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The UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s, and with everything going on with the environment at the moment, we can all do our part by planting flowers that animals and insects are going to love.
And of course, wildflower gardens look totally gorgeous, too!
What is a wildflower garden?
A wildflower meadow or garden is an area of grass that’s turned into a beautiful patch of radiant, glorious flowers. It’s a way to turn an unused part of the garden into something you and wildlife can enjoy.
What are the best wildflowers to grow?
These flowers are the easiest and most eye-catching plants for your wildflower garden…
- Campion (both red and white)
- Cowslip
- Meadow buttercup
- Foxglove
- White yarrow
- Ox-eye daisy
How to get started
- To start your wildflower garden, remove any weeds you might have, as they could take over the garden once you plant all your plants.
- Autumn’s generally the best time to plant seeds, but you can always buy plants from a garden centre if you’d like to plant out now.
- You want to pick quite a large, flat area that gets sun, so you can plant out a variety of gorgeous flowers.
- You’re often told to add fertiliser to soil, but the RSPB recommends reducing the fertility by removing the top three to six inches of topsoil, using a turf cutter, or a spade and muscle-power.
- Scatter your seeds randomly if sowing in the autumn, or start arranging where you’d like all your plants to go and start digging holes to plant them.
- If you’re seed scattering, simply water and leave until spring when the first buds will start appearing.
- Enjoy all the bees, birds and butterflies who’ll be reaping all the pollen-y benefits.
You don’t need a huge space to create a wildflower garden. Even a window box or pots would do if you only have a patio or balcony. Make it work for you!