Horticulture
Wildflower Planting
Corn Marigold – Chrysanthemum segetum
This annual wildflower was used to great effect on Market Street in Church by the traffic lights. Other annuals in the mix includes corn cockle, corn poppy and cornflower. Wildflowers form a colourful display over a season that can span between May to December. The most effective displays are reseeded, into a fine seed bed, every April however a display can be created that lasts a number of years if perennial plant seeds are also sown with the annual seeds.
Make your own display
To convert an old flower bed or lawn to a wildflower area follow the procedure below, just bear in mind for the best effect it would be advised to repeat this procedure every couple of years unless perennial wildflower seeds are also sown which can be used to extend the display for up to 6 years before new seeds will need to be sown.
Technique to create a wildflower meadow.
- Spray the area to be seeded with a suitable weedkiller such as roundup in early February.
- Rotavate or dig over and rake the area to produce a fine tilth in late February.
- In late April apply a further weak application of weedkiller.
- Broadcast sow the seed in early May at the desired rate (usually 3.5 grams per square meter) use 2 parts sand with the seed to help with this. Then lightly rake in the seeds, which should germinate within 5 weeks.
Other annual seeds that can be used to great effect include:
Plains coreopsis (flowers late in the season)
Californian Poppy
Cosmos (flowers late in the season)
Field Poppy
Red Flax
Blue Flax
Larkspur
Purple Tansy
Fairy Toadflax
Tips
A useful technique is to choose smaller plants that flower earlier in the year followed by taller plants that flower later in the year as this hides any dieback from the earlier flowering plants.
Have fun deciding what colours will work best with each other to produce a colour co-ordinated theme or a colourful splash! Be aware bees love the flowers.