Wildflowers masterclass: best expert content
Wildflowers are a colourful addition to the garden
Image: Wildflower mixture from Thompson & Morgan
Wildflowers are beautiful, colourful and a great way to attract beneficial insects to your outside space. Pick up tips on how to grow them in your garden, allotment, or even in an old wheelbarrow using these independent articles, videos and Instagram posts for inspiration.
If you want to create your own annual or perennial wildflower meadow, take a quick look at our pre-prepared wildflower mixes for a quick and easy option. Alternatively, choose your favourite single varieties, like poppies, from our full range of quality wildflower seeds.
Thompson & Morgan blog
Cornflower ‘Blue Diadem’ is an intense azure colour
Image: Cornflower ‘Blue Diadem’ from Thompson & Morgan
Need a hand choosing a wildflower?A particular favourite of the Thompson & Morgan horticultural team, cornflower ‘Blue Diadem’ is an intense azure variety. For more inspiration, read the full article to see what else made our experts’ list of top ten wildflowers. And if you need some growing tips, try these seven wonderful ways to sow your wildflowers. From hanging baskets to guerilla sowing, there are plenty of ideas for gardens of all sizes.
Danielle – @wildflower_spotting
Ragged Robin is an eye-catching wildflower
Image: Lychnis flos-cuculi from Thompson & Morgan
Ragged Robin is a great wildflower for damp or shady areas of the garden, says wildflower identification expert Danielle at her Instagram page @wildflower_spotting. “Sadly habitat loss means that it’s a bit rare outside of gardens in the UK,” she says. Check out her post to learn more about this iconic wildflower and why it’s a good choice to grow.
Greg’s Wildlife
Foxglove is a wildflower that looks best planted in eye-catching drifts
Image: Greg’s Wildlife
Foxgloves love disturbed ground, says wildflower enthusiast Greg over at his YouTube channel Greg’s Wildlife. In their second year of growth they can produce flower spikes that reach a majestic 2.5m tall, he adds. Learn some fascinating foxglove folklore and see glorious footage of these popular wildflowers in this interesting video.
Catherine – Growing Family
Sowing a wildflower patch is a great activity for children
Image: Growing Family
Before you sow your wildflower seeds, try mixing some sand into the mix to make it easier to handle, recommends Catherine at Growing Family. This allows you to sow a finer spread of seeds and makes it easier for kids to handle too. Find out how she sows wildflowers in her excellent article: Giving Nature a Home in Your Garden: Sowing Wildflowers.
Steve – @stevelegend
Wildflowers are a good way to attract pollinators to allotments
Image: Scabious ‘Butterfly Blue’ from Thompson & Morgan
Leaving aside a 4m x 1m patch of his allotment strictly for wildflowers paid off for Instagrammer Steve over at @stevelegend. “I’m so glad we did it, it’s been so colourful and always full of bees and insects,” he says. His tiny patch is packed with colour – check out the reel of stunning photographs to see which wildflowers came up a year after sowing. It’s great inspiration for your own mini-meadow!
@the_wellybobbers
Ox-Eye Daisies look great in meadows, borders or containers
Image: Ox-Eye Daisy from Thompson & Morgan
You don’t need lots of space to create a wildlife-friendly patch of wildflowers. “The wildflower bath tub looks delightfully unruly,” says the nature-loving allotment Instagrammer over at @the_wellybobbers. She deliberately keeps an old tub on the side of her allotment especially for wildflowers. Not only does it look gorgeous, it clearly works for the local wildlife – take a look at her fantastic video of a rare hummingbird moth visiting the blooming valerian.
Ben Vanheems – GrowVeg.com
There’s a space for wildflowers anywhere in the garden
Image: GrowVeg.com
Do you want to grow wildflowers to attract bees and butterflies? YouTuber Ben from GrowVeg.com recommends companion planting alongside crops in the veg patch. “Sow your seeds in rows between crops or to the side of the plot, as a pollinator strip,” he advises. Insects attracted by the flowers boost crops and help keep pests down. “They’re pretty good for the soul too,” he adds.
Lucy – Kids of the Wild
Get creative with your wildflower containers
Image: Kids of the Wild
You don’t need spare ground to plant a wildflower patch – a wheelbarrow does the job equally well, says experienced mum and nature blogger Lucy over at Kids of the Wild. “It takes up very little space in even the smallest garden and is a perfect project for gardening with children,” she says. Just make sure you water your wildflower barrow frequently during the warm summer months like Lucy.
Alexandra – The Middlesized Garden
A wildflower meadow in bloom packs plenty of flower power
Image: The Middlesized Garden
Start a quick and easy mini-meadow in your garden by simply not mowing, suggests Alexandra at her popular blog The Middlesized Garden. “But it’s worth knowing that this works for perennial meadows. An annual meadow would need the soil to be cleared first,” she adds. Read her full article to find out how to create your own mini-meadow, including top tips for introducing annual and perennial wildflowers.
Lee – Garden Ninja
Insects use wildflowers as a source of food
Image: Garden Ninja
Your established wildflower meadow needs cutting three times a year to keep it performing, says Lee Burkhill over at Garden Ninja. “The reason for this is that native grasses and other perennial weeds are far faster growing than both annual and perennial wildflower mixes,” he explains. Check out Lee’s article to find out when to make those crucial cuts, and watch his video to see how it’s done.
Johanna Bobbio
Save the dried flower heads of poppies after flowering for a fun project for late summer
Image: Poppy ‘Royal Wedding’ from Thompson & Morgan
August is a great time to start saving seeds from your favourite wildflowers, says YouTuber Johanna Bobbio. She advises letting all the petals shrivel before cutting, to allow the seeds in the flower head to develop properly. Her lovely video demonstrates every step as Johanna dries and sorts her home produced wildflower seeds and prepares her wildflower meadow for winter.
@thesussexplanthunter
Well-managed wildflower meadows contain lots of different species
Image: @thesussexplanthunter
Who better to offer advice on growing wildflowers than one of the gardeners who used to manage the meadow at Gravetye Manor? This professional horticulturist shares stunning images of Gravetye’s ancient wildflower meadow over at his Instagram page – @thesussexplanthunter. The meadow was recently awarded special designation for its high diversity levels, and is a great example of what a well managed wildflower meadow can be. “The wildflower meadow is coming into its prime and is teeming with birds, insects and wildflowers of all kinds,” he enthuses. Check out his post to learn more.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our selection of helpful wildflower content. Head to our wildflower hub page for plenty more information and advice. We always love to hear from you – please share your wildflower photos with us using the hashtag: #YourTMGarden.
Published at Thu, 21 Jul 2022 05:17:33 -0400