It is possible to force them to flower in the first year like an annual. Start them off in a propagator in January, grow on in pots and plant out end of April/early May. I find it works better with some of the varieties than others but it is always worth a try. If they don't flower in the first year, they are well ahead for the next year.
There are some perennial varieties too. Biennial ones can be 'tricked' into flowering again the next year if the flower stalk is cut off immediately after they have flowered and before they have a chance to set seed.
low nutrient soil is good if you're going for a perennial rather than annual wildflower meadow, to much nutrients and you get nettles, docks and creeping buttercup taking over
I know it as a theoretical management idea. It can work in heavily managed 'wildflower meadows' in other words fairly large areas set aside to grow a wide variety of wildflower species that is maintained over longer periods by exhaustive cutting. I find they have limited wildlife value due to the cutting regimes involved and are not practical in the average sized garden at all.
I don't find in the garden with say unimproved clay it works so well. Just disturbing the soil and leaving it will cause nettles to proliferate (I have plenty of nettles without trying very hard!). I find it much better to have improved soil for the wildflowers, kept weed free so they stand a chance to establish.
Another example was last year I tried one of the direct sow wildflower mixes (against my own better judgement) again on unimproved clay. The result was a stand of ragwort.
My back garden runs North South. I split it in half, East side lawned and borders.West side I planted up with about 20 fruit trees and underplanted with wild flowers. The prevailing wind is West to East. Consequently the wildflowers I planted seeded, and are now growing happily on, in and around the lawn and borders. Does not matter what or where you plant, they will decide where they want to grow. I just let them get on with it now.
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It is possible to force them to flower in the first year like an annual. Start them off in a propagator in January, grow on in pots and plant out end of April/early May. I find it works better with some of the varieties than others but it is always worth a try. If they don't flower in the first year, they are well ahead for the next year.
There are some perennial varieties too. Biennial ones can be 'tricked' into flowering again the next year if the flower stalk is cut off immediately after they have flowered and before they have a chance to set seed.
Smashing, thanks Gemma - I remember a year or 2 ago when I had them and the bees were very happy!
low nutrient soil is good if you're going for a perennial rather than annual wildflower meadow, to much nutrients and you get nettles, docks and creeping buttercup taking over
Have you tried this treehugger80 in practice?
I know it as a theoretical management idea. It can work in heavily managed 'wildflower meadows' in other words fairly large areas set aside to grow a wide variety of wildflower species that is maintained over longer periods by exhaustive cutting. I find they have limited wildlife value due to the cutting regimes involved and are not practical in the average sized garden at all.
I don't find in the garden with say unimproved clay it works so well. Just disturbing the soil and leaving it will cause nettles to proliferate (I have plenty of nettles without trying very hard!). I find it much better to have improved soil for the wildflowers, kept weed free so they stand a chance to establish.
Another example was last year I tried one of the direct sow wildflower mixes (against my own better judgement) again on unimproved clay. The result was a stand of ragwort.
Some of the wildflowers that have grown (not sure what most of them are though
)
My back garden runs North South. I split it in half, East side lawned and borders.West side I planted up with about 20 fruit trees and underplanted with wild flowers. The prevailing wind is West to East. Consequently the wildflowers I planted seeded, and are now growing happily on, in and around the lawn and borders. Does not matter what or where you plant, they will decide where they want to grow. I just let them get on with it now.