The importance of wildflowers
AN INTRODUCTION TO WILDFLOWERS
As a grower I cannot stress enough the importance of wildflowers. The key word is WILD. The skyrocket in new plant parents since the pandemic is truly remarkable. I am so pleased to see so many people waking up to the holistic benefits of nurturing plants, both Indoor and outdoors.
Plant collections come in all shapes and sizes; from a little pot on the windowsill affectionately called Clive, to a jungle that is overtaking your living room.
The thing to consider is the country of origin for each species. How many air miles has your collection clocked up?
One of the ways I reduce the air miles of the plants I sell is growing them from seed or propagation from mother plants, right here in the UK. Whilst the origin of the species may be Mexico, all Harriet’s Plants offerings are proudly grown in the UK. Despite this, I wanted to bring the benefit of UK wildflowers to your attention.
Our outdoor spaces desperately need wildflowers and here is a few reasons why…
The Pollinators
Wild flower meadows provide shelter and food for important pollinators including bees. Did you know that there are over 250 species of bee in the UK? Bee’s play a vital part in supporting our ecosystem with their populations, but they are in particular decline in the UK. Wild flower meadows are extremely diverse habitats, with a huge variety of flowers; ideal for bees. But since the decline of wildflower meadows in the UK, some species of bee have evolved to only eat a limited number of pollens and too much competition for food sources inevitably causes bee populations to reduce. Not to mention the pesticides people use in their gardens- come on people, give them a fighting chance! You can read about alternatives to pesticides here
It’s not just bees too, the decline in wildflower meadows has an impact on other dependant species such as other insects and animals that eat insect. Birds, hedgehogs and bats all flourish in wildflower meadows.
Our food system
According to research at Kew gardens we have lost 97% of our wild flower meadows since the 1930s, making wild flower meadows one of the rarest habitats in the UK. Losing our wildflowers has a real impact on the food we eat.
This transfer of pollen can be done by the wind, birds, bats, mammals and of course insects; one of the most important of these are the honey bees that pollinate on a huge commercial scale. All sorts of fruit and vegetables are pollinated by honey bees, such as broccoli and squash, apples and almonds. But pollination is not just important for the food we eat directly, it’s vital for the foraging crops, such as field beans and clover which help to feed many other animals and help to maintain the genetic diversity of the flowering plants.
What can be done???
One of the biggest reasons for the loss of wildflower meadows that used to be abundant in the UK is the development of land for property and roads. Changes to our farming methods have also contributed to this huge decline in wild flower meadows, however we have to acknowlegde our own part to play in the decline. The responsibility comes a little closer to home too. Our gardens used to be pollinator friendly, full of food, herbs and medicinal plants. Due to popularity of gardening shows and sites such as Pinterest we are more likely to have decorative plants in our gardens and are less likely to leave long grasses and hedgerows that are vital to our eco systems and don’t get me started on artificial lawns!
Plant a meadow in your outdoor space!
Grow Wild is the UK’s biggest wild flower campaign, bringing people together to transform local spaces with native wild flowers and plants. It is a great resource on how to grow wildflower meadows in all sorts of different environments. It has also funded four large scale urban rejuvenation projects to transform previously unloved spaces into wildlife havens, whilst bringing communities together. No matter what the size of your outdoor space, there are ways to get involved. Start at home and spread out. Hopefully with more people like you, the future is bright and full of wild flowers. Get your wildflower seeds here and embrace the added colour and all the benefits of knowing that even the tiniest action can change the world.
Bee kind
While your wildflower seeds are growing look at other ways to make your garden as bee friendly as possible. At this time of year many bees are exhausted and have to rest so while you are outside, watch where you step and if you see a bee resting on a path, carefully transfer them to a safer place, preferably a flower!
Think about adding a Bee bath, put out a small shallow bird bath or bowl of fresh water for exhausted bees to have a drink and a rest while doing their work. Make sure you add some pebbles so they don’t drown!
Check paddling pools! This time of year when the weather is hotting up, bees will be tempted to drink from paddling pools but the depth means that they get stuck and sadly most drown. If you can, please try and cover up the pool when not in use and make a habit of checking the water regularly so you can catch and save any bees that may be struggling in the water before it’s too late.
Spread the word
Sharing articles like this will bring awareness to the plight of the bees and the impact it will have on us all. Start young too. If you have small children teach them not to be scared of bees and encourage activities such as building a bee hotel and planting wildflower seeds to get them excited about seeing bees in your garden.
