How to sow a meadow and get a real buzz

Want to attract pollinators to your garden next summer? Hannah Stephenson says now is the time to go really wild outdoors

Fancy sowing a mini meadow in your garden? If you want pretty early summer blooms that will attract pollinators and other wildlife, you should be sowing the seeds now.

Scientists at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthney, Carmarthenshire, have combined their know-how of plants that attract the most pollinators, with practical experience of which native wildflowers and grasses grow best in meadows and why.

Autumn months are the ideal time to get sowing and growing a meadow at home, as some perennial wildflower seeds need a colder spell to kick-start germination. Sowing seeds towards the end of the year can also give you the best chance of an early display the following summer.

The Botanic Garden’s team – world-renowned for its work in using DNA barcoding science to track which plants pollinators are drawn to – can analyse pollen from the bodies of pollinating insects and assess which plants they’ve actually foraged from, and so are able to advise on which species to grow to boost the buzz in your own back garden.

This research work underpins its recently-launched Saving Pollinators Assurance Scheme, which guarantees eligible plants are loved by bees and other pollinating insects, don’t contain synthetic insecticides and are grown in peat-free compost. It aims to prevent pollinator decline and benefit other wildlife such as hedgehogs, sparrows and frogs.

What should you plant in your mini meadow? The Welsh team has six favourite wildflowers, available in seed mixes or in individual packets.

Who doesn’t adore a bright yellow buttercup? Pollinating insects love the meadow buttercup (Ranunculus Acris) almost as much as children who still enjoy testing their love of butter by seeing if the petals reflect under their chins.

The cat’s ear (Hypochaeris Radicata) looks very like a dandelion, but it’s not. Another favourite with pollinating insects, its deep tap roots not only help to bind the soil but they draw up water during really dry spells and help it drain away when wet.

Eyebright (Euphrasia Sp) is a small, pretty annual flower with eyelash-like petals. It takes nutrients from surrounding grasses and help create space for other wildflowers to set seed and thrive.

Meanwhile, the yellow rattle (Rhinanthus Minor) is known as the vampire of the plant world. This annual sucks the life out of tall, bulky grasses, again allowing other flowers to bloom and improving biodiversity. When its seeds are ripe, the seed capsule inflates and the contents rattle if shaken like maracas.

Black knapweed (Centaurea Nigra) is a tough, thistle-like meadow plant gives a late season surge of colour and a rich larder of food for pollinating insects.

And lastly, great burnet (Sanguisorba Officinalis) is, unfortunately, now an increasingly rare sight in UK meadows. This wonderful plant has bobbly red heads which provide a late-season source of nectar, and the perfect perching spot for orb spiders.

But how do you go about creating your own mini meadow. Dr Kevin Mcginn, science officer at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, says: “Pick a spot in your garden that is sunny and, if possible, with poor soil, where wildflowers or lawn weeds are already growing. That’s a clear sign the conditions are right for a mini-meadow.

“Freely scatter the seeds if planting in bare soil or, if you are planting in an area of lawn, first cut back vegetation really short so, when you sow your meadow mix, it definitely makes contact with the soil. Then water well and wait for your low-mow, slowgrow, super show of wildflowers to appear.”

He adds: “During spring and summer avoid cutting the area, but then once the wildflowers have bloomed and their seeds have dropped, you can give it a clip. Perennials like great burnet and meadow buttercup will take time to establish and flower, but it is worth the wait.

“Grassy, wildflower-rich meadows are a haven for insects like bees and butterflies and also for birds and small mammals. There’s nothing better than creating a space to watch wildlife right on your doorstep.”

Grassy, wildflower-rich meadows are a haven for insects like bees and butterflies and also for birds and small mammals