Shaded Areas Wildflowers

  • Creates a meadow of wildflowers that can grow in little light
  • Helps to provide a canopy habitat for pollinators and wildlife
  • Makes use of forgotten-about shady spaces

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Product Description

Usage Guide

Aftercare

Product Questions

Product Description carrat-down

Growing wildflowers in shady spaces doesn’t have to be difficult – all you need is the right seed! We cultivated this Shaded Area wildflower mix, so that it contains only the wildflowers that are the very best at growing in little light and are similar to what you would find growing naturally beneath trees or in a woodland setting. With annuals, perennials and grass -  this mix will help you to create the meadow you’ve longed for in the darker parts of your garden. Containing RHS Plants for Pollinators wildflowers, this mix will attact bees and other pollinators.

Mixture Breakdown

0.1% Hedge Woundwort
When does it bloom?

June - October

What colour is it?

Purple

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Stachys sylvatica

Description

These plants have dark green, hairy stems with tight whorls of purple flowers at the top.

2% Red Campion
When does it bloom?

March – November

What colour is it?

Pink

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Silene dioica

Description

Red Campion has hot pink petals that make for quite the show stopper in your wildflower meadow, and can typically be found in woodland areas. Red Campion begins to flower once bluebells begin to fade, so if you notice this happening in your wildflower sward you can begin to look forward to their fuchsia blooms!

2% Corn Poppy
When does it bloom?

June – August

What colour is it?

Red / Black

Annual or Perennial?

Annual

Latin Name

Papaver rhoeas

Description

Corn Poppy is a vibrant and bright addition to any meadow and easily recognisable and identifiable throughout the UK. Of course it has meaning for many, and also adds a colourful pop to any wildflower plot

1% Bluebell
When does it bloom?

April – May

What colour is it?

Violet

Annual or Perennial?

Annual

Latin Name

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Description

How can you not love this woodland wildflower that can often be found growing underneath trees or dark moist spaces! Sadly, native UK bluebells are under threat from Spanish Bluebells, that are lot more ruthless in their rooting. Luckily, this mix contains UK native Bluebells!

1.5% Wood Avens
When does it bloom?

May – November

What colour is it?

Yellow

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Geum urbanum

Description

Wood Avens can be naturally found in dark and warm spaces and brightens them up with its yellow star-like petals

0.5% Forget Me Not
When does it bloom?

April - June

What colour is it?

Blue

Annual or Perennial?

Annual

Latin Name

Myosotis scorpioides

Description

This plant has blue, cloud-like flowers with five petals that grow on the end of tall, hairy stems which can sometimes grow up to 2 feet in height.

0.5% Dames Violet
When does it bloom?

May - August

What colour is it?

Purple

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Hesperis matronalis

Description

This short lived perennial has purple and white flowers with 4 petals. It is also an important source of food for different types of butterflies.

0.3% Betony
When does it bloom?

June - October

What colour is it?

Purple

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Stachys officinalis

Description

Betony is related to the nettle family and produces bright magenta blooms. It is thought that when you see Betony, it is an indication that ancient woodlands are near.

0.1% Wood Sage
When does it bloom?

July - September

What colour is it?

Green / Yellow

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Teucrium scorodonia

Description

Wood sage has rough, crinkled leaves, similar to the leaves of sage. When it blooms, it produces light yellow flowers that pollinators love.

1.5% White Campion
When does it bloom?

May - October

What colour is it?

White

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Silene latifolia

Description

The white sibling of Red Campion, this wildflower still holds it on with its lengthy rayed petals. At night time it is said to produce a clover scent that is attractive to many bees and pollinators.

1.0% Hedge Parsley (Upright)
When does it bloom?

July - September

What colour is it?

White

Annual or Perennial?

Annual

Latin Name

Torilis japonica

Description

These plants are fast growing with thick hairy stems. Its white flowers grow in clusters just above the stem.

1.7% Garlic Mustard
When does it bloom?

April – June

What colour is it?

White

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Alliaria petiolate

Description

Garlic Mustard is a pretty white perennial that can be typically found in hedgerows and woodland where it thrives in dark and moist soils. If you're wondering how it got Garlic in its name, when its leaves are crushed they smell of it!

2.5% Corncockle
When does it bloom?

May – September

What colour is it?

