Wilding

Im dreading cutting my grass which is all wild. I will use shears as its small. I put lots of wildflower seeds but none have come up. Im expecting great things next year as it apparently needs to spend a cold winter before germinating so it will be another mini meadow again

Hay making, silage making, corn combining all carry this risk to ground-dwelling wildlife but most of them will get out of the way. Maybe agitate the grass a bit and make a noise, pop your cat in the middle if you have one to try to scare things off before you strim. Congratulations on leaving your grass, I found it a bit like growing my hair, that straggly stage where it just looks unkempt had me running for the mower I'm afraid - maybe next year.

I liked the idea of wilding so I portioned off a corner of the back garden with wooden edging and with my 2 youngest GDs, built what started out as a bug hotel but grew at an alarming rate. We sowed wild flower seeds around it and they have been lovely. The best thing is we can just leave it. The edging keeps it contained so the mower/strimmer isn't used on it.

On this subject, can anyone advise me on what to do with a wild flower area when the flowers have stopped flowering? Do I cut them down and leave the mess to die down in the hope that the seeds will re-emerge next year or do I cut it all down and clear the stalks etc., so letting the rain, air and light get to it over the winter? It's been absolutely lovely this year, do I'd like a repeat performance next if possible.

orchids - how lovely!

Poor frog- obviously didn't jump fast enough, I would have thought it would get out of the way fast.

My wild area had quite a few flowers but the grasses didn't grow.
I think you're supposed to strim or even scythe it, OurKid but I just walked amongst it and brushed the seed heads then will ask the man who cuts the lawns to just mow it next time.

midgey might know more.

.^I put lots of wildflower seeds but none have come up^

Same here, Ethelwashere1, well some came up but not the meadow flowers eg poppies because apparently they prefer tilled soil.
However, poppies of various kinds have magically appeared in the herbaceous borders - could be from seed the birds have dropped because I didn't plant them.

I think if you want a wild flower area it should be cut down after the flowers have seeded and it is important to remove what you have cut. They need poor soil to do best and if the cuttings are left they improve the soil. Next year I shall try sowing the seed in trays and planting out the plants, I think it will do better than just putting seeds straight in.

I plant plugs from seed sown the previous year and overwintered plus spring sowings and all the interesting things which appear in the border like welsh poppies, pink campion and foxgloves. I’m not trying for a meadow look, more a natural wildflower strip so many of my plants are very tall such as knapweed and liatris. I rub the seed heads between my hands to allow them to self seed then take the hedge trimmers to it and remove the debris.
In my back garden I introduced a tiny wildlife pond. I hate it when the little froglets start roaming the lawn. It takes so long to cut the grass as I rescue every one and return them to the pond.

It takes so long to cut the grass as I rescue every one and return them to the pond.

I have a picture in my head of you doing this (although I have no idea what you look like ?) and the froglets jumping out the other side as fast as you put them back

???

And yes, it's in colour!

Perhaps it was a toad? They tend to hunker down, the area is best hunted over after reducing the weed growth by half, then on hands and knees and kneeler pad search through and cut by hand- shears maybe.

We left the middle of our lawn to grow long and just cut a path round the edges. It looks pretty and there are grasshoppers in the long grass.
Two years ago I scattered wildflower seeds on a bare patch along a wall and the result was spectacular - loads of colour which went on for weeks. Last year I left it alone to see what would happen. A lot of wildflowers re-appeared but some didn't but it still looked nice. However, as someone upthread said, what do you do when it's all over? Incidentally the plant that has attracted the most bees this year has been Golden Rod. The insects swarm all over it and it's lovely to see.
If you plant Yellow Rattle it suppresses grass and gives wildflowers more of a chance to grow.

I don't do any sections of wild garden but I have planted areas of foxgloves which have been thoroughly appreciated by the bees. I observe with chagrin when I see them at £10 in retail and their habit is to grow here there and everywhere for free.

Sow foxglove seeds now, prick out and pot on. If done now you may well have a display next year. They are biennial, so if they don’t flower next year they will the year after.

Callistemon

^It takes so long to cut the grass as I rescue every one and return them to the pond.^

I have a picture in my head of you doing this (although I have no idea what you look like ?) and the froglets jumping out the other side as fast as you put them back

???

Fortunately the tiny frogs seem to be traumatised by being removed by a giant and dropped back home. Hate to do it but reckon it is preferable to them being chopped up.

I remember my school friend saying her mother had given her frogs' legs for dinner - not something I've ever fancied!!

So many strange plants appear especially in our back garden that I wonder if they're from the seeds in the bird feeder that have been scattered?
We never planted them.