Will wildflowers spread?

flogen

I was thinking of planting a load of wildflowers in the strip of soil in my front garden and letting them do their thing, but it’s essentially shared with my neighbours (with only an old iron border fence up to separate).

If I did would they end up taking over their side too? Or are there types that tend to stay where you plant them?

Cheers in advance

Rows Grower

flogen wrote: »

I was thinking of planting a load of wildflowers in the strip of soil in my front garden and letting them do their thing, but it’s essentially shared with my neighbours (with only an old iron border fence up to separate).

If I did would they end up taking over their side too? Or are there types that tend to stay where you plant them?

Cheers in advance

The clue is in the name flogen.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Wildflowers can be hit or miss depending on the species, the location, and how they are tended. What are they?

looksee

Yes they will spread by seed or runners, but you could plant aquilegia, poppies, violas, snapdragons, bluebells, campanulas and any number of other plants that would also spread, so wild flowers are just another spreading possibility. What do you both have at the moment?

fryup

mine have flopped..sown 2 months back and no sign of growth?

flogen

Rows Grower wrote: »

The clue is in the name flogen.

Jee thanks, Rows Grower.

looksee wrote: »

Yes they will spread by seed or runners, but you could plant aquilegia, poppies, violas, snapdragons, bluebells, campanulas and any number of other plants that would also spread, so wild flowers are just another spreading possibility.

Fair point - something I planted a few years ago did hop the fence to their side already, so it's not just wildflowers that I'd have to worry about (don't think they minded - but would rather not take over their garden either).

What do you both have at the moment?

There's a lavender plant that only really ever half-blooms, a small shrub and a long purple plant that I can't remember the name of. Tried to plant some bedding before and none of it lasted... I just planted some roses this week, so will see how they get on.

The other side have a bit more going on including a decent rose bush, a fuschia and a shrub and some rosemary.

I don't think it's the greatest of patches for growing - not least because it's a small strip broken up by large chunks of concrete from the fence. But a few wildflowers (or, really, weeds that look nice) have appeared this summer and I'm happy to leave them be as they add colour and the bees seem to like them... that got me thinking that that kind of plant might have more success over time.

looksee

This year's wildflowers have been amazing. It is very noticeable though that a lot of areas that previously would have been routinely cut by councils have been left to flower and there are huge patches of ox-eye daisies, poppies, hawkbit etc on roadside verges - they look great. I saw a sign on one patch that said 'uncut for the bees' or something to that effect. The tide is turning against monoculture lawns to interesting (even if mowed) wildflower areas.

Day Lewin

fryup wrote: »

mine have flopped..sown 2 months back and no sign of growth?

Fryup, that is a mixture of flowers that naturally grow in ploughed land. They are fellow-travellers with cereal crops and folow the same sequence.
Except for the ragged-robins, which prefer damp soil.
They are probably imported from the UK anyway so not genetically identical with Irish ones...

The best way to grow wild flowers is to look at what grows naturally in the area, and restore the traditional management.

You may still get poppies and cornflowers if you rake or turn the soil...if not this year, then next.

Day Lewin

flogen wrote: »

Jee thanks, Rows Grower.



Fair point - something I planted a few years ago did hop the fence to their side already, so it's not just wildflowers that I'd have to worry about (don't think they minded - but would rather not take over their garden either).



There's a lavender plant that only really ever half-blooms, a small shrub and a long purple plant that I can't remember the name of. Tried to plant some bedding before and none of it lasted... I just planted some roses this week, so will see how they get on.

The other side have a bit more going on including a decent rose bush, a fuschia and a shrub and some rosemary.

I don't think it's the greatest of patches for growing - not least because it's a small strip broken up by large chunks of concrete from the fence. But a few wildflowers (or, really, weeds that look nice) have appeared this summer and I'm happy to leave them be as they add colour and the bees seem to like them... that got me thinking that that kind of plant might have more success over time.

White clover will love this: and make patches of dark green in the dryest summer, and bees love it too.
Borage will probably germinate...so will dog daisies, wild marjoram, birdsfoot trefoil, hypericum, Lady's bedstraw, Alchemilla and sage. Coltsfoot for the early spring.
PS do not introduce celandine, they spread like weeds.

Graces7

The wild flowers out here are awesome this year. On verges and on my long drive which I left to go natural when I came here. It had previously been sprayed. Just now the grasses are also in flower. Seeing a dozen different wild flowers on a short walk.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Day Lewin wrote: »

White clover will love this: and make patches of dark green in the dryest summer, and bees love it too.
Borage will probably germinate...so will dog daisies, wild marjoram, birdsfoot trefoil, hypericum, Lady's bedstraw, Alchemilla and sage. Coltsfoot for the early spring.
PS do not introduce celandine, they spread like weeds.

A neighbour may not be too pleased to have white clover being cultivated near their lawn.

White Clover

Day Lewin wrote: »

White clover will love this: and make patches of dark green in the dryest summer, and bees love it too.
Borage will probably germinate...so will dog daisies, wild marjoram, birdsfoot trefoil, hypericum, Lady's bedstraw, Alchemilla and sage. Coltsfoot for the early spring.
PS do not introduce celandine, they spread like weeds.

It wouldn't be my favourite to be honest

Day Lewin

White Clover wrote: »

It wouldn't be my favourite to be honest

LOL then why the username?

PS I'll defend white clover to the end: a beautiful plant, health-giving and harmless.
Those suburban gardeners who kill everything that isn't actual grass, piff to them!!

fryup

Day Lewin wrote: »

They are probably imported from the UK anyway so not genetically identical with Irish ones...

do they have to be

* is it to do with soil difference & weather?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Day Lewin wrote: »

LOL then why the username?

PS I'll defend white clover to the end: a beautiful plant, health-giving and harmless.
Those suburban gardeners who kill everything that isn't actual grass, piff to them!!

Agreed but the OP is asking about the impact of wild flowers on a neighbouring garden and his neighbour is entitled to have his garden the way he wishes.

baaba maal

If the neighbour is mowing up to the old boundary fence then there really shouldn't be an encroachment from the OP's garden (to any meaningful extent). I would agree that white clover spreads fairly perniciously though, so I would avoid it- red clover seems to be far less vigorous in my opinion.

Mickeroo

looksee wrote: »

This year's wildflowers have been amazing. It is very noticeable though that a lot of areas that previously would have been routinely cut by councils have been left to flower and there are huge patches of ox-eye daisies, poppies, hawkbit etc on roadside verges - they look great. I saw a sign on one patch that said 'uncut for the bees' or something to that effect. The tide is turning against monoculture lawns to interesting (even if mowed) wildflower areas.

Mayo county council have supposedly signed up for the all ireland polinator plan, I presume a lot of the others have too so maybe that's the difference.

Having said that, they were out cutting the grass/hedgerows yesterday evening no bother to them :rolleyes: