Which wildflower seed mix to plant and where?

February has been a fickle month. We are ready for the longer days to reveal themselves, as our thoughts turn towards our garden and the things that will bring us joy.

I find myself casting my eye over the garden, looking to see what wildflowers I will sow where, knowing they will bring me joy, new life in my garden and food for the butterflies and bees.

 For a shaded area in your garden 

Wildflowers can be sown in partial shade to add colour to a darker part of the garden. Knapweed, St John's Wort and one of my favourites, Teasel, thrive in lightly shaded areas. Choose a wildflower seed mix with species designed for shaded areas and pick a spot to sit back and watch them grow.

Patio, terrace, or pot

 Even a patio pot or window box will provide a joyful burst of colour. Create impact with Annual Pollinator Seeds or Native Cornfield Annuals, bursting with colour eight weeks after sowing. Observe the pollinators that come to feed on the sweet nectar.

Attracting butterflies and bees

While most wildflowers provide a habitat and food for pollinators, some wildflowers give that little bit more. A Butterfly and Bee mix includes nectar rich wildflower species, highly attractive to pollinating insects. This is our go-to wildflowers mix as it suits most situations.

Add impact or just some fun for the kids!

Sunflowers are undoubtedly one of the most impactful flowers in the garden, and grow from a little seed to eight-foot-tall in a matter of weeks. Their bright yellow petals attract bees to feed on their nectar, and seeds for wild birds such as Bullfinch, Coal Tit, Greenfinch, and the House Sparrow. Sunflowers will keep on giving as a food source for birds in the colder winter months.

Now is the time to start your sunflowers in pots and transplant when the seedling is 15cm in height.

For a traditional garden and countryside influence

Recreate a traditional Irish garden with conservation-grade traditional wildflowers seed mixes.

With 40% annual flowers giving colour from the first year, while the biennials and perennials will carry the colour through the following years. Enjoy watching our native bee species and butterflies thrive amongst these flowers.

Time to start thinking of dusting off the deckchairs.

 

For More information on sowing and preparing the ground for sowing, see Sowing Information and Tips