Wild flower seed mix

RosesandLilac

My two different packets of wild flower seeds grew only weeds!

Weeds are just plants in the wrong place!

It was absolutely stunning in color and variety! I’m sure it was cultivated over the years to become a showcase of natural beauty.
It probably was carefully cultivated and maintained Gundy, because, if left to its own devices, certain plants will take over and they are usually the ones you don't want, or at least not to dominate to the exclusion of others.

Where is the dividing line between a 'weed' and a desirable garden plant? Is there one?

Only on a personal level, I reckon.

OP here. Thank you for all of your suggestions. Everything has been very useful and interesting. You are a very knowledgeable group

I think I will go for individual varieties rather than a box of mixed seeds.

I agree that the flowers don't have to be 'wild' provided they are good for the bees and insects.

I do grow cosmos but deadhead them to encourage more flowers. I could put them in the planter though and leave them to go to seed. It isn't in a prominent place and I was planning using it for the benefit of our wildlife.

Going to have a look at Sarah Raven for inspiration.

Thank you all

You never know what’s in those pkgs or how old those seeds are. Here’s what I would do - go to a good garden shop that sells seeds. Select about three or more individual packs of favorite (wild) flowers and make your own mix. Spread those seeds next year and see what happens.

You can also go to the woods or ditch alongside a country road and dig up some Queen Anne’s Lace, lavender, something pink, something yellow and replant those flowers in your patch. They would spread too, I think.

There will be weeds. Thistle is beautiful when it grows tall and blooms - but it’s thistle! Beware. Start small and spread your patch each year.

You cannot just dig up plants in the UK. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 forbids the uprooting of any wild plant without express permission of whoever owns or manages the land. Even plants growing wild are the legal property of somebody.

I have bought from the same shops and always came up.

Baggs

*Where is the dividing line between a 'weed' and a desirable garden plant? Is there one?*

Only on a personal level, I reckon.

I think some are thuggish, others not so prolific.

My Viper's Bugloss was lovely this year, PinkCosmos and the bees loved it.

I gave a donation to Bumblebee Conservation Trust three years ago. I have received seeds from them since then the flowers are abundant a spectacular show that lasts for months.

Not wild flowers, but annuals sown in a redundant raised bed. The bees and other insects love them, it’s been flowering all summer long and I shall leave it to go to seed. Hopefully the seeds will grow again next year.
I do also have small naturally wild flower areas in the garden, but have never been successful with the seed mixtures.

Forgot photo!

J52

Not wild flowers, but annuals sown in a redundant raised bed. The bees and other insects love them, it’s been flowering all summer long and I shall leave it to go to seed. Hopefully the seeds will grow again next year.
I do also have small naturally wild flower areas in the garden, but have never been successful with the seed mixtures.

Very pretty. The cornflowers are a much deeper blue than the ones in the wildflower mix I used.

Thank you, yes they are the cultivated ones. Also in the mix are single poppies, Californian poppies, nasturtiums, poached egg plants, Clary and flax.
I think I might have sown too many, but my hope is that next year the seeds will germinate through natural selection.
I’ll have a few seedlings ready, just in case.

I threw down some cornflower, daisy and red poppy seeds in an unused, rather neglected bit of a border.

Somehow there seem to be orange poppies, some yellow weeds? and two self-set tomato plants which have produced a bowlful of cherry tomatoes 😁

This reminds me. When I was about 13 I persuaded my Mum to buy something from Woolworths.

It was like a roll of white fleecy material which contained loads of wild flower seeds. You just laid it down, covered it with soil and water it. Then you wait and a carpet of flowers appears. Except in my case it didn’t!! 🤣

There are 2 types of wildflower meadows, one comprising annuals and the other one perennials. The annual ones are easy. You just plant the seeds and they produce flowers which die at the end of summer. (Many will drop seed which will come up next year but not as prolific.) If you want a perennial meadow -ie one that comes up year after year - it is more complicated. You have to know when to cut it back. Basically all wildflowers look great when in flower and a mess when they are over.

RosesandLilac, once I bought some seeds from Ebay - and I got nettles and thistles - never again.

We had a patch like yours one year J52 in our community garden but it only looked like that one year. Subsequently the nettles and grass grew back.

I left about a third of my lawn uncut and was thrilled to see orchids coming up. It's in its third year now and fascinates me. Butterflies love it. I have sown yellow rattle and some saxifrage and lady's bedstraw.

It is looking like a hayfield right now and will be strimmed this week. It was last cut in April.

roseandlilac you made me laugh what do you call a weed and what do you call a wild flower ?

J52

Not wild flowers, but annuals sown in a redundant raised bed. The bees and other insects love them, it’s been flowering all summer long and I shall leave it to go to seed. Hopefully the seeds will grow again next year.
I do also have small naturally wild flower areas in the garden, but have never been successful with the seed mixtures.

I'm going to go for this option rather than wild flowers, choosing annual flower seeds that are good for the bees and insects. That way I can get the colours that I want and not the 'weeds'.

I had a look at the Sarah Raven website. The reviews for the wildflower seed mixes were not good.

I only tried once, all I got were dandelions and herb Robert. Most disappointing.

my sweet husband planted the wildflower seeds that were for our area ..I forgot where he got them..lots of cosmos...zinnias..marigolds..black eye suzie..red clover...lots of others I don't know...
drought this year slowed them down...but they come back each year