SIMPLY: Wildflowers
- A beginner’s wildflower mix
- Helps to create a habitat for pollinators and other wildlife
- Provides a variety of flora for novice’s to find their favourites
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How much do I need?
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Product Description
Our SIMPLY: Wildflowers mix is the economical answer for wildflower novices venturing into making their first meadow. Made up of annual and perennial wildflowers, and appropriate grass species to give you the basic basis of a wildflower meadow. New to wildflowers? You’ll enjoy the benefits of this low-maintenance mix at an economical price. The grasses in this mix provide a nursery for the wildflowers, meaning your wildflower garden stays weed free and wildflower full. SIMPLY: Wildflowers can spruce up your small and large spaces easily and provide a food source for bees and pollinators, as it contains RHS Plants for Pollinators wildflowers.
Mixture Breakdown
June - September
What colour is it?White
Annual or Perennial?Perennial
Latin NameTrifolium repens
DescriptionWhite Clover is a great source of food for bees and pollinators who can enjoy its nectar from a slightly shorter height. Its dome flowers create a pretty globe of white blooms.
May – September
What colour is it?Purple
Annual or Perennial?Annual
Latin NameAgrostemma githago
DescriptionCorncockle 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.
June – August
What colour is it?Red / Black
Annual or Perennial?Annual
Latin NamePapaver rhoeas
DescriptionCorn 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!
March – November
What colour is it?Pink
Annual or Perennial?Perennial
Latin NameSilene dioica
DescriptionRed 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!
June - October
What colour is it?Yellow
Annual or Perennial?Annual
Latin NameGlebionis segetum
DescriptionCorn Marigold is a bright ray of sunshine on a gloomy day. Its orange-yellow petals burst into life in June and last all the way through until October. Part of the cornfield annuals family, although this annual may have one showing - it’s a showstopper!
June – August
What colour is it?Violet
Annual or Perennial?Annual
Latin NameCentaurea cyanus
DescriptionCornflower was previously considered a weed in amongst its cornfield annuals companions but is now accepted and widely praised as one of its finest! We're not surprised - who could dismiss those electric blue blooms?
May – September
What colour is it?White / Yellow
Annual or Perennial?Perennial
Latin NameLeucanthemum vulgare
DescriptionImagine the daisy chain these would make! Oxeye Daisy is the largest member of the daisy family and its almost flat surface makes the perfect landing pad for bees and pollinators.
January – December
What colour is it?White / Brown
Annual or Perennial?Perennial
Latin NamePlantago lanceolata
DescriptionRibwort Plantain although not the brightest wildflower, certainly adds a natural diversity to your wildflower meadow. Its tiny white buds provide food for bees and pollinators whilst its seeds are great for Goldfinches.
May – September
What colour is it?Pink / Green
Annual or Perennial?Perennial
Latin NameSanguisorba minor
DescriptionA perennial wildflower with toothed leaves and pink flowers, its leaves when crushed smell like cucumber and used to be used in salads!
May – September
What colour is it?Yellow / Red
Annual or Perennial?Perennial
Latin NameLotus corniculatus
DescriptionBirdsfoot Trefoil is part of the pea family and grows up to 35cm. It is well known for its yellow slipper like petals and red centre, which has given it the nickname of 'Eggs and Bacon'!
May - September
What colour is it?Yellow
Annual or Perennial?Annual
Latin NameRhinanthus minor
DescriptionYellow Rattle can be used in existing meadows where meadow grasses have taken over. It helps to weaken these grasses to allow other wildflowers to flourish, and does this by locking its roots to those of the grasses, and therefore lessens their abundance.
June – November
What colour is it?White / Occasionally pink
Annual or Perennial?Perennial
Latin NameAchillea millefolium
DescriptionYarrow produces clusters of white small-petalled blooms. It is an aromatic perennial making it particularly attractive to bees and pollinators who are enamoured by its sweet scent.
May - September
What colour is it?Purple
Annual or Perennial?Perennial
Latin NameVicia sativa ssp. Segetalis
DescriptionCommon Vetch produces delicate purple flowers that make it a very desirable wildflower. It is considered a 'scrambling plant', which means it makes an extra special effort to climb to the sun and weave its way above many other wildflowers.
