrowing their potential competitors. Making a fine ‘tilth’ (thin, fine soil layer with lumps no bigger than a ball bearing) and sprinkling the seeds on top is all it takes. Of course, you can press them in by hand, but definitely don’t bury them, and make sure they are watered consistently. Autumn or Spring are the prime times to plant, and the odd cold snap isn’t a huge worry — many wildflowers rely on ‘cold cues’ to germinate, so adverse weather can often instigate growth! There’s a huge range of seed stockists for native mixes, although be wary of seed mixed with sand or sawdust for ‘easy distribution’—this often takes up a huge percentage of the ‘box weight’ with a low percentage of seed. It’s easy to pick a mix attuned for soil type and garden position, but it’s cost-effective to let nature take its course. Seeing which species thrive is often the best option — those which do well will continue to multiply year on year and build a ‘seed bank’ for future seasons within the soil.
Outside of looking great, providing low-cost and low-maintenance beauty, and reinstating a small portion of lost biodiversity, what does a wildflower patch bring to our gardens? It’s not just horticultural diversity the flowers bring; the countless insects and pollinators bring in the larger mammals and birds — suddenly you may well notice an influx of hedgehogs, birds and other larger animals as you’ve effectively reinstated the bottom rung of the food pyramid. With wildflowers as a foundation, even small areas become infinitely more attractive to a varied range of primary consumers, not just through consumption, but through the living mass which provides their necessary ecosystems. The cover and nutrition provided by tall flowers create an environment which is then capable of supporting more life all the way up to conspicuous predators like the sparrowhawk — a feat impossible without a strong base of varied prey which is in turn supported by an even larger base of plant life.
1 Natural England. (2020, October 14). Nationally important wildflower grasslands get increased protection. GOV.UK.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nationally-important-wildflower-grasslands-get-increased-protec t ion
2 National Trust. (n.d.). Wild flowers in Britain.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/nature/trees-plants/wild-flowers-in-britai n3 Royal Horticultural Society. (n.d.). Creating wildflower meadows.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/lawns/creating-wildflower-meadows
Written by Shane Bowditch
