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Q: Can Wildflowers be grown in grass ? A: Yes but the success of this technique is limited and depends on the growing conditions and the type of grassland into which the Wildflower seed is being introduced. Generally fine growing meadow grasses are required that do not grow too rapidly or tall. If you wish to establish wildflowers in  grass then consider using wildflower plug plants if at all possible. If wild flower seed is to be used then follow the guidelines below: Over s

August sees the first signs of autumn with the first migrant birds departing our shores. One of the first and more obvious garden birds to leave are swifts and by the middle of the month most birds will have gone, their screaming calls no longer filling the air on warm summer evenings. Many of our resident birds meanwhile, enter a period of moulting at this time, in which they shed their breeding feathers and develop an often-drabber new plumage for the winter. This can be se

Q. Can Wildflowers be grown successfully on allotments ? A. Yes it is possible to grow wild flowers very successfully on allotments. As well as looking bright and attractive, there are many other benefits to  growing wildflowers on allotments. Many species such as Foxgloves and Teasels attract a wide range of insect predators such as ladybirds that will help control aphid populations and many wild flowers such as Viper’s Bugloss will attract bees thereby  improving pollinatio

Q:  Is it possible to establish Wildflowers on a River bank? A: Riverbanks are generally rich in vegetation and often contain a build up of nutrients. They should be sown or planted in the same way as fertile soils on arable land. An addition problem is the steepness meaning they are usually inaccessible for regular cutting. We suggest the following guidelines: -Consider using Wild flower  plug plants rather than seeds and choose the most competitive species available (we hav

Q: When is the best time to plant wildflower bulbs? A: Wildflower bulbs can be planted in  October and November.

Q:  When is the best time to plant wildflower plug plants ? A:  Wildflower plug plants will normally develop more successfully when planted between May and September.

Q:  When is the best time to  sow wildflowers? A: Wildflower seeds can be sown at any time of year but the best time is generally spring or autumn. Some wild flower seeds such as cowslip and Primrose seeds require  prolonged periods of cold to trigger germination, a process known as stratification. The best time to sow Wildflower Seeds such as these,  is in the Autumn, and in trays of compost which are left outside and exposed to the winter’s weather. Germination should occur

Q: Is it possible to buy wildflowers for lawns ? A: Most garden lawns  contain rye grass, a hard wearing species designed to cope with the wear and tear.  Unfortunately rye grass isn’t compatible with many wildflowers, so the best approach can often be to remove any existing grass and sow a wildflower and meadow grass mixture without rye grass. If this is not possible however, there are still a few species of wildflowers that can be grown quite successfully in lawns containin

Q:  I own an orchard into which I would like to introduce wildflowers. How can this be achieved and which are the best wild flowers for orchards? A: Each year we receive enquiries from customers hoping to introduce wildflowers into orchards, but not necessarily able to remove the existing grass. The following species are all able to withstand  some competition from grasses and are well suited to full sun or semi-shade. Red Campion Field scabious Meadow cranesbill Oxeye daisy

Q:  Can I introduce Poppies and other cornfield seeds into an existing Wildflower meadow? A: Unfortunately most cornfield annuals including Cornflowers and Corn poppies are not able to compete with established grass. To grow a cornfield meadow you will need to create an area of bare soil. As most cornfield seeds are  annuals, the area will need to be dug over and reseeded every year to maintain annual flowering. If the plants are left to set seed for several seasons in succes

Q: How and when should wild flower plant plugs be planted? A: Cut any existing grass as short as possible in the areas where the wildflower plugs are to be positioned, then create a small hole where the plug is to be introduced. (You may find a bulb dibber useful for this) An alternative method is to remove a shallow divot of grass and earth using a spade. This is then turned upside down and put back into the hole from which it was removed. The plug is then introduced into th

Q: What wildflowers are likely to compete well and establish successfully on fertile soils? A: The following species in our experience are all strong growing and compete well. We can supply all the species listed below as individual wildflower seeds . Yarrow Common Sorrel Black Knapweed Greater Knapweed Teasel Lady’s Bedstraw Meadow Cranesbill Common St John’s Wort Field Scabious Oxeye Daisy Cowslip Selfheal White campion Red Campion In addition we can provide wildflower seed

Q: Do wildflower seeds require any special treatment prior to sowing? A: The 2 forms of special treatment are as follows: a. Scarification: This is where hard coated wild flower seeds can be encouraged to germinate more readily by rubbing between two sheets of sandpaper hence allowing moisture to penetrate more readily. A few examples within our own range of wildflower seeds include Rockrose, Meadow Cranesbill, Vetches, Bluebell, Ribbed Melilot and Sainfoin. b. Stratification

Q:  How long do wildflower seeds take to germinate? A: Some wildflower seeds generally germinate very readily and easily. Species such as kidney vetch and Birdsfoot trefoil often take only 2 or 3 days to emerge. Unlike some ordinary flower seeds however, wildflower seeds have not been genetically modified by humans for easy germination and as such there are a few varieties that are notoriously difficult to grow. In fact, some wildflowers seeds have built in mechanisms designe

Q: How many seeds can I expect to receive if I order a 1 gram wild flower seed packet? A: Wildflower seeds come in many different shapes and sizes. Some are particularly large and a 1 gram packet of Yellow Flag iris (Iris pseudacorus) seed will contain approximately 20 seeds. At the other extreme some wild flower seeds are more like dust particles. A 1 gram packet of Common Centaury (Centaurium erythraea) for example will contain a staggering total of around 80,000 seeds! Man

Q: Why is such a low sowing rate of 4 grams per sq. metre recommended for wildflower meadow seed mixtures? A: A low sowing rate is used to encourage a somewhat patchy open grass sward in the short term. This helps to create receptive conditions necessary for the development of wildflower seedlings. Eventually the sward will thicken and close up.

Q: How can I establish a Wild flower meadow seed mix in an arable field grass margin ? A: On arable farmland, wildflower meadow seed is best established alongside hedges, ditches and water courses. The aim is to create a conservation headland several metres wide that will contain a mixture of Native British Wild flowers and Native Meadow grasses that will require minimal maintenance. Once established the resulting Wildflower and Grass strip will act as a buffer reducing run-o

Q: What are the sowing rates for wildflower seeds and mixes ? A: Grass and Wildflower seed mixes 4 grams per square metre or 16 Kgs per acre 100% wildflower seed mixtures 1 grams per square metre or 4 Kgs per acre Cornfield annual seed mixes 2 grams per square metre or 8 Kgs per acre Individual wild flower seeds 1 gram per square metre Meadow grass seed mixes 5 grams per square metre or 20 Kgs per acre The above are the recommended sowing rates which can occasionally be reduc

There are several hundred species of bees native to the British Isles and with many in decline or “at risk”; there has never been better time to give them a helping hand by growing a few native wildflowers. It is hard to find many wildflower species that aren’t good for bees, however it is probably also fair to say, that certain varieties may be somewhat better than others. Viper’s Bugloss, Wild Thyme, Foxgloves, Hedge Woundwort are some notable examples of plants that are ex

Yellow Rattle or Hay Rattle (rhinanthus minor) is partly a parasitic species that draws some of its nutrients though the roots of grasses and is frequently used to increase bio diversity in wild flower meadows. Its parasitic nature suppresses the growth rate of grass, which in turn can make conditions more receptive for the establishment of other wildflower species. Used correctly it can reduce grass growth very successfully and once established can often spread to other area