My friend Sarah had some building work done last year, and was left with a south west facing bank of poor quality spoil next to her kitchen. After a not entirely sober conversation over dinner last summer and against her inclination (!) she very sweetly agreed to plant it with native wildflowers. And - thank goodness - what a result! It couldn't have been much easier to do, and it couldn't be much easier to maintain. I've chronicled its progress in our
Projects section on the website. We spent a month weeding and spraying before planting a couple of trays of our mixed
"wildflower plugs for sunny sites" in June. We pepped it up by sowing some Corncockle in the autumn, when Sarah tidied up the perennials. Apart from that all she's done is the occasional weed.
The odd arrival blows in from the riverbank behind the bed too, or just pops up unbidden - some are welcome and some are not. I love the Fox and Cubs (
Hieracium Aurantiacum), but I'm at best ambivalent about Figwort (which gets everywhere here), and nettles are definitely not welcome. The overall visual effect a year after planting is great, and I'm chuffed to bits with the biodiversity we've introduced to the garden through developing a relatively small area. The bed is low maintenance, will flower all summer, and over time its appearance will change naturally as it matures. Needless to say, the plants are ALL great for wildlife. There is nectar and pollen in abundance, and butterflies in particular love it for its warm aspect and the key foodplants they find there. Aesthetically and environmentally appealing. Result.
Related Posts: Wildflower Plugs
The odd arrival blows in from the riverbank behind the bed too, or just pops up unbidden - some are welcome and some are not. I love the Fox and Cubs (Hieracium Aurantiacum), but I'm at best ambivalent about Figwort (which gets everywhere here), and nettles are definitely not welcome. The overall visual effect a year after planting is great, and I'm chuffed to bits with the biodiversity we've introduced to the garden through developing a relatively small area. The bed is low maintenance, will flower all summer, and over time its appearance will change naturally as it matures. Needless to say, the plants are ALL great for wildlife. There is nectar and pollen in abundance, and butterflies in particular love it for its warm aspect and the key foodplants they find there. Aesthetically and environmentally appealing. Result.
Related Posts: Wildflower Plugs