We are (naturally) fans of wildflowers, we love how they grow so easily in our temperate climate and how they make us, and our wildlife, feel, not to mention their magnetism for attracting a variety of insects, bees and butterflies to our gardens.
Natural wildflower meadows are sadly declining. We are on a mission to encourage everyone to create their own wildflower garden; they are low maintenance and colourful and whether you have a border or large meadow your garden will thank you for it.
We caught up with Sloane & Sons to find out what their favourite wildflowers are, along with some tips on where to plant them and when they are at their most abundant.
Lavender
With one of our favourite scents, this must be the flower of choice in an English country garden. Bee friendly and evergreen, lavender blooms in late summer and early autumn, ensuring your garden is full of colour well into autumn. Plant in well-draining, sandy soil.
Cornflower
These purple-blue annual flowers may look fragile, but they are easy to grow, appearing from late spring and into summer. Plant in a well-draining soil in full sunshine.
Primrose
A wildflower that can grow in both full sun and partial shade, these yellow-coloured flowers prefer moist soil and are abundant from springtime, usually spotted around woodland and along riverbanks.
Wild Poppy
Scarlet pops of colour dotting a meadow or garden border are always a sight to behold in the summer. Wild poppies are a favourite of bees and come in a range of colours to add to your garden’s rainbow. Plant in well-drained soil and full sunshine.
Candytuft
This is a kid-friendly variety, easy to grow from seeds sown directly into the soil. Varieties feature blue, pink or purple multi-petaled flowers throughout spring and summer. Plant in well-drained soil in full sunshine.
Columbine
Another easy plant to grow from seed, its nodding bonnet-shaped flowers add diversity and structure to your wildflower meadow from spring through to summer. They love sunshine but can also grow in partial shade and thrive in well-drained, moist soil.
Corncockle
Tall with white and magenta flowers that bloom in the summer months, in autumn its foliage changes to green, silver and grey offering a cool colour palate to your garden. Preferring a sunny spot in well-drained, sandy soil, one thing to note is corncockle can cause server issues if eaten.
Foxglove
This self-sowing plant has the potential to be the tallest wildflower in your garden. Its tubular purple flowers are most vibrant in summer; however its foliage can last from spring well into autumn. Foxgloves loves chalky, moist soils in full sun or partial shade. A word of warning, foxgloves are very poisonous, so do not eat them!
Bluebell
Carpets of nodding bluebells are a welcome sight come springtime each year. They are also one of the most low-maintenance wildflowers growing best in moist but well-drained chalk or sandy soils, in partial shade or full sunshine.
Fritillary
These beautiful nodding flowers with their cheeky freckles of pink are not native to the UK, however, make a lovely addition to a wildflower meadow or border. Preferring moist but well-drained chalky soil, they thrive in partial shade or full sunshine.
Let’s open our gardens, brighten our homes and help our wildlife thrive with beautiful, sustainable wildflowers.
Thank you to Sloane & Sons for their great tips and advice on creating a Wildflower-rich garden. Sloane & Sons is one of the UK’s leading family-run designers of teak benches and garden furniture. Blog | Garden Benches Blog
