Several years ago, I took on a patch of land behind my home, Rose Cottage in the village of New Arley. I wanted to create a communal garden for myself and 3 other neighbouring properties, but found that half of this plot had little decent soil. It had previously been tarmacked and the top soil removed and replaced with brick waste. Rather than abandoning this part of the garden, I decided to turn it over to the wilds and grow wild flowers on it.
Most of the plants that we call ‘wild’ are pretty touch and many of these species have been growing in this country for hundreds or thousands or years. Any demolition site left for a year or two will testify for the hardiness of such plants as honesty, poppy, harebell and buddleja. If it wasn’t for the beuty of such species, many of them would be labelled purely as being nothing more than ‘weeds’ (unwanted plants).
Wild flowers for your garden
Here is a list of wild flowering plants, most of which I have had a lot of success with, which you can easily grow from seed.
- Butterfly Bush – Buddleja
- Ragged Robin – Lychnis
- Harebell – Campanula rotundifolia
- Common Primrose – Primula vulgaris
- Honesty – Lunaria annua
- Teasel – Dipsacus sylvestria
- Wild Flanders Poppy – Papaver rhoeas
- Sweet Rocket – Hesperis matronalis
- Wild Cowslip – Primula veris
Wild Flower Mixtures
- Meadowland Mixture (Thompson & Morgan)
- Fairy Mixed – Mixed Annuals (Thompson & Morgan)
- Cornfield Mixtures (Thompson & Morgan)
- Fragrant Mixture (Thompson & Morgan)
- Butterfly Mixture (Thompson & Morgan)
