Meadow matters

So....... it's growing already!

We didn't expect to see so much activity so quickly but it's been wet and warm since the seeds were sown, which are perfect growing conditions.

The front runners at the moment in our wildflower world are the cornfield annuals. Such as Poppies, Cornflower, Corn Chamomile and corn Marigold. These plants grow, flower and die in one year so they are on fast forward. They mean that with any luck we'll have a good show of colour next May/June.

The slower growers which might not even be visible yet are the perennials. They come back year after year and will be the backbone of the meadow. These include Yellow Rattle which will help reduce the strength of the grass, Oxeye daisies with their lovely large white flowers, Field Scabious with pale lilac blooms that bees and butterflies love, Ladies Bedstraw that when dried used to be used to stuff mattresses, and Selfheal that has purple flowers and has been used medicinally in many parts of the world.