Create a wildflower area

Effort:

Impact:

Cost:

Savings:

Snake's Head Fritillaries — © The Earth Trust

Creating a wildflower patch in your is a delightful way to bring a bit of the British countryside into your own backyard. Not only will it add a splash of colour and charm to your garden, but it will also provide a vital habitat for local wildlife. Bees, butterflies, and birds all benefit from wildflower areas, which offer a rich source of nectar and seeds. So, by sowing a wildflower patch, you're not just enhancing your garden, you're also contributing to local biodiversity.

Impact: Wildflower areas support pollinators like bees and butterflies, which play a crucial role in our food production. According to the Wildlife Trusts, hiring people to do the work of pollinators would cost £1.8 billion per year in the UK. Moreover, wildflower areas require less watering and maintenance than traditional lawns, reducing water usage and carbon emissions from garden equipment like lawnmowers and mulchers.

Effort: It requires some initial effort to prepare the area and sow the seeds, but once established, a wildflower area requires minimal maintenance.

Costs and savings: The cost of wildflower seeds varies, but it's usually affordable. You can also often find 'seed libraries' or 'seed swap' events in your local area. In terms of savings, you'll likely spend less on water and garden maintenance.

Time each month: After the initial setup, expect to spend a few hours each month on maintenance during the growing season.

Next steps

Buy native seeds from a local supplier
Sow the seeds on freshly dug soil in spring and autumn
Let the wildflowers grow until early September, then cut and collect the clippings for compost, and the seeds for more planting, or to share with your neighbours.