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More and more gardeners have a craving to walk on the wild side in their gardens. The manicured lawn of yesteryear is playing second fiddle to swathes of long grass studded with oxeye daisies, clover and buttercups.
However the meadow effect can be hard to achieve with wildflowers in existing grass; meadows need management, and fertile soils are more conducive to lush grass than they are to wildflowers.
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Certain flowerbulbs on the other hand give good results on most soils and are easy to manage. All you need to do is resist the temptation to mow that area of grass until the foliage has died down naturally. If you remove it too early, the bulbs do not build up their food reserves sufficiently to perform well the following year.
When it comes to naturalising bulbs many will reach for bulk bags of mixed daffodils and narcissi. These work well if you plant a lot of them in big drifts. In smaller numbers the effect can be very fragmented, as different varieties bloom at different times. In any case they are hardly naturalistic and if you want to create that meadow effect then native bulb flowers or others of similar character are the ones to go for.
Narcissus ‘Thalia’ is a good example of a garden hybrid that suits a naturalistic setting. This graceful narcissus produces beautifully poised, delicate, white flowers on strong stems, two or three flowers appearing on each stem. Double narcissi are best avoided, however Narcissus ‘Pencrebar’ is a possible exception. Its double, egg yolk blooms are small, graceful and are carried on fine stems. It has a lovely scent and is a long lasting flower. These cultivated bulbs only multiply by producing offsets, so spread is slow and they are best focussed in small areas of long grass.
The British native wild daffodil, Narcissus lobularis, is a delight once you get it established. It has a tiny bulb for a narcissus, more like that of a snowdrop. So buy it in early autumn and plant immediately, before the bulbs dry out and shrivel. Plant in groups of 10-15 bulbs, spacing the bulbs a couple of inches apart at a depth of three times the depth of the bulb. Do not be tempted to plant too deeply.
It will establish best in thin grass under the dappled shade of trees, in well drained conditions. After flowering, do not be tempted to remove the flowers, instead allow the seed heads to develop and ripen. In early summer they change to parchment, split and release black seeds. The plant will spread and multiply more by seed than by the bulbs multiplying. This is true of most of the small species bulbs including the snake’s head fritillary.
Fritillaria meleagris is also a British native that once colonised water meadows. With the disappearance of wet meadows from our landscape this exquisite flower is seen less frequently in the wild. However it is grown widely in gardens, both in the open ground and in pots. It can be naturalised in grass where soil is moist, and never dries out completely. Because it prefers cool conditions it is often more successful in slightly shaded areas under large shrubs and trees. The bulbs are small and waxy, and like the narcissus should be planted as soon as possible after purchase at a similar depth and spacing.
Hyacinthoides non-scripta, our native bluebell, is one of the great delights of the English spring. Its deep, sapphire blue colour makes it particularly visible under the shade of trees, and it blooms before the grass grows tall enough to obscure its delicate lines. Patient gardeners will find that they can build up large colonies of bluebells from relatively few bulbs by encouraging them to seed. Plant the bulbs individually with a dibber, 15cm apart and once the seed heads ripen in summer, brush through the fading stems to scatter the seeds across the whole area.
Where bulbs are naturalised in grass under trees mow in autumn and remove the clippings, and mow again on a high setting in late autumn or winter to remove fallen leaves and top the grass. This will ensure that the blooms appear amongst fresh, green grass blades the following spring. Bulbs sold in our garden centres are from cultivated sources and are certified not wild collected.
Camassia leichtlinii is a native of the North American prairies. However it is a lovely subject to plant in an English meadow, even if it is only a patch of longer grass under birch or apple trees. It flowers in mid to late spring, at the same time as the bluebells, and the starry flowers carried on upright stems are similar in colour. The bulbs are large, often four or five centimetres in diameter. They can be planted individually, or in groups of three or five, three times the depth of the bulb.
The lovely blue Anemone blanda is not a subject to try and naturalise in long grass, but it continues the effect into areas where grass is naturally short under trees or large shrubs. This can be a tricky subject to get started on dry soils, especially if the tubers have become very dry. For best results soak them in water for 24 hours prior to planting in groups of around 10 tubers, about 3-4 cm deep. Keep them watered after planting if the ground is dry. If all else fails plant them in pots of multi-purpose compost, and get them going for a season, before planting them into their final position where you want them to naturalise.
Autumn is the perfect time to start your own mini-meadow in the
corner of the garden, or in a couple of large patio containers. You can sow Meadow Anywhere at the same time that you plant your meadow bulbs. The meadow grasses will germinate quickly in the warm, moist autumn soil and the meadow flowers will germinate and grow slowly during the winter ready to bloom next spring and summer. Those bulbs you plant at the same time will ensure that your mini-meadow starts blooming early next spring.
Andy McIndoe
Andy McIndoe
