Here's how the wildflower meadow looks now.
It has got a bit of height with teasel, thistle, wild carrot and yarrow all standing out.
Tracking through the season, dandelions looked like they had taken over and then buttercups as you can see here:
For comparison here is the wildflower meadow last year. There were more poppies and corncockles than this year and lots of wild radish.
As it is now the end of August it is time to start clearing the meadow "progressively", that is bit by bit. The grass and other plants have become a matted thatch so I remove them to a sacrificial pile at the end. There is ample opportunity for wildlife to move on as progress is slow - I use a pair of hand shears!
Here is a gallery of some of the current occupants:
Hope you enjoyed a mosey around the wildflower meadow!
Oh, you have teasels. I hope we get some next year. I think your hand shearing is the way we'll have to tidy soon too. Ours wildlife plot is a bit over-run with Corncockle - at least they're pretty but they're so tall they rather shaded some of the other plants.
ReplyDeleteThe teasel comes from a couple of dried heads that I broke up and trampled into the soil. Corncockle isn't popular with farmers because the seeds, which get mixed in with the corn, are poisonous. It is a very pretty flower though!
ReplyDeleteTeasels can be one of those plants that fit the warning, Be careful what you wish fot.
ReplyDeleteI've got history with teasel (at the allotment). What concerns me most are thistles, docks and creeping buttercup! (Meadow buttercup welcome but no to creeping buttercup)
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