The grass isn’t always greener

A garden pioneer works miracles with wildflowers and grassland

Pam Lewis has worked with meadows and grassland all her life. Her own garden, Sticky Wicket in Dorset, was made famous by her book Making a Wildflower Meadow, first published in 2003 and now in paperback (right). Today Pam works as a consultant, helping to enrich gardens with wildflowers, and she has developed some fascinating strategies. Her work illustrates how even small spaces can be adapted to cater for wildflowers, be it an area of gravel, a battered wall or a tiny lawn. One project in Wiltshire has a sinuous version of a Devon bank. It flows around the site, varying in height from 2-8ft, following the contours. It adds structure to the landscape and provides an ideal habitat for wildflowers. The sloping sides are formed from local stone and are raked at an angle of 70-80 degrees. The joints are filled with a mixture of subsoil and mortar, while the middle is infilled with rubble. Pam established plants within the joints, including harebells, horseshoe vetch, rock rose, thyme, mouse-eared hawkbit, lady’s bedstraw and bird’s foot trefoil. Some joints she colonises by making her own pelleted seed using clay. Some plants, such as rock roses, are introduced as young cuttings. During drought, the plants die back; but when rain comes, it all greens up rapidly. Elsewhere Pam created a dry moat or a “scrape”. She dug out the topsoil to a depth of 200mm and formed sloping sides. The exposed Rock stars: a Devon bank created by Pam Lewis for wildflowers and impoverished subsoil then provides the perfect habitat for wildflowers. A mix of yarrow, selfheal ( Prunella), bird’s foot trefoil and white clover was sown directly onto the subsoil (a rate of about 4g per sq m). Now established, this is mown about three times a year, but as with all wildflower areas, she says, you cannot be too prescriptive, so it depends on the weather and growing conditions. Mowing and removal of the cuttings is needed to keep fertility low and prevent scrub coming in, but mainly you mow so that it is enjoyable for you and the wildlife. If a client wants to create a new meadow from an area of good soil, Pam has found that the most effective method in areas under a quarter of an acre is to isolate (rather than remove) the over-fertile topsoil. This she does by covering it with a layer of Terram, Mypex or old carpet (whatever suits the budget and size best) and then spreading a depth of 150-200mm of substrate: limestone chippings or other nutrient-poor material (sand, gravel, rubble, chalk) on top. This creates an “instantly gratifying” solution that hinders weeds and is more effective than removing topsoil. It is also useful when establishing wildflower patches within a larger area. Next, Pam sows wildflower seed onto the substrate, occasionally adding leaf mould (this has low fertility) as a carrier for the seed. Rarely does she include grass, though, occasionally, sheep’s fescue may be added. While the patch is establishing, it may need hand weeding. Maintenance is an annual mow and removal of the hay, usually Making a Wildflower Meadow by Pam Lewis (Francis Lincoln, paperback £14.99) is available to order from Telegraph Books at £12.99 + £1.95 p& p. Call 0844 871 1515 or visit books. telegraph. co.uk after seeding. A patch is left unmown to allow later seeders to disperse. It also acts as a source of fresh seed and, importantly, a resource for wildlife. The unmown patch varies annually. Generally, Pam prefers to use seed rather than plug plants. She finds plugs especially difficult to establish in grassland, though there are exceptions. The devil’s bit scabious does well from plugs in substrate, though. Her method of spreading seed could not be simpler: “I scatter seeds as I walk about all year round,” she says. Gravel areas – drives and paths – are excellent areas to go wild with. Pam scatters seed, usually a mix of yarrow, selfheal, bird’s foot trefoil, autumn hawk’s bit and white clover as they “endure being driven and trodden on”. As to making lawns richer, the simplest way is to mow with the blades set higher. Grass grows more slowly as it gets longer and conserves more moisture as it creates more shade; the roots grow also deeper and reach more moisture. Equally importantly, buttercups, daisies, selfheal and other flowering plants can jostle in among the grasses, helping keep the lawn green. Paths that are more tightly mown can create interesting contrast, too.