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Wildflower patch

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  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited May 2022
    The seed was mostly mixed poppies and I have never had much luck with direct sowing them. I tried last autumn too, on the same, sandy plot and had very little result. If the seed is still in the soil unbroken, then maybe there is a chance they will come up in future years. The shame is if most germinated and died or were eaten. :/
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Last year I seeded a wildflower patch down at a local nature reserve, in memory of one of the members . It got somewhat neglected, (long story) but this year there are some perennials in there that I didn't plant, must have been in the mixed packet.  The primroses disappeared, and I think the badgers must have had the snowdrops.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
     All sorts of weeds/wildflowers come up in various places in my garden.  Sometimes the trick is to recognise the seedlings. Teasels I sometimes leave, and sometimes pull . I prefer them at the back of the border.  Ox eye daisies , there are three patches in a lawn, but they will get mowed on high after they finish.  Violets tend to be under hedges but sometimes in flower pots .  Foxgloves seem to like growing in the veg patch. I move them into the wild flower patch as larger plants.
  • susiebowersusiebower Posts: 138
    WOW, @RoddersUK - thanks for sharing those pix, your wildflower patch looks amazing!!! It also looks like you've really cared for it, watering etc. Sadly, having scattered mine with three lots of seed bombs, nothing much seems to be growing - but I think it's partly that the birds are getting the seeds, and partly that I'm not giving them enough water. But as @fidgetbones says, it's difficult sometimes to know what are weeds and what are wildflowers - I've lots of things growing that LOOK like weeds, but who knows?...
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    edited June 2022
    I've failed to get any of my poppy seeds to grow, ever. But about 3 years ago a small Welsh poppy appeared, I scattered the seeds around and there's big clumps of them now. Some have come up orange this year - I don't know if that's normal for Welshies, but I love them! I just wish I could get some others in, I'll have to try seed trays. 
  • susiebowersusiebower Posts: 138
    @Slow-worm - yes, it seems such a hit and miss process, doesn't it? Glad you got your poppies at last! I have two gorgeous poppies which I think must have self-seeded. I scattered loads of seeds but none came up.
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    I definitely need some red in the garden! 
    What was really sad, was a few years ago the council had sown loads of poppies in the verges, so I went out one night to snaffle some seed heads, and they'd cut every.. single.. border for miles. 😢
    What the hell is wrong with these people? The long borders were 100% not in anyone's way. I was mortified. 
  • RoddersUKRoddersUK Posts: 537
    I certainly spent a few months keeping it well watered, but now I'll see how it goes.

    There's a long border of wildflowers by work that used to get cut every year, when they were all in flower. Finally this year they haven't done it, they stopped as they got to them!
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I love Welsh poppies too. I don't think mine like competition. This year they are next to sweet williams and they are sulking.
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