Th8
Meadows are joyous, uplifting places, with thousands of flowers jostling for space
Sown from a packet of seeds last summer, it flowered in April, waves of purple Honesty became a sea of blue Echiums by June, turning into frothy, white umbellifers in August. It is a place where our garden visitors linger, mesmerised by the sheer exuberance of flowers and astonishing numbers of butterflies and bumblebees. The meadow has a vibrancy and life if its own that draws people in like no other part of our garden. Each day reveals new flowers, surprise combinations. Is there such a thing as “Meadow Bathing”? Because when I walk through the meadow between thousands of jostling flowers, I emerge smiling, uplifted.
So why a Perennial Meadow?
For your average domestic garden, wildflower meadows can be tricky. They peak quickly, often looking messy after flowering. However, stylised Perennial Meadows have the look and feel of wildflowers with the advantage of a long flowering season and low maintenance. And they are a magnet for wildlife.
Just imagine the pollinators, dragonflies, moths, bats, and birds we could support if every garden in the UK had a few square metres of Perennial Meadow?
So, if you are toying with the idea of a meadow, or you just want to brighten up your borders, a Perennial Meadow, like mine, could be the answer
What is a Perennial Meadow?
It is a specially formulated mix of wild flowers and perennial species, designed to flower year after year. My meadow comes from Sheffield’s Pictorial Meadows, experts in creating high impact, low input, stylised meadows. (They are responsible for those glorious meadows around the Olympic Park in 2012 and Rotherham’s award winning 8-mile River of Flowers)
Formulated to flower from spring to the first frosts, with around 25 flower species per mix and a whopping 120 plants per m2, there are meadows for sun, shade, and different soil types.
And with a colour palette from eye-popping hot colours, jewel-like designer schemes or dreamy whites and pastels, you are sure to find a meadow mix to compliment your garden.
Seed vs Turf
Mixes are available as seed or turf. Seed is lower cost but requires some skill during establishment. Turf is quick and easy to lay, results are instant.