Purple

Annual or Perennial?

Annual

Latin Name

Agrostemma githago

Description

Corncockle is a pretty purple wildflower with tall stems and full petals and is a bright addition to any annuals mix. It is currently rare and endangered.

1% Meadow Sweet
When does it bloom?

June - September

What colour is it?

White

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Filipendula ulmaria

Description

Meadow Sweet produces frothy clusters of sweet-smelling white flowers. It can be found and favours woodland shaded areas with damp soil

0.5% Ramsons
When does it bloom?

April - June

What colour is it?

White

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Allium ursinum

Description

This plant has long, broad, green leaves with one main vein. The small, white flowers on this plant grow in groups at the end of the stem. This plant has a pungent, garlic smell.

0.1% Perforated St. Johns Wort
When does it bloom?

June - September

What colour is it?

Yellow

Annual or Perennial?

Annual

Latin Name

Hypericum perforatum

Description

The flowers on this plant are bright yellow and star-shaped, with small small black dots scattered across them.

1.1% Wild Carrot
When does it bloom?

June - September

What colour is it?

White

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Daucus carota

Description

Part of the carrot family, Wild Carrot smells like carrots but is not the kind of one you would want to eat. Its low nutrient and drought tolerant abilities make it ideal for shaded areas.

1% Cow Parsley
When does it bloom?

May - June

What colour is it?

White

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Anthriscus sylvestris

Description

Cow Parsley is a shade tolerant wildflower that can be found naturally growing in woodland areas and its stem branches out into many clusters of tiny white flowers. It is sometimes referred to as 'Queen Anne's Lace' as it was said it would bloom for Queen Anne and her ladies in waiting and resembled the lace on their dresses.

1% Foxglove
When does it bloom?

June – September

What colour is it?

Pink / Purple

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Digitalis purpurea

Description

Foxgloves are biennial wildflowers that when sown will reward you with blooms for two whole years. Their bright pink / purple bells are attractive to bees and pollinators who tunnel in to feed on its nectar.

0.6% Bladder Campion
When does it bloom?

May to September

What colour is it?

White

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Silene vulgaris

Description

This perennial plant gets its name from its bladder-like calyx with purple veins, just behind the flowers. The flowers have 5 2-lobed petals and are white in colour.

25% Tall Fescue
When does it bloom?

This is a grass seed and typically germinates at temperatures of 8 -10 degrees

What colour is it?

Green / Beige

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Festuca arundinacea

Description

Tall Fescue is a grass that performs in most soil types

25% Slender Creeping Red Fescue
When does it bloom?

This is a grass seed and typically germinates at temperatures of 8 -10 degrees

What colour is it?

Green / Beige

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Festuca rubra

Description

Slender Creeping Red Fescue is a grass that performs in most soil types

10% Strong Creeping Red Fescue
When does it bloom?

This is a grass seed and typically germinates at temperatures of 8 -10 degrees

What colour is it?

Green / Beige

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Festuca rubra

Description

Strong Creeping Red Fescue is a grass that performs in most soil types

15% Crested Dogstail
When does it bloom?

This is a grass seed and typically germinates at temperatures of 8 -10 degrees

What colour is it?

Green / Beige

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Cynosurus cristatus

Description

Crested Dogstail is a grass that performs in most soil types

5% Wood Meadow Grass
When does it bloom?

This is a grass seed and typically germinates at temperatures of 8 -10 degrees

What colour is it?

Green / Beige

Annual or Perennial?

Perennial

Latin Name

Poa nemoralis

Description

Wood Meadow Grass is a grass that performs in most soil types

Usage Guide carrat-down

Remove any existing grass, plants or flora from the area where you plan to sow your wildflower seed. Failure to do this will produce poor results
Further remove the top 5-10cm to reduce soil fertility
Allow the area to cultivate for several weeks, and remove any weeds that may pop in the area during this time
Do not be tempted to add top soil, compost or fertiliser to the area - wildflowers prefer low nutrient conditions
After the cultivation period ensure to remove stones or any other debris and rake the area to create a fine, friable and level seedbed
Scatter the seed at a rate of 5g per m2
Rake the seed so that it is in amongst the soil
Water the just-sown wildflower seed well
If sowing in drought conditions, water as required to keep the area moist in the first 6 weeks after sowing

Read our full guide on how to manage your wildflower meadow here.

