introduction

the four features

wildflowers

the hedgerow

the pond

the all-in-one garden

the butterflies

conclusions

The Grasses

	Annual Meadow flowers Spring-Autumn height 1' Prolific seed producer (Sparrows) Noted for attracting wildlife
	Common Bent flowers June- August height 1'+ Seeds set August to October
	Yorkshire Fog flowers May-August height 1'-3' Masses of pale purple flower heads
	False Brome flowers July-August height 1'-3' Clump-forming tufted prennial
	Cock's Foot flowers May-August height 6' Purple: tussock forming Dry: partial shade Attracts six species of butterflies

The Wild Flowers & Grasses Flowering Times

There are over 1000 British wildflowers, but not all of them are suitable for our purpose; butterfly conservation.  For a greater variety of butterfly-friendly wildflowers in your meadow, you could add some (or all) of the following.  This will, of course, depend on the size of the meadow you are creating.

• Autumn hawkbit: (Leontodon autumnalis)
• Common bird’s-foot-trefoil: (Lotus corniculatus)
• Common knapweed: (Centaura nigra)
• Cow parsley: (Anthriscus sylvestris)
• Devil’s-bit scabious: (Succisa pratensis)
• Field Forget-me-not: (Myosotis arvensis)
• Garlic mustard: (Allaria petiolata)
• Greater bird’s-foot-trefoil: (Lotus pedunculatus)
• Kidney vetch: (Anthyllis vulneraria)
• Maiden pink: (Dianthus deltoids)
• Meadow crane’s-bill: (Geranium pratense)
• Musk mallow: (Malva moschata)
• Ox-eye daisy: (Leucanthemum vulgare)
• Red clover: (Trifolium pratense)
• Viper’s-bugloss: (Echium vulgare)
• White campion: (Silene latifolia)
• Wild basil: (Clinopodium vulgare)
• Wild marjoram: (Origanum vulgare)
• Wild pansy: (Viola tricolor)
• Wild teasel: (Dipsacus fullonum)

If you are thinking of buying ready mixed wildflowers for butterflies, please check to see if they are butterfly-friendly.

Remember, the plants and flowers that are good for butterflies, are also good for bees, hoverflies and all those other insects that we cannot readily name.

Larval or host plants and grasses
that butterflies need to lay their eggs on

Important: as the purpose of your garden is to help conserve butterflies, please introduce as many of these larval (caterpillar) host plants as possible.

The two grasses to be sown with the wildflowers are Annual meadow & Common bent.  Do not sow Cock's foot - False brome - Yorkshire fog with the wildflowers; they will eventually overwhelm the wildflowers because of their aggressive growing nature.  However, as they are necessary for our purpose, sow these anti-social elements in a separate area of your garden, preferably in a row, so that any retreating insects can find shelter when you mow the main meadow.  Remember to leave a 5cm (2") stalk for any butterfly chrysalis you have helped to conserve.

Clover and both the bird's foot trefoils can be sown with the wildflower seeds and grasses.

The buckthorn and alder buckthorn, being trees, will need the requisite space in which to grow.  Please see the Hedgerow feature.

The nasturtiums can be grown in the cultivated area.

The cuckooflower/lady's smock can be grown either in the meadow or in with the cultivated flowers.  They both like moist soil and a little shade.

Garlic mustard looks good along the hedgerow with the other flowers that prefer that environment.

As you can see stinging nettles play an important part in butterfly conservation.  They need to be fresh tender plants for the butterflies to lay their eggs on; they need to be cultivated, that is cared for as much as any of the colourful nectar plants; they need to be grown in a sunny sheltered position preferably in a shallow.  Cut down about a third of the nettle bed in the first week of June — another third in late July and the last about mid August.  By doing this the emerging caterpillars will have a ready supply of succulent leaves to feed on, grow fat, pupate, then emerge as the next generation of butterflies.

There are also different varieties of wildflowers to suit different types of soil.  Please look up www.wildflowershop.co.uk.  They are the only ones who I’ve found that have the type of grasses we need.