Plant Your Own Mini Meadow

You don’t need rolling fields to enjoy the romance of a wildlife-rich meadow. Whether you want cornfield annuals or perennials, all you need is a sunny spot in the garden.

There's nothing quite as lovely as a summer meadow – a sight that has inspired artists and poets for centuries. But according to the RSPB, a whopping 99% of the UK’s so-called ‘unimproved grassland’ has been lost since the 1930s. This is grassland that hasn’t been re-seeded, fertilised or drained, making it an ideal habitat for native wildflowers and wildlife.

As farming practices intensified, the addition of fertilisers and the introduction of more vigorous grasses meant that the grasses (along with weeds) outcompeted the wildflowers that had previously grown in our countryside. These wildflowers declined, which meant the wildlife that relied on them also suffered. Thankfully, the downward trend in species-rich grassland has slowed in recent years, but we are still a long way from reversing it. This makes planting even the smallest patch of native wildflowers in the garden a great way to do your bit for conservation.

Small-scale success

Meadow-style planting in domestic gardens has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years – thanks, largely, to the work of Nigel Dunnett and the team at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park almost eight years ago. Thankfully, you don’t need acres of ground to grow native wildflowers – you can create a mini-meadow in a patch as small as 3x3ft (1x1m).

So where and when do you start? First, you need to identify your site. Most wildflower seed mixes rely on sun to germinate; however, you can locate your meadow in partial shade, as long as you opt for the right plants. Red campion, foxgloves and primroses will all flourish in dappled shade, and they’ll give good results when grown from plug plants.

If you do have a sunny spot that you’d like to give the meadow treatment, your next decision is whether you want to grow annual or perennial wildflowers.