There’s no denying how much we need our native plants to be replicated and there’s no more of a picturesque site than a fully flourished wildflower meadow to introduce the insect population back into our grassland to do what they do best, and that’s pollinate.
Believe me, i know how good a freshly mown lawn looks and the joy that it brings a lot of people definitely makes it justifiable to have one in my book but if we can all save a spot for some wildflowers in our garden the benefits will be seen by both the host as well as the guest.
The number of bees, butterflies and other pollinators has dropped dramatically in the last 10 years due to poor nutrition leaving them much more open to pesticides and parasites.
For landowners throughout the country and the world, planting a wildflower meadow is beneficial for the pollinators and for the farmers. Huge plots of land were stripped to make space for farm machinery and development so bees and insects were forced to find somewhere else or die. Unfortunately with lack of nutrition comes a drop in immunity which in turn leads to many succumbing to infection.
Wildflower meadows will give the same look as a rough grass meadow in the winter, the only difference is that in the Spring and throughout summer it comes to life with pink, white, yellow and blue flowerheads teaming with beneficial insects. The best thing of all is that in order to establish well they will need an undernourished plot where nothing else will grow. Wild flowers will always thrive in the conditions they were meant to be in, so this can be the perfect solution for that patch of grass that never sees shade or is full of clay and chalk.
Some beautiful flowers to try are Birdsfoot Trefoil, aster and yarrow. These give varied heights and create a veil of colour across the sowed areas.
We all need insects to keep on top of disease in our gardens and to bring food to the birds, but most of all, we need it for our survival and planting more stunning flowers for otherwise wasted land will only benefit everyone in the process.
We have sown many a meadow in the downs and further afield, so if it’s something you’re considering we’d be happy to give you some advice or help you out with your venture! Contact Us here
Below are a few links to people dedicated to making it happen.