June - September
What colour is it?White / Yellow
Annual or Perennial?Annual
Latin NameAnthemis arvensis
DescriptionAlthough Corn Chamomile looks like a daisy, it is part of the cornfield annuals family. With its flat and almost-level surface it makes the perfect pit-stop for bees and pollinators.
May – September
What colour is it?Purple / Pink
Annual or Perennial?Perennial
Latin NameTrifolium pratense
DescriptionRed Clover is a popular perennial that despite its name, is actually purple! It's dome-shaped flowers are relatively low-growing which makes it the perfect fodder food for livestock but is also a fan favourite of weary bees who need a feed a little closer to the ground.
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 NameFestuca rubra
DescriptionStrong Creeping Red Fescue is a grass that performs in most soil types
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 NameFestuca rubra ssp. Commutata
DescriptionChewing's Fescue is a grass that performs in most soil types
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 NameFestuca rubra
DescriptionStrong Creeping Red Fescue is a grass that performs in most soil types
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 NamePoa pratensis
DescriptionSmooth Stalked Meadow Grass is a grass that performs in most soil types
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 NameAgrostis vinealis
DescriptionBrowntop Bentgrass is a grass that performs in most soil types
Usage Guide
● 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 |
When | For best results sow in March/April or in September |
Aftercare
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
Product Questions
I see you are meant to mow by the middle of April?
What should i do if the height is nowhere near 10cms?? Help please!
Thank you for your enquiry. We have emailed to ask you for some photos so we can see how your wildflower meadow is coming along and hopefully identify some species due to bloom soon for you.
Look forward to speaking to you soon
Many Thanks
Roisin
If you are planning to sow wildflower seed, I would first recommend that wherever you plan to sow it, you remove the existing grass / any weeds that are in the area.
You can sow wildflower seed into an existing grass lawn, but it has varying degrees of success, so it isn't something we recommend. The existing grass would choke out the wildflower seeds and would eventually take over. Once you have cleared the bed of the existing grass / weeds, it is safe to sow your wildflower seed into this area.
We do wildflower mixes with grass and some without - the main reason for including grass is to create a sustainable habitat for wildlife and to prevent weeds growing as the grass grows up and creates a nursery for the wildflowers.
A wildflower meadow is a great addition to any garden or lawn. It is relatively low maintenance, and they will establish in poor soils where the nutrient content isn’t the best.
If the area is in partial/dappled shade, you could look into trying our SIMPLY: Wildflowers, Flowering Meadow or Bees & Pollinators mixes.
If the area is very shady, you could look into our wildflower mix specifically for shaded areas, Shaded Area Wildflowers. This mix consists of annual and perennial wildflowers and grasses that will tolerate damp and shaded areas.
Autumn is an ideal time to sow wildflowers as the seeds need to undergo the process of stratification (a freeze) to kick start their germination. In March / April time, make sure there is sufficient material to mow – your wildflowers/grasses should be at a height of 10cm. If your wildflowers are at this height, mow to 7cm no later than mid-April, to help encourage perennial species to spread.
Here is our step by step guide on how to prep and sow a wildflower meadow.
1. 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
2. Further, remove the top 5-10cm to reduce soil fertility
3. Allow the area to cultivate for several weeks, and remove any weeds that may pop in the area during this time
4. Do not be tempted to add topsoil, compost or fertiliser to the area - wildflowers prefer low nutrient conditions
5. After the cultivation period ensure to remove stones or any other debris and rake the area to create a fine, friable and level seedbed
6. Scatter the seed at a rate of 5g per m2
7. Rake the seed so that it is in amongst the soil
8. Water the just-sown wildflower seed well
If sowing in drought conditions, water is required to keep the area moist in the first 6 weeks after sowing.
We do have a few blog posts on our website that go into more detail on sowing wildflowers and wildflower management. Here are some links you may like to check out:
https://thegrasspeople.com/establish-wildflower-meadow/
https://thegrasspeople.com/manage-wildflower-meadow
Thank you for your enquiry.
Our seed is all fresh so will be good for about 12 months, likely 18 in reality but the less time that passes the better!
Therefore if you store it in a cool, dry place and away from pests and it should be fine to sow next year
Thanks in advance
When sowing any wildflower mix, we recommend removing any existing grass, weeds and flora from the area as this will prevent the seed from establishing. You should then:
● 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
Yes, that is correct. T he recommended spreading rate for the wildflower is 5g per m2