Sowing Rate 5g per m2
Sowing Depth 20 - 40mm
When For best results sow in September

Aftercare carrat-down

End of year cut:

  • We recommend doing this essential end-of-year cut in autumn.
  • Your wildflowers are ready for their first cut when they have grown to 7cm and have gone to seedhead.
  • This cut can be done using your lawn mower at its highest setting or using a strimmer.

Early spring cut:

  • An early spring cut is ideal when your wildflowers are well-established.
  • This early spring cut trims back meadow grasses and helps increase the density of the wildflowers.
  • This cut also encourages wildflowers to grow better later that season.
  • Cut before the end of April, or you may stunt their growth, and they could skip blooming that year.

Summer cut (optional):

  • A cut between June and August can encourage the growth of wildflowers later in the season.
  • Cut back to 7cm tall and remove the cuttings.
  • This optional cut encourages new wildflowers to grow and flourish.

What to do with the cuttings (if you have annual wildflowers in the mix):

In dry conditions:

  • If conditions will be dry for 5-7 days, you can let the cuttings lie on the ground so the seeds drop.
  • Walk over, use a roller or shake the seedheads to encourage the seeds to fall and grow next season.
  • Then remove the plant cuttings after a week and dispose of them in your garden waste bin.

In wet conditions:

  • Lift the clippings if rainfall is forecast, and manually free up the seeds by crushing the seedhead to collect the seeds for replanting.
  • When dry conditions return, scatter the seeds across your wildflower area.
  • Alternatively, you can store your collected wildflower seeds in an envelope and replant them later.

For further reading, check out our guide on when and how often to cut a wildflower meadow.

The above photo depicts the variety of species you should expect to see in your wildflower display. Please note that certain species within this mix and all our wildflower mixes may become more abundant than others, and this varies based on the conditions in which they are sown. Taking this into consideration, your wildflower meadow will evolve and adapt year after year and change in appearance as certain species may become more dominant than others.

Product Questions carrat-down

Product Questions

I have just sown your wildflower seed for shady areas in a part of the garden where I will need to walk in order to tend a raised bed - eventually I am planning to either mow a path or perhaps just walk a path in. Can you let me know when it will be alright to walk on the grass - either how long after sowing or at what height/stage of growth of the grass ?
Thank you
Question by: Kate Flowers on 15 Sept 2020, 13:16
I would suggest trying to avoid walking on the area until the wildflowers and grasses are established. Any damage early on in their germination may have long term effects and you may not get the growth you hoped for.


Many Thanks
Kind Regards,

Roisin
Technical Advisor
Answer by: Roisin McCann on 24 Sept 2020, 13:40
I have an oblong area of garden to turn into a wild flower section. It is 12m by 4m. One of the 12m sides, on the east side, is bounded by a low hedge (@ 60cms). The other sides are bounded by 2.5m walls with a row of tall trees behind the other, west long wall. At this time of year the site gets full sun until about 12 noon to 1.00pm. It then moves into shadow. It get less sun earlier and later in the year as the sun is lower.
Should I choose seen for shaded area or will "normal" seed cope with the light conditions. I plan to sow in September after fully clearing the site.
Thanks.
Question by: Philip Dawes on 14 Jun 2022, 11:57
Hi Phillip, thanks for your question. A wildflower meadow is a great addition to any garden! It is relatively low maintenance, and they will establish in poor soils where the nutrient content isn’t the best.

Our Shaded Area Wildflowers is specifically for shaded areas. It consists of annual and perennial wildflowers and grasses that will tolerate damp and shady areas that do not always receive sunlight.
Answer by: Helen McGale on 14 Jun 2022, 14:47
Are most of the varieties relatively low growing? That’s what we want.
Question by: Paul Vann on 26 Jun 2021, 19:05
Hi Paul, we can not guarantee that any of the mixes will be low growing. Each mix has a selection of followers that grow to varying heights.
Answer by: Roisin McCann on 28 Jun 2021, 12:50
Hi, we planted our seed in May this year and had a good show of flowers. I intend cutting back as per your advice to 7 cm but there are some patches where the seed didn't take. Should I re-seed these now or wait until next year?
Question by: Paul Tonkin on 6 Sept 2022, 14:35
Hi Paul. thank you for your question. You can always add more wildflowers to your meadow year on year. We would recommend doing this in spring or autumn when your meadow has been mown. You should scarify the area to achieve bare soil to sow your new wildflower seed.
Answer by: Helen McGale on 6 Sept 2022, 14:49
Hi, We've moved to East Sussex and have inherited a garden that has plants but no grass. I have two cats who need to munch grass for hair balls etc! We have created a small area that drains within one of the patio'd terraces and I would like to make this a wildflower/grass area. Will the shady wildflower mix produce grass too that my cats could nibble at? We plan to cut this area once a year with shears as it is really too small for a lawn mower. Thank you.
Question by: Judy Fishwick on 7 Jul 2021, 15:08
Hi Judy

