Best way to encourage wildflowers at roadside?

SocialSpud

I'll start by saying I'm a complete beginner and know very little when it comes to any sort of gardening.

I've been trying to keep this roadside (https://ibb.co/album/TW1vwn)) a bit neat over the last few months by strimming it back. However I'm finding that I don't really have much time to do this all the time so I was thinking of planting some wildflowers to reduce the amount of strimming needed. You can see there are already some wildflowers but apart from that it's mostly brambles, nettles and other weeds.

1. What is the easiest / low maintenance way to encourage wildflowers to grow here?

2. Should I clear what's currently there and then expose the soil for planting?

3. I was thinking seed bombs and throwing them in here might be a good way easy way to do this.

HeidiHeidi

I've planted a few seed bombs (given as Christmas gifts) this year - and apart from one small yellow flower, so far they just look like weed bombs! I'm presuming they'll flower at some point.....


If I were you (as a complete novice gardener as well), I'd try to clear back the brambles/nettles as best I could, and just let grow what grows.



Even the managed wildflower beds in public parks only look fantastic for a few weeks - the rest of the time they also look like weed beds.



I don't think you'll get a fabulous flower display for all summer (although I'd be very happy to hear I'm wrong in that!)

_Brian

You could try some of the seed bomb products dropped here and there.

But remember.
The “brambles, nettles and other weeds” are essential biodiversity habitat in themselves and so are desirable.

I would just try and get some gong and they should self seed from there.

As said above, brambles, nettles are really excellent plants for biodiversity. They support a huge range of butterflies, bees and bird species. There is no obvious safety risk so no need to strim back anyhting. That is a job for authorities anyway. I m sure you have plenty of space in your garden to do as you like.

Seed bombs are an epically awful idea, as really are any bought wildflowers. They are not wildflowers; despite what packaging and promotion might say. Wild flowers are flowers that plant themselves, properly wild, suited to conditions, ecologically adapted. Exposing soil will give a brief burst of arable wildflowers before robust regrowth by bracken, ragwort etc.

There is not really anything you can do to improve biodiversity and wildlife here, only harm it by intervention.

Often these threads have a mix of views and ideas, and the questioner picks whatever suits what they were going to do anyway. Just, if you can, bear the above points in mind. Find out what you have growing there, looks quite a beautiful wild spot, any appreciate it.

SocialSpud

[Deleted User] wrote: »

As said above, brambles, nettles are really excellent plants for biodiversity. They support a huge range of butterflies, bees and bird species. There is no obvious safety risk so no need to strim back anyhting. That is a job for authorities anyway. I m sure you have plenty of space in your garden to do as you like.

Seed bombs are an epically awful idea, as really are any bought wildflowers. They are not wildflowers; despite what packaging and promotion might say. Wild flowers are flowers that plant themselves, properly wild, suited to conditions, ecologically adapted. Exposing soil will give a brief burst of arable wildflowers before robust regrowth by bracken, ragwort etc.

There is not really anything you can do to improve biodiversity and wildlife here, only harm it by intervention.

Often these threads have a mix of views and ideas, and the questioner picks whatever suits what they were going to do anyway. Just, if you can, bear the above points in mind. Find out what you have growing there, looks quite a beautiful wild spot, any appreciate it.

Yea I absolutely hear you. My main goal here is to keep back some growth so that's it's not coming out on to the road (it's pretty much a private road so no authorities would be managing this). Of course I would also like for it to look somewhat appealing as well and you can see that by strimming some of the overgrown grass it already looks decent. Unfortunately brambles just look awful hence the idea of encouraging more pollinators, even long grass looks better.

SocialSpud

_Brian wrote: »

You could try some of the seed bomb products dropped here and there.

But remember.
The “brambles, nettles and other weeds” are essential biodiversity habitat in themselves and so are desirable.

I would just try and get some gong and they should self seed from there.

Thanks. What is gong?

Alkers

There is a good amount of guidance on this site
https://pollinators.ie/gardens/

_Brian

Seed bombs are fine if you want to get some flowers going that may self seed and be “wild flowers”

If op wants “native wildflowers” then more attention to what they bring in is needed surely. But that’s not what OP asked for.

