Create your own fairy tale

GO WILD this autumn and plant a fairytale garden.

You can grow wild flowers from seed and use them to create pictorial meadows, cottage borders and prairie grasslands – or grow them in pots.

Even where there is little soil you can attract birds, bees and butterflies by giving your shed a “living roof”.

Plant up your garage or extension and you’ll also feel the benefits on your fuel bills because they insulate your home.

Turning an area of tatty grass into a more eco- friendly wild flower meadow will also provide essential nectar and pollen for insects, and is great for encouraging endangered species such as bumblebees.

In your lawn, begin by introducing Yellow Rattle, which can be sown from October right through to December. This plant fixes its roots on to an adjacent grass and extracts the water and minerals it needs, thus weakening the grass and allowing more delicate flowers to thrive.

Thrive

You can then simply sprinkle the seeds of a wildflower mixture over a bare area of lawn and stop mowing.

For best results it is important to choose seed mixtures that match your soil types or conditions.

And plants thrive best when on “poor” soil – on ground with reasonable fertility, other grasses and weeds may grow and smother them.

If you can’t quite give over the control of your garden to Mother Nature, replace your neat lawn with a summer-flowering carpet of small white daisies. Ox-eye daisies, which are perennials, are perfect for the job.

To be sure your meadow looks good each year, give it a cut in September once the seed has fallen, and fill gaps with new plants or divide congested clumps and replant smaller pieces.

Conjure up a perfect summer meadow with some dazzling red field poppies. Simply sprinkle seeds among drifts of ornamental grasses, lupins, coreopsis, rudbeckia and cornflowers.

For speedier results buy plug plants. Natives like primroses, Primula vulgaris and the sweetly scented Viola odorata are readily available.

Wild daffodils can also be naturalised in grass. Buy bulbs now and throw a handful on the lawn and plant them where they land.