HIGHER MORWELL WILDFLOWER PATCH 2016
The wildflower patch was sown with a
lot of seed in Autumn 2015 after the
grass was cut down. It isn’t yet clear
that this has made any difference to
what grows there, as there is still a lot
of new grass. We have included yellow
rattle to try and control this. One
wildflower that has appeared all over
the garden this year is cuckooflower,
and there are many of these in the
patch.
Looking down towards the house from
the seat in the corner above the
wildflower patch. Since the old panel
fencing blew down the brambles have
begun to take over this corner again.
We are planning to create a mixed
hedge along this part, after the
brambles have been dug out.
The pond is planned to be where the
two conifers are currently growing.
One is in a very poor state and both
spoil the view from the house.
June 2016 and a
solitary red poppy has
flowered right in the
middle.
Left is coltsfoot, which closes its flowers up around midday. This is the only coltsfoot plant seen so far.
Right is lesser stitchwort which is a tiny flower and is spread throughout the patch.
Corncockle (left) has appeared 14th June, this
plant was definitely amongst the seed mix that
we used. There are many more around getting
ready to flower which should please the bees as
there still isn’t a lot to attract them to the patch
apart from the ever-present buttercups.
We think this is a field marigold (below), it appeared
on 16th June but only seems to open in sunshine.
24th June and we have
Birdsfoot Trefoil bursting
out all over the patch. The
tall grasses are still laying
down in places after recent
rain, and there have been
no more poppies or
corncockles. Nor is there
any sign yet of the Yellow
Rattle included in the
seeding to control the
grass.
This is how the wildflower patch has developed. It is plain now that our preparations last autumn didn’t do
enough to discourage the grass and this year we will attack the grass with the rotavator after it has had the
autumn cut. So many flowers have just not appeared at all and some pictured earlier have disappeared
altogether. Particularly frustrating is the lack of Yellow Rattle which was meant to keep the grass down. No
Ox-eye Daisies either, in fact a total lack of colour other than the yellow Birdsfoot Trefoil and still developing
purple Lesser Knapweed.
The apple tree in the foreground was a mass of leaves and blossom at one time, but the deer have routinely
chewed at it so there are no apples forming. It will receive better protection next year.
5th September and it’s fair to say the wildflower patch has finished giving any more flowers this year. When
time and weather permit we’ll cut all that remains as low as possible, then rotavate it. No small job but if it
helps get rid of grass roots it will be worthwhile.
We also plan to leave a path through the middle from one long side to the other so that it is possible to see
what’s what in the middle of the patch in 2017.
