This year, I've stepped up my game in terms of bringing wild flowers into my garden. I haven't looked back!! If you are looking for a hassle free, and inexpensive way of gardening that is great for the environment, this approach could be for you!
There's tons of great advice about how to take a different more nature-based approach to your garden. This ranges from wildlife gardening, permaculture and meadow sowing (all of which require quite a bit of management) to rewilding (see the further reading section for more on these). I try to incorporate elements from these concepts as best as I can. I have borders made of deadwood, ensure passage from my garden is possible for visiting animals, and have taken to composting. I also have a wildlife pond which has been a great addition.
But one really simple and easily achievable approach is just to make space for and introduce more wild flowers into your garden.
In this blog, I have outlined the following:
1) Defining 'Wild flowers'
For me, a wild flower is a plant that has evolved in the wild environment, rather than those that have deliberately been bred over generations in modern times for commercial gain. Be aware that many 'wildflower seed packs' include non native species that you wouldn't actually find in the wild in the UK.
And I am predominantly talking about native or naturalised species in this blog but not exclusively. Technically, a native species is one that came to the UK by the end of the last ice age, but I find this a bit arbitrary as plants like people move around and call new places their home, and this sort of migration is natural. Even plants brought over by humans - as many were by the Romans or Victorians - become naturalised in their new environment. I would include these in my definition.
2) Why bring wild flowers into your garden?
Biodiversity
It's no secret that we have seen a huge decline of biodiversity in the past century. It is often quoted that the UK has lost 97% of our wildflower meadows since the 1930s; in reality it is probably much more (see here). So helping to protect the biodiversity of the plants themselves is a definite bonus.
But wild plants are also crucial to supporting the broader ecosystem. The 2023 State of Nature report found that across the UK species studied have declined on average by 19% since 1970. Invertebrates such as insects, spiders and millipedes have been found, on average, in 13% fewer places now than in 1970.
Wild/native plants evolved within a broader eco system and are therefore best placed to support insects and broader wildlife. They are often covered by insects, and are constantly pollinated. It's so heartening to see, particularly in a year where the decline in insects is notable and attributed largely to habitat destruction (See Guardian Article: "This year has been dead": Where have Britain's insects gone?)
Beauty
I honestly and truly believe the wild plants in my garden are beautiful, and all the moreso for not having been designed by humans to be that way. They are a direct expression of the earth's life force. They may be more subtle and less flamboyant than what you may find at a garden centre but there is a delicate sophistication to that I find.
Nutrition & herbal medicine
So many wild plants are wonderful edibles and can also be used for healing as they have been for generations. As much as I love going out foraging, when I'm low on time having a diverse source of plants in my back yard that I know haven't been sprayed is worth a lot to me.
No watering
Because these plants are adapted to live in the wild, they don't need watering! I harvest rainwater in my garden, but use that mostly to water plants in pots that I have bought from the garden centre (I do eventually want to experiment with wild seed in pots, I'll give that a go next year!) . I never water the patches of wild plants I have, and not only is that less hassle but it's much better than using tons of water particularly in the summer when supply is often scarce.
“Pest” resistance
How often do you buy a beautiful plant from the garden centre only to get home and shortly realise it's been munched away by an enthusiastic snail only a few days later? Wild plants are by comparison fairly pest resistant. I've not noticed them to be nibbled away in quite the same way.
Saving money
In times of high inflation who among us isn’t looking to save a few pounds? Every time I walk into the garden centre I walk out having spent a small fortune. But having a garden based predominantly on wild plants means that you can even get away with spending nothing. If there are particular species you want to introduce you can do so cheaply by procuring seed or bare root plants which are a lot cheaper than buying plants at a garden centre. So it's a win win.
3) Sources of wild flowers
Work with what you already have
By far the easiest thing to do is to work with what's already growing in your garden. A lot of advice says to strip out your lawn to sow a wildflower meadow, but I found that actually, I had loads growing there already. No mow may has been a hugely successful campaign (yay!), followed by let it bloom June, and we've taken it to the next level by only mowing 2x a year. This works really well for us, and I now find lawns that are constantly cut look a bit sad and boring.
In terms of what you will find in your lawn, people expect dandelions, clover and daisies (which are all great) but I have also found an abundance of yarrow, birdfoot trefoil, self heal, violets, common mallow, and primroses, all growing naturally in my grass. In the hedges, I have found lemon balm, hawthorn. Stinking iris has colonised some of my beds, which is pretty this time of year with its striking orange flowers, but it may need to be tamed at other times of year to allow other species to grow side by side.
Foraged seeds
Next best thing is to harvest handfulls of seeds when you're out and about. Autumn is a great time to get collecting as that's when the seeds are out! My pockets are always full of seeds at this time of year. It's free, and while you can go about sowing them in pots and repotting, I find dispersing them in my garden often works a treat.
Plants I have introduced this way are queen's anne's lace, hogweed (though be mindful it can get out of control), plantain, and red clover. I have also written before about how I was saving seed from some evening primrose being cut down near my house and I'm thrilled that it's actually taken this year and looks incredibly striking (see "My journey with evening primrose" blog).
Ordering
If there's something you want to include that's neither in your garden nor available locally, then you can always buy it online. I have ordered both seeds and bare root native plants - those that I have seen out in the wild but do not have naturally in my garden. Places I order from include:
Backyard larder - They only have a few plants available at a time, and focus on perennial vegetables, but often include many plants you can find in the wild (ie musk mallow currently on their list).
Jekka's seed - They specialise in culinary and medicinal seeds & this means you can also find a lot of plants also available in the wild, like borage for example.
Herbal Haven- sell herbal medicinal plants, wild plants such as comfrey available.
4) Other considerations
Invasive species
Always be mindful of invasive species when deciding which plants to bring into your garden. Plants like himalayan balsam, for example, are gorgeous (and have delicious seeds) but clog up our water systems. Do your research before introducing plants to double check there are no environmental concerns (or laws) about spreading their seed.
Poisonous species
I don't want to be alarmist by mentioning this - to be honest, if you don't have young kids that might put something in their mouth it's not an issue. But if you do, you'd probably want to remove deadly poisonous plants that naturally self seed in your garden, for example hemlock, or lords and ladies (which apparently feel like eating shards of glass if injested!). If you don't have kids, leave them be - the insects will be grateful for them.
Over harvesting
If you are foraging seed, be mindful that animals may be depending on the seed for food. I only take a little from each location. Also be mindful that it is illegal to dig up the roots without permission of the landowner.
Patience
This way of gardening isn't quick! If you gather seeds in the autumn you will not see the fruits of your labour till the following spring. Nor is this method easy to control. Be prepared to embrace nature in all its diversity and you'll find yourself feeling more in tune with the seasons. I am trying to see myself as a gradual artist, slowly learning what flowers when and what looks good where. And believe me, it's so rewarding when you see wild flowers flourishing in your little patch. When you consider how much threat wild plants are under in our landscape, you can't help but feel proud about doing your bit.
Let me know if you will give this way of gardening a go and please do share photos of how you get on!
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