We do not recommend allowing pets to graze on wildflowers. Whilst most are safe, there can be few such as Buttercups and Foxgloves that are poisonous to animals and can be to humans. Each of these wildflowers have minor to moderate toxicity and can prove fatal if consumed / ingested in any amount. Therefore, we would not recommend sowing any of our wildflower seed mixes, or any others, near your children or pets if you have concerns that they would consume them.
Answer by: Roisin McCann on 7 Jul 2021, 15:14
I have just scarified the chosen lawn area for sowing. Would it be sufficient time to leave it to cultivate until the end of September and sow then or should I wait until Spring?
Question by: Shirley Joy Osborn on 8 Sept 2022, 14:00
Hi Shirley, thank you for your question. Autumn and spring are great times to sow wildflower seeds. Annuals will appear 60-80 days after sowing, perennials will have a small showing but will take up to one year to fully establish. If you sow in Autumn, you should expect a showing in early spring, and if sowing in spring, you should see blooms in summer.
Answer by: Helen McGale on 8 Sept 2022, 14:05
I live in Scotland, where winters / spring are a bit more harsh. I was planning on planting a small wild flower garden in our East facing front garden in the spring. Is the shades verity the best and will planting in spring in Scotland produce good results?
Question by: Jim Muir on 22 Oct 2022, 11:46
Hi Jim, If your garden is covered by shade then it is best to go for the shaded areas wildflower mix. Sowing in spring is also fine. We have a blog post on our website which might be of interest to you.
It is called, When should I sow wildflowers? This goes into more detail about sowing wildflowers at different times.
Answer by: Colm Hicks on 24 Oct 2022, 14:01
Would it be too late if we planted these in late November?
Question by: Clare Montaudouin on 7 Nov 2022, 20:02
There are two times in the year that we recommend sowing a meadow, one is spring and the other is autumn, so if you wish to do it this year you are in good time. However, I would try to do it sooner rather than later, before the ground freezes. Now is an ideal time because the seeds need to undergo the process of stratification (a freeze) to kick-start their germination. If you were to sow the seed now, nothing will happen until next spring, early in the season.
Answer by: Roisin McCann (Admin) on 8 Nov 2022, 13:29
Hi,

I have some very steep banks in my north east facing garden - so naturally fairly shady - and plan to seed with wildflower and grasses. Is this seed mix suitable for planting on banks…and how would I retain the seed when watering in the early days (I have a vision of a bare bank with lots of flowers and grass at the bottom where the seed has slid down the bank!)
Many thanks
Question by: Jennie on 18 Aug 2021, 11:27
Hi Jennie, thanks very much for your question. If you would like to send some picture of the area you wish to seed to [email protected] we can take a closer look and advise on the best course of action and make a few recommendations. I look forward to hearing from you. Roisin
Answer by: Roisin McCann on 18 Aug 2021, 13:28
Hi. My front garden gets a little morning sun, and then sun again from 4pm. Would I use the shady wildflower mix? Can I mix a couple of different types?
Will they flower all year round?
Thanks.
Question by: Dee on 3 Nov 2020, 08:43
Hi Dee

If you plan to sow now wildflowers will bloom from spring through the summer but not all year. If there are grasses within the mix then these will be the first to show and will be around for longer. If your garden has limited access to sunlight even during the summer months then I would recommend the shaded mix. It is a mix of annuals, perennials and grasses that will tolerate and establish in damp and shaded areas.
Answer by: Roisin McCann on 3 Nov 2020, 10:06

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