The wild bunch | Now to Love

I always admire gardens with all the hallmarks of good design offset by a slightly irreverent disregard of those same principles. They have a good solid structure,wonderful vistas and striking feature plants. But nature has also been allowed to assert her personality. Precocious plants invade garden beds and spill over pathways. They’re not considered weeds – they’re wildflowers. Whether in a dedicated meadow, or a container in a tiny courtyard, wildflowers are utterly charming.

WHAT IS A WILDFLoWER?

A wildflower is a species of plant found growing naturally in the wild. More often than not, a single species of wildflower will be found growing in large tracts of meadow, woodland or roadside, resulting in a breathtaking mass display. one of the most famous wildflowers is the little red corn poppy, named for its ubiquitous displays in the grain fields of southern

Europe. It is also known as the soldier poppy both for its appearance in the disturbed earth of trenches created by soldiers during WWI and its impressive display in early spring as the ANZACs landed at Gallipoli in April 1915. Wildflowers generally self-seed and reproduce easily, unlike many of the new hybrid varieties, which don’t seed true to form and often don’t produce seed at all.

WHAT’S REQUIRED?

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The beauty of wildflowers lies not only in their simplicity of form, but also in their ability to grow without too much fuss. In general, they require maximum sunshine and well-drained, average garden soil. Wet or heavy clay soils are not suitable. They can be sown anytime from spring to autumn, however dry summer weather impedes germination and although autumn-sown seed usually germinates, it will not flower until the following spring. The most important factor in getting a wildflower patch established is thorough ground preparation to eliminate all weed before you sow the seed

WHICH To CHooSE?

Some of the more popular wildflowers, such as cosmos, poppies and Johnny jump-ups are available as single varieties. Use these to tailor-make your own mixes, according to personal preference. For example, use cornflowers and cosmos to create a demure blue-and-white combination. If you prefer loud colours, go for red linum and orange Californian poppies!

Wildflower World also offer a lovely range of mixes catering for different areas from hot and dry to shade, small city gardens, butterfly gardens and of course a classic meadow mix. Wildflower World’s Insect ‘n Flower mix and Kings Seeds Beneficial Insect Blend are designed to attract beneficial insects to the garden to prevent the need for spraying – perfect for organic gardeners.

Animal pollinators (birds, bees, etc) are essential for the reproduction of 90% of the world’s flowering plants and 33% of food crops for humans. But the decline in pollinator populations, especially honey bees, means pollination of food crops is becoming more difficult. Experts believe a major factor is the lack of a varied diet, largely due to our “weedfree garden” mentality and monoculture (large tracts of a single species of crop). They believe wildflowers play a vital role in sustaining these populations and encourage the re -establishment of wildflower plantings, which will in turn re-establish and increase our pollinator populations.

SoWING