Roadside verges are typically poor places for native wildflower management as the soil is usually too fertile. In areas like that it’s often best to get some general wildflowers going and they should self seed to repopulate each year.

I work with community groups on land management and honestly, trying to force in diverse numbers of native wildflowers where they are unsuited is a massive waste of time, effort and money.
First rule of any land management is look at the site and grow what’s suited for that site, you might want wild orchids and cowslips. But if your on a really fertile bit of ground your back to gardening them in rather than them wanting to populate it in a native wild flower ethos.

magicbastarder

one option would be to treat it like a meadow; let whatever grows there, grow there; and only cut it back once or twice a year?

SocialSpud

magicbastarder wrote: »

one option would be to treat it like a meadow; let whatever grows there, grow there; and only cut it back once or twice a year?

Yea for sure. Wouldn't mind getting rid of the brambles and having it a bit more colourful with some wildflowers.

_Brian

magicbastarder wrote: »

one option would be to treat it like a meadow; let whatever grows there, grow there; and only cut it back once or twice a year?

Best lift the cuttings too, otherwise it’s just rotting down, improving the soil amd growing more grass rust smothers out any nice native flowers.

The process of degrading the soil fertility by mowing and removing does work but takes time. It’s what most people do to their lawn, that’s why lawn weeds (native wild flowers) are such a problem in lawns.

Danzy

Keep removing excess growth, don't let it on the ground, don't fertilize the ground.

Look at this.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/14/on-the-verge-a-quiet-roadside-revolution-is-boosting-wildflowers-aoe

looksee

I think what you have done looks very well. Would it not be easier to run a mower over it rather than strim it? I would not try to put commercial 'wild flowers' in there, just let it do its own thing. If it were a garden I could understand wanting to take out (some) brambles, but in that situation they are fine.

fiacha

The section closest to the wall looks good as it is. It's all important roadside habitat. I'd leave it be and maybe just knock it back when the brambles etc get too big.

I'd stay well away from seed bombs, you have no idea where the seeds have been sourced. Current reccomendation from groups like the All Ireland Pollinator plan are to avoid sowing any seeds, just improve the conditions for whatever seeds are already there to grow.

I'd run a mower over the section closest to the road every 6 weeks or so (at a high setting) and see what comes up. As already said here, it's really important to remove the cuttings as you don't want them to rot down and improve the soil. Wildflowers generally want poor soil. To help speed things up a little, you could sow some Yellow Rattle seeds which over time will weaken the grass and give the local flowers a chance to get ahead of it.

It's a lovely looking area there. I'm envious

SocialSpud

looksee wrote: »

I think what you have done looks very well. Would it not be easier to run a mower over it rather than strim it? I would not try to put commercial 'wild flowers' in there, just let it do its own thing. If it were a garden I could understand wanting to take out (some) brambles, but in that situation they are fine.

A mower would certainly be easier if I had one :-( only have a battery strimmer which isn't too bad in fairness but only get about 25 minutes out of 2 batteries. Honestly at this stage I think it would be worth getting one to save me a lot of time.

SocialSpud

fiacha wrote: »

The section closest to the wall looks good as it is. It's all important roadside habitat. I'd leave it be and maybe just knock it back when the brambles etc get too big.

I'd stay well away from seed bombs, you have no idea where the seeds have been sourced. Current reccomendation from groups like the All Ireland Pollinator plan are to avoid sowing any seeds, just improve the conditions for whatever seeds are already there to grow.

I'd run a mower over the section closest to the road every 6 weeks or so (at a high setting) and see what comes up. As already said here, it's really important to remove the cuttings as you don't want them to rot down and improve the soil. Wildflowers generally want poor soil. To help speed things up a little, you could sow some Yellow Rattle seeds which over time will weaken the grass and give the local flowers a chance to get ahead of it.

It's a lovely looking area there. I'm envious

Great advice thanks. I had no idea that wildflowers actually did better in poor soil!

magicbastarder

SocialSpud wrote: »

A mower would certainly be easier if I had one :-( only have a battery strimmer which isn't too bad in fairness but only get about 25 minutes out of 2 batteries. Honestly at this stage I think it would be worth getting one to save me a lot of time.

buy a scythe.