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SnowdropsGalanthus nivalis The best time to plant snowdrops is in the autumn or spring. In October or November, Snowdrops can be successfully planted as bulbs, and if the weather prevents planting, then bulbs should be stored in a  cool shady place until things improve. Stored carefully in this way,  most snowdrop bulbs should keep for at least a week or more. It is important however that bulbs are not allowed to dry out. Snowdrops in February Snowdrops can also be establishe

We are currently taking orders for  Spring Wildflower Bulbs and can offer the following species for dispatch between mid and late October: Bluebell, Snowdrop, Wild Daffodil, Wood Anemone, Winter Aconite, Wild Tulip, Star of Bethlehem, Snakeshead Fritillary, Wild Garlic and Summer Snowflake. If you would like to order bulbs this autumn, please ensure your order reaches us within the next few weeks  if possible. Certain bulbs are often very difficult to obtain late in the seaso

During September the pace of life in the wildflower garden begins to slow down. With days shortening, many birds frantically feast on the last few insects in an attempt to put on as much weight as possible before the long journeys that they will soon face. On warm days, look out for Swallows and House martins gathering on south facing rooftops in an attempt to absorb some of the heat. Swallows are the first to leave but House martins always seem more reluctant, with most hang

Generally speaking there are many wildflowers for shade but few that will grow well where conditions are extremely dark . This is evident in woodland glades and clearings, where there is often a much more diverse range of flora than in darker areas of the same wood, shaded by a broad tree canopy. To encourage the establishment of wildflowers in existing woodlands it may only be necessary to create open areas by thinning the tree canopy or creating clear felled areas. If ther

Wild Daffodil bulbs can be introduced into their permanent planting positions in autumn. If the weather prevents planting, then bulbs should be stored in a very dry, cool shady place and well spaced out until things improve. Stored carefully in this way, Wild Daffodil bulbs should keep for a long period but if stored in a damp atmosphere the bulbs will rapidly turn soft. A hole approximately 3 times the length of the bulb is required when planting. If the soil is especially h

To grow a  mixture of cornfield annual wildflowers you will need to create an area of bare soil. Unlike areas sown with perennial wildflower mixes, the soil does not need to be particularly poor, in fact cornfield annual seed mixes will often give a better display where there is a reasonable degree of fertility in the soil.  Annual flower seed mixes are generally very quick and easy to grow and require minimal maintenance however it is important to realise that the site will

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