How To Sow Wildflower Seeds
Create wildflower habitats to support pollinators.
If you’re thinking of sowing some wildflower seeds – well done! It’s a brilliant thing to do to support pollinators like bees and butterflies. These species are critical to the health of all living things on Earth so making sure they have plenty of habitat in which to live and find food really does make a difference.
Here, our biodiversity expert, Carla Boswell, explains three ways for you to create a habitat of wildflowers at home, just like our parkland meadows.
To start, you’ll need some seeds. It’s preferable to pick native British wildflower seeds that work in harmony with local biodiversity. At The Parks Trust, we use a mix of 26 native wildflower species which includes some very strangely-named flowers like Kidney Vetch, Viper’s Bugloss, Lady’s Bedstraw and Common Toadflax!
You can sow wildflower seeds anytime but Spring and Autumn are best.
Whichever method you choose, once the sowing is done, don’t forget to keep the soil moist. As green shoots start to appear, remember not to do any weeding – those shoots could be the beginnings of beautiful wildflowers! It will take around 40-60 days from sprouting to blooming if planted in the spring or growing season. From May they should start flowering until September, depending on the weather and ground conditions. Once your wildflowers start appearing, hopefully the pollinators won’t be far behind!
Share your pictures on social media with #MKWildflowers and remember to tag @theparkstrust!
Check out our range of outdoor activities designed to help everyone get closer to nature and give local wildlife a helping hand.
